How long can you draw unemployment benefits in Washington - confused about time limits

Thanks! So that's about 6 months total right? What's the base period exactly?

Yes, roughly 6 months. Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. Washington ESD uses your wages from that period to calculate your benefits.

That's partially correct. You need sufficient wages in your base period to qualify, but if you do qualify, you can potentially receive up to 26 weeks. The exact number of weeks depends on your total base period wages compared to your weekly benefit amount.

How does that work exactly? I've been trying to call for weeks about my claim.

They basically call Washington ESD for you and get you connected to an actual person. Way better than spending hours redialing and getting nowhere.

I understand the frustration, but you do need to apply for suitable work even if it doesn't match your previous wage exactly. Washington ESD has specific job search requirements you have to meet.

Yeah I know about the job search log thing. Still doesn't change the fact that good jobs are scarce.

What's standby status? Is that different from regular unemployment?

Standby is when your employer temporarily lays you off but expects to call you back within a specific timeframe. You don't have to do job searches in that case, but there are time limits.

Once your regular UI benefits are exhausted, you'd need to check if there are any extended benefit programs available. These depend on state unemployment rates and federal programs, but they're not always active.

you might also qualify for other assistance programs through DSHS but that's different from unemployment

Have you looked into retraining programs? WorkSource Washington has resources for career transitions and sometimes you can get extended benefits while in approved training.

I hadn't thought about that. Where do I find information about those programs?

Correct. The pandemic-era programs like PEUC and PUA ended in 2021. We're back to the standard 26-week maximum for regular UI benefits in Washington.

how much does it cost though?

I don't know the exact price but she said it was reasonable compared to the stress of trying to get through on your own.

Working part time can extend your claim duration actually. If you earn less than your weekly benefit amount, you might get a partial payment and your benefit year could last longer than 26 weeks total, though you still get the same maximum benefit amount.

Oh that's interesting. So the weeks I worked part time didn't count against my 26 weeks?

Not exactly. Each week you file a claim counts toward your benefit year, but partial payments might mean you don't exhaust your total benefit amount as quickly.

EXACTLY! And good luck trying to call them with questions. I've wasted so many hours on hold.

That's why services like Claimyr exist I guess. Sometimes it's worth paying someone else to deal with the bureaucracy.

Good point. I've been filing every week even when I had questions. Better safe than sorry.

Washington eliminated the waiting week in 2020. You can now receive benefits starting with your first week of unemployment if you're otherwise eligible.

Oh good to know! Thanks for clarifying that.

Same here! It's nice to get clear answers from people who actually know what they're talking about.

How detailed do those logs need to be? I've just been writing down company names and dates.

You need company name, contact method (online, phone, in person), date, and type of contact (application, interview, etc.). Keep it detailed and honest.

What kind of adjudication issue did you have? Mine's been pending for weeks too.

They needed verification about my last job's end date. Simple fix but impossible to get through to explain it myself. The agent they connected me with sorted it out in 10 minutes.

Definitely good advice. I'm going to start looking into those retraining programs someone mentioned earlier just in case.

Smart move. WorkSource has some good options and it's better to explore them before you're desperate.