ESD claim stuck in March - can't file for April after returning to work

You probably need to reopen your claim. If you went back to work and stopped filing for a while, the system assumes you don't need benefits anymore. Look for a 'reopen claim' button somewhere on your dashboard.

This happens all the time. When you have a break in filing weekly claims (4+ weeks in your case), your claim becomes inactive. You need to officially reopen your claim before you can file for current weeks. Log in to eServices, and on the main unemployment page, there should be a button that says "Restart your claim" or "Reopen your claim" - it's usually right on the main dashboard. Click that and follow the steps. The system will ask you questions about your work history since you last filed, then you'll be able to file for current weeks.

same thing happened 2 me last yr!! the reopen button is SUPER hard to find. i think its under the "more options" dropdown menu or something weird like that. click everything you see lol

You absolutely CANNOT file for the current week if your claim is inactive! The system is working as designed - if you haven't submitted claims for 4+ weeks, ESD assumes you're employed and stops your claim. I went through this nightmare last year and wasted THREE WEEKS trying to figure it out myself. The website is HORRIBLE and the reopen option sometimes doesn't display properly depending on your browser!!! Try a different browser first - sometimes Chrome works when Edge doesn't. If that doesn't work, you HAVE to call them directly to reopen the claim. It's ridiculous!!

I went through this exact situation in February. The key is understanding that after 4 weeks of not filing, your claim becomes inactive. You need to restart/reopen your claim, but sometimes the button doesn't appear correctly on the dashboard. Here's what worked for me: 1. Try logging out completely, clearing your browser cache, and logging back in 2. Look under "Account Settings" or sometimes in a section called "Claim Management" 3. If you see anything that says "Apply for Benefits" or "Start a New Application" - click that (it's confusing, but sometimes reopening goes through the same initial workflow) If none of that works, you unfortunately need to call ESD directly. I know the phone lines are absolutely terrible, but I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an ESD agent in about 40 minutes instead of spending days redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Once I got through to ESD, they reopened my claim in literally 5 minutes. It was worth it to not spend days trying to get through on my own.

Let me clarify how this process actually works, since there's some confusion in the comments. When you stop filing weekly claims for 4+ consecutive weeks, your UI claim becomes inactive. To start receiving benefits again, you must reopen your claim before you can file weekly claims for current weeks. The option to reopen should appear on your eServices dashboard, but there's a known technical issue where it sometimes doesn't display properly. Here's the official process: 1. Log into eServices and look for "Restart your claim" or "Reopen claim" on your dashboard 2. If you don't see it, check under the "More options" or "I want to..." menu 3. If still not visible, try using the direct URL: secure.esd.wa.gov/home/reopen (may need to add this to the base URL) 4. When reopening, you'll need to provide information about any work or earnings during the period you didn't claim Once reopened, you'll be able to file for the current week. The system will never allow you to simply "skip ahead" to current weeks if you missed filing - that's working as designed. If the online options don't work, calling is unfortunately your only option. The ESD technical support line (not the regular claims line) sometimes has shorter wait times: 855-682-0785.

Any luck getting through? I'm dealing with something similar and wondering if I should just keep trying online or bite the bullet and call.

this whole system is so broken lol. glad u got it fixed tho!!