Do I qualify for Washington ESD unemployment benefits - need help understanding eligibility

What's a base period? Sorry I'm new to all this unemployment stuff and the Washington ESD website uses so much confusing terminology.

The base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if you file now in January 2025, your base period would be July 2023 through June 2024. You need to have earned at least $1,000 in your base period and meet some other wage requirements.

OMG yes the phone situation is ridiculous! I spent hours trying to get through to someone at Washington ESD.

I actually found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to Washington ESD agents when I couldn't reach them myself. They have this system that calls for you and connects you when an agent picks up. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration trying to call myself.

That sounds too good to be true... how much does something like that cost?

It's not free but honestly worth it when you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD. Check out claimyr.com for more info. Way better than sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected.

You're thinking of the disqualifying income rule. If you quit without good cause, you need to earn at least 7 times your weekly benefit amount in new employment after the quit to remove the disqualification. But if OP worked 8 months at the retail job after quitting, they probably met this requirement.

Ah okay that makes sense. 8 months of work should definitely be enough to clear any issues from quitting the previous job then.

Is the online application pretty straightforward? I'm worried I'll mess something up and hurt my chances.

It's not too bad, just make sure you have all your employment information handy - dates, employer addresses, reason for separation, etc. Take your time and answer honestly. You can always appeal if they make a mistake.

Adjudication can take forever, especially if there's any question about your work history. Did you have multiple jobs or any gaps in employment?

Yeah I had like 3 different jobs in the past year. Maybe that's why it's taking so long to review.

I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier when my claim was stuck in adjudication. Finally got through to an agent who explained exactly what documentation they needed. Turned out to be a simple fix once I could actually talk to someone.

That's not accurate at all. Quitting a previous job doesn't automatically disqualify you if you worked enough afterwards and your most recent separation was involuntary. Please don't spread misinformation about Washington ESD eligibility rules.

Thanks for the correction. I was starting to get worried there for a minute!

Wow that sounds complicated. Where do I find this calculator?

It should be on the Washington ESD website under benefits calculator or something like that. Just have your wage information ready from all your jobs in the past 18 months or so.

3 job searches per week doesn't sound too bad. What counts as a job search activity?

Applying for jobs, networking events, career fairs, interviews, even some online training courses. Just make sure to log everything in your WorkSourceWA account because they can audit your job search records anytime.

How long did your initial claim take to get approved?

About 3 weeks but I had a pretty straightforward layoff situation. More complicated cases can take longer.

I didn't really try to go through HR because it was a small company and the manager was basically the owner's nephew. Felt like it would just make things worse.

That's understandable but probably doesn't meet the good cause standard then. Good thing your most recent separation was a layoff!

I feel your frustration but getting angry won't speed up the process. Have you tried reaching out to your local legislator's office? Sometimes they can help with Washington ESD issues.

Or try that Claimyr thing people keep mentioning. My sister used it last month and finally got her issues resolved after weeks of trying to call herself.

Thanks everyone for all the advice! I'm going to apply tonight and see what happens. Fingers crossed!

Good luck! Just remember to file your weekly claims even while your initial claim is being processed. You can't get paid for weeks you don't file for.

Do I need pay stubs or will they get my wage information directly from employers?

They get most wage info from state records but having your own records helps if there are any discrepancies. Pay stubs, W-2s, that sort of thing.

Yeah definitely keep copies of everything. Washington ESD loves to ask for additional documentation at random times during your claim.