ESD claim reopen shows 23 weeks instead of 26 - can I file against recent employer later?

You're right about what's happening. When you have an unexpired benefit year, ESD requires you to reopen that claim first before starting a new one. Benefit years last for 12 months from the initial filing date, so your original claim from 2023 was still active. The 23 remaining weeks is correct because you already used 3 weeks of the standard 26-week maximum. After you exhaust those 23 weeks, or when your benefit year expires (whichever comes first), you could potentially file a new claim based on your more recent employment. However, to qualify for a new claim, you need to have worked enough hours in your base year (usually 680+ hours). Your 7 months at Company B might be enough, but it depends on how many hours you worked and when exactly those hours were worked relative to your new filing date.

i went thru EXACT same thing last year!!! had 21 wks left from old claim, had to use those up first before they woudl let me file a new claim. super annoying cause my new job paid way more so my benefit amount woudl have been higher on new claim but ESD makes u use up the old one first. u definitely can file a new claim after ur 23 wks run out but only if u worked enough hours at the new job

The whole system is designed to PAY YOU LESS!!! They ALWAYS make you reopen old claims even when your new job paid more because they don't want to pay higher benefits! My brother-in-law lost almost $200/week because of this exact issue and ESD wouldn't budge no matter how many times he called them. It's all about saving money for the state not helping workers!!

I know how frustrating this can be! Since no one's mentioned it yet - if you're having trouble getting through to ESD about your specific situation (which often happens), I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach an actual ESD agent when I had questions about my claim situation. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 They basically help you bypass the hold times and actually get through to someone who can look at your specific claim details. It was worth it for me because I had a complicated question about base periods that I couldn't figure out from the website.

So wait are you saying you can have 2 unemployment claims open at the same time? I'm confused how this works with the benefit year thing.

To directly answer your question: Yes, after exhausting your 23 weeks, you can file a new claim if you've worked enough qualifying hours. With 7 months of full-time work, you likely have sufficient hours (you need 680 hours in your base year). What you need to know about the new claim: 1. Your base year for the new claim will be the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before filing 2. Your weekly benefit amount will be based on your earnings during that base year 3. You might experience a gap between claims while ESD processes the new application I recommend starting the new claim application process 1-2 weeks before your current benefits exhaust to minimize any payment gaps. When the system asks if you have worked since your last claim, you'll provide your Company B information.

i herd theres a waiting week for new claims so mabye prepare for that??? not sure if thats still a thing in 2025 but i had to wait a week when i filed last year just fyi

Thank you all for the helpful responses! Just to make sure I understand correctly: 1. I'm currently using my old claim with 23 weeks remaining (which is correct) 2. After I use those weeks OR my benefit year expires, I can file a new claim 3. For the new claim, I'll need 680+ hours from my 7 months at Company B (which I should have) 4. I should start the new application 1-2 weeks before my current benefits run out 5. There will be a waiting week for the new claim This is all super helpful for planning purposes. One last question - will my benefit amount on the current claim always be based on my income from Company A, or does it get recalculated with my Company B income too?