How long can you collect unemployment benefits in Washington - duration limits?
I just got laid off from my warehouse job after 2 years and filed for Washington ESD benefits. My claim was approved but I'm confused about how long I can actually collect. Some people are telling me 26 weeks, others say it depends on how much I worked. I made about $42,000 last year working full time. Can someone explain how the duration works? I'm worried I won't find something before the benefits run out.
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NebulaNinja
In Washington state, regular unemployment benefits last up to 26 weeks maximum. This is pretty standard across most states. The exact number of weeks you qualify for depends on your earnings during your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed).
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Giovanni Mancini
•So it's not automatically 26 weeks? How do they calculate the exact number I get?
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NebulaNinja
•Washington ESD uses a formula based on your quarterly earnings. You need at least $3,850 in your highest quarter and total base period wages of at least 1.5 times your high quarter amount. The duration depends on how much you earned overall.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
just went thru this myself. had to call washington esd like 20 times to get through and ask about my benefit year. took forever but they explained everything
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Giovanni Mancini
•How long did it take you to get through when you called? I've been trying but the phone lines are always busy.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•hours man, literally hours. kept getting that busy signal or put on hold then disconnected
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Dylan Mitchell
If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to an actual agent. They handle the calling and waiting for you - saved me so much frustration. Check out claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Giovanni Mancini
•Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true honestly.
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Dylan Mitchell
•Yeah it's real. I was skeptical too but desperate after spending days trying to call. They got me connected within a few hours and I was able to get my duration question answered directly by Washington ESD.
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Sofia Morales
•Never heard of this but might be worth trying. The phone situation is ridiculous right now.
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Dmitry Popov
The 26 weeks is the maximum but most people don't get the full amount. It depends on your work history and how much you earned. With your income level you'll probably get close to the full 26 weeks though. You can check your exact duration in your online account once your claim is fully processed.
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Giovanni Mancini
•My account just shows 'claim under review' still. How long does that usually take?
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Dmitry Popov
•Can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks depending on if there are any issues with your claim. If it's straightforward it should be quick.
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Ava Garcia
TWENTY SIX WEEKS MAX and that's IF you qualify for the full amount which most people DON'T. The system is designed to screw you over. I only got 18 weeks after working for 3 years because of how they calculate the base period. It's a joke.
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StarSailor}
•That sucks but 18 weeks is still decent time to find something new
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Ava Garcia
•Decent?? Try finding a job that pays what you were making in 18 weeks. Everything out there is minimum wage garbage.
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NebulaNinja
Just to clarify the calculation since there seems to be some confusion - Washington ESD looks at your base period wages to determine both your weekly benefit amount AND your duration. You get 30% of your base period wages total, divided by your weekly amount, which gives you the number of weeks (up to 26 max).
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Giovanni Mancini
•Can you give an example? This math is confusing me.
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NebulaNinja
•Sure! If your base period wages were $35,000 total, you'd get 30% of that = $10,500 total benefits. If your weekly amount is $400, that's $10,500 ÷ $400 = 26.25 weeks, so you'd get the full 26 weeks.
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Miguel Silva
•This is helpful thanks. I was wondering why some people get different durations.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
btw you can extend benefits sometimes if unemployment is high in your area or during emergencies but thats federal stuff not state. regular washington benefits are just the 26 weeks max
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Giovanni Mancini
•How do you find out about extensions if they become available?
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•washington esd website usually posts notices about it. also gets announced in news. but dont count on it happening
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Zainab Ismail
I'm in week 23 of my benefits and starting to panic about finding work. The job market is tough right now. Anyone know if there are resources for people close to exhausting benefits?
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NebulaNinja
•WorkSource Washington offers job search assistance and training programs. You should connect with them ASAP if you haven't already.
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Zainab Ismail
•I've been doing the job search requirements but maybe I need more help. Thanks for the suggestion.
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Dylan Mitchell
For anyone still struggling to get through to Washington ESD about their benefit duration or other questions, I'll mention Claimyr again because it really helped me. Worth checking out if you're spending hours trying to call.
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Connor O'Neill
•How much does something like that cost though?
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Dylan Mitchell
•I don't want to give wrong info on pricing but it was worth it for me to avoid the phone frustration. Check their site for current rates.
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Dmitry Popov
One thing to remember is that your benefit year is 52 weeks from when you first filed, but you can only collect for up to 26 of those weeks. So if you find work and then get laid off again within that year, you might be able to reopen your claim rather than file a new one.
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Giovanni Mancini
•That's good to know. So the year starts counting even if my claim is still being processed?
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Dmitry Popov
•Yes, the benefit year starts from your initial filing date, not when it gets approved.
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Yara Nassar
washington state benefits are way better than some other states ive lived in. 26 weeks is actually pretty generous compared to like florida that only does 12 weeks
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Keisha Robinson
•wow 12 weeks? that's nothing. at least we get a decent amount of time here
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Ava Garcia
•26 weeks still isn't enough when jobs are hard to find. Should be longer IMO.
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GalaxyGuardian
Make sure you're doing your weekly claims every week even while your initial claim is being processed. I made the mistake of waiting and it delayed everything.
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Giovanni Mancini
•Good point, I've been filing them but wasn't sure if I should since it's still under review.
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GalaxyGuardian
•Definitely keep filing. They'll backpay you once approved but only for weeks you actually claimed.
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Paolo Ricci
The calculation is actually pretty fair if you think about it. People who worked more and earned more get benefits for longer. Makes sense to me.
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Ava Garcia
•Fair?? Tell that to someone who worked part time because that's all they could find. System punishes people who are already struggling.
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Paolo Ricci
•I get that it's frustrating but the system has to have some basis for determining benefits. Can't just give everyone the same amount.
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Amina Toure
Quick tip: your online account will show your remaining benefit balance and number of weeks left once your claim is approved. That's the easiest way to track how much time you have left.
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Giovanni Mancini
•Is that in the secure access washington site or somewhere else?
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Amina Toure
•Yeah it's in your SAW account under the unemployment services section. Shows all your claim details.
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Oliver Zimmermann
I used Claimyr when I needed to ask about my remaining weeks and couldn't get through the regular phone lines. Worked great and saved me a lot of time and frustration trying to call myself.
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Giovanni Mancini
•Seems like a few people have had good luck with that service. Might have to try it if I can't get through soon.
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Natasha Volkova
•Same here, used them last month when I had issues with my weekly claim. Much easier than the regular calling process.
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Javier Torres
Just remember that you have to actively look for work the whole time you're collecting benefits. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week and they do audit people.
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Giovanni Mancini
•What counts as a job search activity? Just applying or other stuff too?
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Javier Torres
•Applying, networking events, job fairs, interviews, even some training activities can count. Keep detailed records of everything.
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Emma Davis
Bottom line is 26 weeks max for regular unemployment in Washington. Use the time wisely to find something good rather than just taking the first job offer that comes along.
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Giovanni Mancini
•Good advice. I'm hoping to find something in the same field but might have to expand my search if it takes too long.
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CosmicCaptain
•Yeah don't be too picky at first but also don't panic and take something terrible just because you're worried about benefits running out.
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