ESD benefit duration: Do 26 weeks include filing week and waiting week?

The 26 weeks of benefits refer specifically to payable weeks. Your waiting week and the week you filed (if no benefits were paid) don't count toward the 26-week maximum. The waiting week is unpaid but does require you to file a weekly claim and meet all eligibility requirements. After that, you can receive up to 26 full weeks of benefits if you remain eligible throughout your benefit year.

Just went through this recently. You get 26 PAYMENT weeks. The waiting week doesn't count because you don't get paid for it (stupid system IMO). Week you filed only counts if you claimed benefits for that week.

To add some more precision to what others have said: Your benefit year is 52 weeks long, starting from when you first applied. Within that year, you can receive a maximum of 26 weeks of benefit payments. The waiting week is required by state law (RCW 50.20.010(2)) and doesn't count as one of your 26 payable weeks. If you work part-time and receive partial unemployment benefits, that still counts as using one of your 26 weeks, even if you only received a partial payment. For budgeting purposes, remember that if you find part-time work, your weekly benefit will be reduced but you'll be stretching out your benefits over a longer calendar period. Also worth noting that the week you filed only counts against your 26 weeks if you were eligible and claimed benefits for that week. If you filed on a Friday, for example, and only claimed 2-3 days of that week, it still uses up a full week of your benefits if you received any payment.

Yes, you can check your remaining benefits on the ESD website. Log into your eServices account, and on your dashboard you should see information about your claim, including how many weeks you've claimed and how many remain available. It's listed under "Claim Summary" or sometimes under "Remaining Benefits."

I thought the waiting week was eliminated during covid? Is it back now? When I filed in 2020 I didn't have to do the waiting week thing.

Been trying to get through to ESD for 3 days to ask this exact question! Kept getting stuck in their phone system and disconnected. Finally gave up and tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) yesterday - they got me connected to an ESD rep in about 20 minutes who confirmed exactly what people are saying here. The 26 weeks are payable weeks only, waiting week doesn't count. They also have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Way better than spending hours redialing!

One thing nobodys mentioning is that if u work in construction or other seasonal jobs u might qualify for extended benefits during the off season. My brother got like 13 more weeks last year cuz he works construction and they have special rules. But ya gotta have worked enough hours in that industry.

i got so confusd by all this when i filed!!! the esd website is THE WORST. they dont explain anything clearly. i kept thinking my waiting week meant i did something wrong on my claim lol. but yeah you get 26 actual payment weeks and then your done. also make sure u do your work search activities every week or theyll cut you off!!!

One final clarification that might help: When people refer to "maximum benefits," they're talking about two different limits: 1. Time limit: Up to 26 weeks of payments within your 52-week benefit year 2. Monetary limit: The maximum total dollar amount you can receive (shown on your monetary determination letter) You'll reach the end of your benefits when you hit EITHER of these limits, whichever comes first. Most people hit the time limit first, but if you consistently receive partial payments due to part-time work, you might reach the full 52 weeks before exhausting your monetary maximum.