Do denied weeks extend my 26-week ESD benefit period?

No, denied weeks due to excess earnings don't extend your claim period. Your benefit year is still 12 months from when you first filed, and you get a maximum of 26 payable weeks within that period. Those 4 weeks are basically just 'lost' from your total available weeks. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

wait i thought it was different?? i had like 8 weeks denied last year cuz of a temp job and my claim rep told me those weeks stay in my account and i can use them later. did the rules change or did i misunderstand something??

The key here is understanding the difference between your benefit year and your maximum benefit entitlement. Your benefit year: 12 months from when you first filed Your maximum benefit entitlement: Up to 26 weeks of benefits If you have weeks where you earn too much, those weeks are not paid out, but they don't extend your benefit year. You still have 26 payable weeks available within your benefit year timeframe. If you reach the end of your benefit year and haven't used all 26 weeks, you lose the remaining weeks. One important detail: if you have a week where you earn some money but still qualify for a partial payment, that DOES count against your 26 weeks. Only weeks where you qualify for zero benefits (denied) don't count against your total.

I went through EXACTLY this last year!!! had 5 weeks denied when i got a temp job, then got laid off again. the 5 weeks didnt extend my claim end date but i could still get the full 26 payments as long as it was before my benefit year ended. its confusing but the total $ amount in your claim stays the same!

I've been trying to reach ESD for weeks about a similar question and can't get through. Always busy signals or disconnects. Anyone had any luck actually talking to a real person there? I'm at my wit's end!

Also worth noting: if you're getting close to the end of your benefit year and still have weeks remaining, you CANNOT file a new claim just to extend your timeframe. The system won't let you file a new claim until your current benefit year expires. I learned this the hard way!

THE ESD SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CHEAT YOU OUT OF WEEKS!! they make it confusing on purpose so people don't get their full benefits. i lost 7 weeks last year because i didn't understand this stupid rule and nobody explained it to me. CALL THEM and DEMAND your full 26 weeks!!

One strategy to consider: If you're nearing the end of your benefit year and have several weeks of entitlement remaining, you might want to avoid taking short-term work that would only disqualify you for a week or two. Sometimes it's financially better to continue collecting your full benefit rather than earning just slightly more for a short period and losing those weeks of entitlement. Of course, this depends on your specific situation and the job opportunity. Long-term employment is always the goal, but it's worth doing the math for short-term gigs.

my neighbor said something about a "claim extension" when you use up your regular UI? is that still a thing in 2025?

Just wanted to add my experience here - I had a similar situation last year where I had 6 weeks denied due to earnings from a contract job. What really helped me was keeping detailed records of all my weekly certifications and the reasons for any denials. When I eventually got through to ESD, the representative was able to walk me through exactly how many benefit weeks I had remaining and when my benefit year would end. One tip: you can actually see this information in your eServices account under "Payment History" - it shows your total benefit amount, how much you've used, and your benefit year end date. Saves you from having to call if you just need to check your remaining balance. The math gets confusing but the online account breaks it down pretty clearly once you know where to look.