Can you collect Washington ESD unemployment if you worked in another state recently?

Oh that makes sense! So I do file with Washington ESD even though my Oregon wages were higher? Will that affect my benefit amount?

Yes, Washington ESD will calculate your benefits based on wages from both states during your base period. The benefit amount depends on your total qualifying wages, not which state they came from.

Did it take longer to process because of the out-of-state wages? I'm worried about delays.

It took about 2 extra weeks for them to get my California wage records, but after that it processed normally. Just be patient with the interstate requests.

Never heard of Claimyr before. Is it legit? I've been struggling to get through to Washington ESD for weeks about my interstate claim.

Yeah it's legitimate. They basically help you get through to Washington ESD agents when the phone lines are jammed. Saved me so much frustration trying to understand the interstate filing rules.

That sounds really helpful actually. I've tried calling Washington ESD three times this week and can never get through.

What kind of problems? I was thinking about filing in both states to see which gives me more money.

Don't do that! Filing in multiple states is considered fraud. You can only have one active unemployment claim at a time. Washington ESD will access your Oregon wages automatically through the interstate system.

Oh wow, good to know. Thanks for the warning!

How long did you have to wait? I really need these benefits to start soon.

like 3-4 weeks total but most of that was waiting for nevada to respond with my wage info. once washington esd had everything it went fast

Do you still have to do the weekly claims while waiting for the interstate stuff to process?

Yes, you must continue filing your weekly claims even while the interstate wage request is pending. Don't skip any weeks or you could lose benefits for those periods.

Good to know! I was wondering about that part. So I file my initial claim with Washington ESD now and just keep doing weekly claims while they sort out the Oregon wages?

Exactly. File your initial claim immediately and then file weekly claims every week without skipping. The interstate wage verification happens in the background.

That's reassuring! My Oregon job definitely paid more than my recent Washington job.

Wait, I thought Washington used all four quarters of the base period, not just the highest quarter?

You're right, they use all qualifying wages from the base period. I meant that having higher wages from Oregon will increase your overall benefit calculation since it's part of your total qualifying wages.

What employer information do they need exactly? I have my Oregon W-2 but is there other stuff?

They'll need employer names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason for separation. The more detail you can provide upfront, the smoother the interstate process goes.

How much does Claimyr cost? I'm desperate to talk to someone at Washington ESD about my interstate claim issues.

I didn't want to keep spending money on failed call attempts, so it was worth it for me. Check out their demo video to see how it works - claimyr.com has all the info.

What kind of documentation? I have a Washington lease and changed my driver's license already.

That's perfect. Lease, driver's license, voter registration, utility bills - anything showing you've established Washington residency and aren't just temporarily here.

That's good news! I was worried it would take months to get my out-of-state wages processed.

Nah, usually 2-3 weeks max unless there's some unusual complication with your previous employer or the other state's system is having issues.

Should I gather my old pay stubs from Oregon before filing? I still have some of them.

Having pay stubs is helpful but not required for filing. Washington ESD will get official wage records directly from Oregon. But keep your pay stubs in case there are any discrepancies that need to be resolved.

Yikes, that sounds like a nightmare. Definitely filing with Washington ESD since I live here now.

Yeah I've heard stories about people trying to game the system by filing in the wrong state. Always causes more problems than it solves.

That's reassuring! I was worried Washington would be slower than other states I've heard about.

The agent said Washington ESD invested heavily in upgrading their interstate data systems after COVID showed how important cross-state coordination is. Much better now than it was a few years ago.

So I should file right away even though I don't have all my Oregon employment details organized yet?

Yes, file immediately with whatever information you have. You can always provide additional details later, but you can't backdate your claim filing date. Time is important with unemployment claims.

This is really important advice. I waited two weeks to file my interstate claim thinking I needed everything perfect and lost out on those two weeks of benefits.