How do I know if I qualified for unemployment benefits in Washington?

The basic requirement is that you need to have worked enough hours in your base period and lost your job through no fault of your own. Since you were laid off (not fired for cause), that part sounds good. For the work requirement, you generally need at least 680 hours in your base period which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed.

10 days isn't unusual for the initial review process. Washington ESD has to verify your employment and wages with your employer(s) which can take time. You should get a determination letter either approving or denying your claim once they finish the review.

I had such a hard time getting through to anyone at Washington ESD when I was waiting for my determination. Calling their main number was impossible - always busy or I'd get disconnected after waiting forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that actually got me through to an agent who could explain exactly where my claim stood. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

The main qualifications are: 1) You need sufficient wages/hours in your base period, 2) You must be unemployed through no fault of your own, 3) You have to be able and available to work, and 4) You must actively search for work. Sounds like you meet the first two criteria based on what you described.

ugh the waiting game is so stressful!! I was convinced they were going to deny me but it turned out fine. try not to overthink it if you were laid off legitimately

One thing to watch for - if there are any issues with your claim (like if your employer contests it or there's missing wage information), Washington ESD will send you a letter requesting additional information. Make sure to respond promptly if you get anything like that.

I got approved after being laid off from a similar situation. The key thing is that layoffs due to lack of work or budget cuts usually qualify automatically as long as you have enough work history. Your wages sound decent so you should be fine on that front too.

The Washington ESD system is so confusing! When I applied last year it took forever to figure out if I qualified. Turns out I was overthinking it - if you worked recently and got laid off, you're probably fine.

Since you mentioned checking SecureAccess Washington - make sure you're looking at the right section. Your claim status and any messages from Washington ESD will show up in your account dashboard. Sometimes people miss important notices because they're not checking the right place.

Just went through this process myself. If your claim shows 'under review' that usually means they're verifying your employment and wages. As long as everything checks out with your employer records, you should get approved. The 8 months of work should definitely be enough to qualify.

The wage requirement is pretty straightforward - you need to have earned at least $5,265 during your base period. With your salary of $2,800/month for 8 months, you should easily meet that threshold assuming it falls within your base period timeframe.

I remember being in the same boat - constantly refreshing my account waiting for news. The good news is that most legitimate layoff cases get approved without issues. Just try to be patient and keep filing those weekly claims!

One tip - if you do end up needing to call Washington ESD for clarification, I had success using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Saved me hours of trying to get through on my own. Their system actually works for connecting you to the right department.

Based on what you've shared, you should definitely qualify. Layoff due to budget cuts = good reason, 8 months of work = enough work history, decent wages = meets monetary requirements. Just keep filing weekly and wait for that determination letter.

The waiting period is normal but I know it's frustrating. I kept thinking they were going to find some reason to deny me but it was just the standard verification process. Your situation sounds pretty straightforward for approval.

Make sure you understand the ongoing requirements too. Once you're approved, you'll need to file weekly claims every week, do your job search activities, and report any work or income. It's not just a one-time approval.

If you're really anxious about it, you could try reaching out to Washington ESD directly to check on your claim status. Though like others mentioned, getting through by phone can be challenging without help.

Sounds like you've got all the basics covered for qualifying. The review period varies but 10 days isn't unusually long. I'd give it another week or so before getting too concerned about the timeline.