How do I reapply for Washington ESD unemployment benefits after my claim expired?
My unemployment claim expired back in October and I've been working part-time since then, but now my hours got cut drastically and I need to reapply for benefits. I'm confused about whether I need to file a completely new claim or if there's a way to reopen my old one. When I log into my Washington ESD account, it shows my old claim but everything looks inactive. Do I just start over from scratch or is there a reopen option I'm missing? Also wondering if my previous work history will still count or if they only look at jobs since my last claim ended.
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PixelPrincess
You'll need to file a new initial claim since yours expired. The system doesn't let you reopen claims after they've been inactive for more than a year. Go to the Washington ESD website and start a new application - it's basically the same process as when you first applied.
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Astrid Bergström
•Thanks! Do I need to report the part-time work I've been doing since my last claim ended?
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PixelPrincess
•Yes, definitely include all work history from the past 18 months. That part-time work might actually help establish a new base year for your claim.
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Omar Farouk
I just went through this same thing last month. You have to file a brand new claim, but the good news is the process is pretty straightforward if you have all your employment info ready. Make sure you have your Social Security card and ID ready too.
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Astrid Bergström
•How long did it take for your new claim to get processed?
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Omar Farouk
•About 2 weeks, but I had to call Washington ESD to verify some of my employment dates because one of my employers didn't respond to their request.
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Chloe Martin
If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD by phone to ask questions about your new claim, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you actually reach an agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.
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Diego Fernández
•Is that service legit? I'm always skeptical of third-party stuff for government benefits.
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Chloe Martin
•Yeah it's real - they just help you get through the phone queue. I was stuck trying to reach someone for days and this got me connected in like 20 minutes.
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Anastasia Kuznetsov
The Washington ESD website has gotten better but it's still confusing to navigate. When you file your new claim, make sure you select 'Initial Claim' not 'Weekly Claim' - I made that mistake and wasted a bunch of time.
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Astrid Bergström
•Good tip! I definitely would have clicked the wrong thing.
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Sean Fitzgerald
•ugh why can't they make this stuff more obvious? seems like they design it to be confusing on purpose
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PixelPrincess
One thing to keep in mind - your benefit amount might be different this time depending on what you earned at that part-time job. Washington ESD calculates benefits based on your highest earning quarter in your base year, so if your part-time work was decent pay, it could actually increase your weekly benefit amount.
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Astrid Bergström
•That would be nice! The part-time job paid better per hour than my previous full-time job, just way fewer hours.
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Zara Khan
•How do they determine which quarters to use for the base year calculation?
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PixelPrincess
•They use the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file now in January 2025, they'd look at quarters from July 2023 through September 2024.
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MoonlightSonata
Just a heads up - make sure you're still meeting the job search requirements when you start getting benefits again. I think it's still 3 job contacts per week in Washington, but double-check because they've changed the rules a few times.
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Astrid Bergström
•Do I need to start the job search activities right away or can I wait until my claim is approved?
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MoonlightSonata
•You should start as soon as you file your first weekly claim. Keep a log of all your job search activities - they can audit you at any time.
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Diego Fernández
The whole reapplication process is such a pain. I had to do this twice in the past few years and each time it felt like starting completely over even though I'd been in the system before. At least now they keep some of your basic info saved.
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Mateo Gonzalez
•Did you have any issues with your claim getting stuck in adjudication when you reapplied?
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Diego Fernández
•The first time yes, because there was a gap in my work history they couldn't verify. Had to send in paystubs and stuff. Second time went smoother.
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Nia Williams
Whatever you do, don't wait too long to file if you really need the benefits. I waited like 3 weeks thinking my situation might improve and basically lost out on 3 weeks of potential benefits because there's no retroactive payments for delays in filing.
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Astrid Bergström
•Good point, I'll file this weekend. Better to have it processing even if I'm not sure I'll need it long-term.
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Luca Ricci
•Exactly! You can always stop filing weekly claims if your situation improves, but you can't go backwards.
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Omar Farouk
One more thing - if you had any overpayment issues on your previous claim, make sure those are resolved before filing the new one. Washington ESD will usually offset any new benefits against old overpayments.
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Astrid Bergström
•I don't think I had any overpayments, but how would I check to be sure?
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Omar Farouk
•Log into your eServices account and look at the payment history section. It should show if there are any outstanding balances or overpayment notices.
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Aisha Mohammed
•This happened to me - had a small overpayment from 2022 that I forgot about and they took it out of my first few benefit payments when I refiled in 2024.
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Chloe Martin
If you run into any roadblocks during the application process and need to speak with someone at Washington ESD, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really does work. I used it again just last week to get help with a different issue and got through to an agent in under 30 minutes.
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Ethan Campbell
•How much does something like that cost?
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Chloe Martin
•I'm not sure about the exact pricing, but it was worth it for me since I was spending hours trying to call on my own. Check their website for current rates.
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Anastasia Kuznetsov
Also make sure you have your bank account info ready for direct deposit setup. They've gotten much better about electronic payments but you still need to set it up during the initial claim process.
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Astrid Bergström
•Can I use the same bank account I used for my previous claim or do I need to re-enter all that info?
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Anastasia Kuznetsov
•You'll probably need to re-enter it since you're filing a completely new claim. Have your routing and account numbers handy.
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Yuki Watanabe
The timing of when you file can matter too. I filed on a Tuesday morning and seemed to get through the system faster than when I tried filing on a Monday when everyone else is probably doing the same thing.
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Carmen Sanchez
•That's interesting - I never thought about timing mattering for the initial application.
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Yuki Watanabe
•Could be coincidence, but Tuesday-Thursday seemed to have less website slowness when I was going through the process.
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Andre Dupont
Don't forget about the work search requirements being stricter now than they were during COVID. You really need to keep detailed records of every job application, networking contact, and interview. Washington ESD does audit these logs.
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Astrid Bergström
•What counts as a valid job search contact? Just applications or other things too?
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Andre Dupont
•Applications, networking events, informational interviews, job fairs, even reaching out to contacts on LinkedIn can count if you document it properly.
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Zoe Papadakis
I would also suggest taking screenshots of each step when you file online, just in case there are any technical glitches or you need to reference what you submitted later. I had an issue where the system timed out and I wasn't sure if my application went through.
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Astrid Bergström
•That's smart! I'll definitely do that. Did your application go through when the system timed out?
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Zoe Papadakis
•It did, but it took 3 days before I got the confirmation email. Would have been nice to have screenshots to compare against what they received.
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ThunderBolt7
Has anyone had success using the callback feature instead of waiting on hold when you need to talk to Washington ESD? I keep seeing it as an option but wondering if it actually works.
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Jamal Edwards
•I tried it once and never got a call back. That's actually when I ended up using that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier.
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Mei Chen
•The callback worked for me but it took 2 days. If you need help sooner, probably better to just stay on hold or try the third-party service.
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Liam O'Sullivan
Quick question - if I file a new claim but then my hours pick back up at work, can I just stop filing weekly claims without any penalty?
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PixelPrincess
•Yes, you can stop filing weekly claims anytime your situation improves. Just don't file a claim for that week and your claim will remain inactive until you need it again (within the benefit year).
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Astrid Bergström
•That's good to know! Takes some pressure off filing now even if I'm not 100% sure I'll need it long-term.
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Amara Okonkwo
One last tip - make sure your contact information is current in your profile before you file. I almost missed important notices because they were going to an old email address from my previous claim.
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Astrid Bergström
•Thanks everyone for all the help! Going to file this weekend and will make sure to update my contact info first.
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Giovanni Marino
•Good luck! The process is really not as bad as it seems once you get started.
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