ESD claim ending in July - can I qualify for a new claim after exhausting 16 remaining weeks?
I've been on a rollercoaster with employment lately. Lost my retail manager position back in August and filed for unemployment right away. Found a new job at a marketing firm in September, but they had a round of layoffs in February and I was cut (last in, first out I guess). I went back to ESD and reactivated my original claim. According to my ESD account, I still have 16 weeks of benefits remaining from that original claim, which should last until around mid-July. My question is: what happens when those 16 weeks run out? Since I worked at that marketing job from September to February (about 5-6 months), would I qualify for a whole new claim in August? Or am I just out of luck once this claim is exhausted? Really worried about my options if I don't find something by July...
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Carmella Fromis
I've been through this exact situation last year. The key is whether you worked enough hours during your "base year" to qualify for a new claim. When your current benefits run out in July, you'll be able to apply for a new claim, and ESD will determine if you earned enough wages in your base year (which would be April 2024-March 2025 if you apply in August). For a new claim, you need to have worked 680 hours in your base year. So the question is - did you work enough hours at that marketing job to hit the 680 hour requirement? If so, you should be eligible for a new claim.
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Ryder Greene
•Thanks for the info! I was full-time at the marketing job, around 38-40 hours per week for about 22 weeks. That's roughly 836-880 hours, so it sounds like I might qualify? Do they look at the actual earnings too or just the hours?
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Theodore Nelson
u shud call ESD directly & ask them this question. my freind waited til his benifits ran out and then he couldnt get a new claim approved cuz they said he didnt work enough. better to know now then be surprised when ur $$ stops in july!!!
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Ryder Greene
•You're right, I should call them directly. I've tried calling a few times but always get the automated message saying call volumes are too high. Feels impossible to reach an actual person!
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AaliyahAli
You definitely need to speak with an ESD representative to get the most accurate answer for your specific situation. The 680 hours requirement is correct, but there are other factors they consider for a new benefit year. I was in your position in 2025 and found that using Claimyr (claimyr.com) was the only way I could actually reach someone at ESD. They have a system that helps you get through the phone queue. I was skeptical at first, but their video demo convinced me: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 It's worth getting a definitive answer now rather than having a gap in benefits if you haven't found work by July.
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Ellie Simpson
•is this claimyr thing legit? seems weird that we have to use a service just to talk to the unemployment office that our taxes pay for! 🙄
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Arjun Kurti
To give you the technically correct answer: Yes, you can file a new claim after your current benefit year ends. Your benefit year runs for 12 months from when you first filed (so August 2024 to August 2025). To qualify for a new claim after your current one exhausts: 1. You need 680+ hours worked in your base year 2. Your base year will be the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file 3. You must have earned wages in at least 2 quarters of your base year Since you worked Sept 2024-Feb 2025 (crossing at least 2 quarters) and accumulated ~840 hours, you should qualify. However, your weekly benefit amount might be different based on your earnings at the marketing job compared to your previous job. I recommend filing your new claim immediately after your benefit year ends - don't wait.
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Ryder Greene
•This is super helpful, thank you! I'm relieved to hear I'll likely qualify for a new claim. My marketing job actually paid a bit more than my retail management position, so maybe my benefit amount would be a bit higher? Fingers crossed I find a new job before then, but it's good to know I'll have a safety net if needed.
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Raúl Mora
THE ESD SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE PEOPLE!!! They WANT you to miss deadlines and filing periods so they can save money! I lost THREE WEEKS of benefits because no one told me I needed to file a new claim instead of just continuing my weekly claims. Don't trust the website info, CALL THEM!!!
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Margot Quinn
•While I understand your frustration, I don't think ESD is deliberately trying to confuse people. The unemployment system is just complex by nature. But I do agree that calling is the best option for specific situations like this one. The rules around benefit years, base years, and qualifying hours can be confusing even for people who've been through the process before.
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Carmella Fromis
One thing to watch out for - make sure you're still doing your 3 job search activities each week and documenting them properly. I've seen people get denied when applying for a new benefit year because they got sloppy with job search requirements toward the end of their previous claim. ESD sometimes reviews your job search logs when you apply for a new claim.
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Ryder Greene
•Oh that's good to know! Yes, I've been diligent about my job search activities. I'm using WorkSourceWA for some of them and keeping detailed notes of everything else. Really hoping something comes through before July, but planning for the worst just in case.
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Ellie Simpson
my neibor said you have to wait a week between claims??? is that true?? seems dum if your already looking for work
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Arjun Kurti
•Your neighbor might be confusing the waiting week with the gap between claims. The one-week waiting period only applies to your initial claim. When transitioning from an exhausted claim to a new benefit year, you should file immediately when eligible. There's no mandatory gap, but processing the new claim might take time, which is why filing promptly is important.
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