How long can you be on unemployment Washington ESD - maximum benefit duration?

Thanks! So that's about 6 months total? And this is just regular unemployment, not any of the pandemic stuff that ended?

Exactly - 26 weeks is roughly 6 months. The pandemic programs like PUA and PEUC ended back in 2021, so we're back to standard state UI rules.

Thanks! So it's definitely 26 weeks max right now? No exceptions or ways to extend beyond that?

That's correct for regular UI. The only exception would be if Congress passes emergency extensions during a recession, but nothing like that is active now.

Extended Benefits (EB) programs kick in when state unemployment rates hit certain thresholds. As of now, Washington doesn't qualify for EB, so it's just the standard 26 weeks.

Got it, thanks for clarifying that!

Oh really? I worked full time for 2 years before getting laid off, so hopefully I qualify for the full 26 weeks.

You should be fine with 2 years of full-time work. Washington ESD looks at your highest earning quarter to determine your weekly benefit amount and total duration.

Same problem here! I've called hundreds of times and either get busy signals or get disconnected after waiting forever.

I actually found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to Washington ESD when I couldn't reach them on my own. They have some kind of system that calls repeatedly until they connect you with an agent. Check out claimyr.com - they even have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ

Interesting, I'll check that out. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get some answers from Washington ESD.

Yes, it's 3 job search activities per week minimum. You have to log them in your WorkSourceWA account or they'll disqualify you even if you haven't hit the 26 week limit.

Good point! I've been keeping track but wasn't sure of the exact number required.

That's helpful to know about the 30% rule. I hadn't heard that before.

wait so if you made really good money you might run out of benefits before 26 weeks?? that seems backwards

It's rare but possible. The system is designed so most people exhaust time before money, but high earners with lower base period wages could theoretically hit the wage cap first.

Good point. I've been keeping track of my job applications. How many do you need to do per week?

It's 3 job search activities per week in Washington. Can be applications, interviews, networking events, or approved training. Make sure to log everything!

Interesting, I'll check that out. I tried calling ESD last week and couldn't get through at all.

Never heard of that service but honestly anything is better than the current phone system. I gave up after 3 hours on hold.

That sounds really frustrating. Did you eventually get your full benefits?

Eventually yes but it took forever and multiple appeals. Just be prepared for the bureaucracy to slow everything down.

It resets when you establish a new benefit year. You need to work and earn wages after your previous claim to qualify for a new claim period.

Got it, thanks for clarifying that!

What field are you in? I'm in marketing and it's pretty tough out there too.

Software development. Lots of competition for every position and companies are being super picky.

Have you looked into retraining programs through WorkSourceWA? Sometimes they can extend benefits if you're in approved training.

So the benefit year and the weeks you can collect are different things? That's confusing.

Exactly. Think of it this way: you have a 52-week window (benefit year) during which you can collect up to 26 weeks of benefits. If you find work and stop collecting, then become unemployed again within that same benefit year, you can restart benefits until you hit the 26-week total.

This is really helpful! I didn't understand the benefit year concept before.

You can work part-time and still collect partial benefits. Washington ESD has a formula where they subtract your earnings from your weekly benefit amount, but you can keep some of both.

That's good to know. I might take a part-time gig while I keep looking for full-time work.

Yes, standby weeks count toward your 26-week maximum just like regular unemployment weeks. Standby just means you expect to return to your job within a certain timeframe.

Thanks, that's what I was worried about. My employer said I might be called back but it's been 8 weeks already.

How did you manage financially after the benefits ended? I'm worried about that scenario.

Had to get creative - did some gig work, applied for food assistance, borrowed from family. It wasn't easy but we made it through.

Not exactly federal law, but most states do follow similar patterns. Some states actually provide fewer weeks - like Florida only gives 12 weeks. Washington's 26 weeks is pretty standard.

Wow, 12 weeks seems really short! Glad Washington gives the full 26.

That might have been if they were on pandemic-related programs like PUA or PEUC, which lasted longer than regular UI. Those programs ended in September 2021 though.

Oh that makes sense, this was early 2021 so probably the pandemic extensions.

Good reminder. I set up calendar alerts to make sure I don't forget to file weekly.

Smart! I wish I had done that from the beginning.

If you were fired for misconduct, you might be disqualified from receiving benefits. But layoffs due to lack of work, company downsizing, etc. usually qualify you for the full 26 weeks.

Thanks, I was laid off due to budget cuts so should be good.

Yes, partial benefits still count toward your 26-week maximum. Washington ESD has a formula where they reduce your weekly benefit based on earnings, but any week you receive any unemployment payment counts toward the total.

That makes sense. So even if I'm only getting $50 instead of my full benefit, it still uses up one of my 26 weeks?

Correct. Any week you receive even $1 in unemployment benefits counts as one of your 26 weeks.

That's great to hear! I might try that if I run into any issues with my claim.

How much does it cost? Nothing's free these days.

I'd rather pay a reasonable fee than waste entire days trying to get through on my own. The time saved was worth it for me.

Exactly! That's my plan too. Use the time to be thorough in job searching rather than rush into the first thing available.

Good approach. Better to find the right fit than settle for something that won't work out long-term.

That's really practical advice. I hope I don't need it but good to know those resources exist.

Hopefully you won't need them either, but it's good to have a backup plan!

Thanks to everyone for all the helpful info! This really cleared up my questions about benefit duration.

Agreed, this was a great discussion. Learned a lot about the system I didn't know before.

That's generally correct. If you're disqualified and later win your appeal, you typically get back pay for those weeks and they don't count against your maximum duration since you weren't actually receiving benefits during that time.

Good to know! I'm in the middle of an appeal process so this gives me some hope.

Oh no! How long did it take to reopen your claim?

Took about 3 weeks to get it reopened and start receiving benefits again. And those missed weeks were just gone - couldn't get backpay for them.

This happened to me too. The system is really unforgiving about missed weekly claims.

Washington does have some training programs that can extend benefits beyond the standard 26 weeks. Look into Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) if your job loss was trade-related, or the Worker Retraining Program. These have specific eligibility requirements though.

I'll look into those. My company moved production overseas so TAA might apply.

I had the same frustration until I used that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier. It's so much easier to get accurate information when you can actually reach a human at Washington ESD instead of getting hung up on constantly.

I might have to try that. This is too stressful to deal with on my own.

You can usually continue collecting Washington unemployment if you move to another state, but you need to notify Washington ESD and may need to register for work search in your new state. The 26-week limit stays the same.

Thanks! I was worried I'd lose everything if I moved.

That's encouraging! I'm only on week 4 but already getting anxious about the time limit.

Hang in there! Use the time to really focus on your job search and maybe learn some new skills. The 26 weeks goes by faster than you think.

Good advice. I'm trying to stay positive about my search too.

That's really good to know! So if I work for 6 months and then get laid off again, I could potentially qualify for another 26 weeks?

Potentially, yes. You'd need to meet the work and earnings requirements for a new benefit year, but it's definitely possible to qualify for benefits again after returning to work.