How long can you wait to apply for unemployment in Washington - missed filing deadline?

Oh thank god, I was panicking thinking I was completely screwed. So I should file today then?

Yes file immediately! The sooner you file the sooner your claim can start processing. Don't wait another day.

What counts as 'good cause' for waiting to file? I waited 3 weeks because I was dealing with a family emergency.

Family emergencies, serious illness, lack of knowledge about UI benefits - those can qualify for good cause. You should explain your situation when you file.

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr.com - it's a service that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Costs a bit but totally worth it when you can't get through on your own. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

That sounds too good to be true, does it actually work?

Worked for me! Got connected within an hour when I'd been trying for days on my own.

It's to prevent fraud and encourage people to file promptly. Most states have similar limits actually.

still stupid if you ask me

No, you can get benefits for your full benefit year (26 weeks usually), but they can only backdate your claim 4 weeks from when you filed. So you lost 4 weeks of potential benefits by waiting.

Oh I see, so I still get the full 26 weeks going forward, just missed out on those first 4 weeks. That makes more sense.

Wow 3 months! Did you get any of those benefits back?

Nope, only got the 4 week backdate. Lost out on like $4000 in benefits because I believed my lying boss.

Employers lie about this stuff all the time to avoid their unemployment taxes going up. Always file and let Washington ESD decide.

Good to know, definitely not waiting that long!

How does that work if you get a job and then lose it again within that year?

Each job loss starts a new clock. The year limit is from each specific separation date.

What if I'm not sure of the exact date? My last day was sometime in early March but I'd have to check my final paystub.

Check your paystub or call your former employer's HR. Getting this wrong will definitely cause problems.

How much does that cost though? I'm already broke from being unemployed.

It's worth it when you consider how much time you save not sitting on hold for hours. Check out their site at claimyr.com for details.

Does that affect when you can file a new claim the following year?

Yes, if you exhaust your benefits and need to file again, you have to wait until that benefit year ends.

What's constructive dismissal?

When working conditions become so bad that any reasonable person would quit. Like if they cut your hours to 5 per week or make you work in unsafe conditions.

That's really helpful to know. In my case it was a clear layoff so I should be fine.

The online system crashed on me twice when I was filing. So frustrating!

Try filing early morning or late evening when there's less traffic on the site.

What day of the week do you file the weekly claims?

Sunday through Saturday is the benefit week, and you can file your weekly claim starting Sunday morning for the previous week.

Thanks for all this info everyone! Filing my claim right now.

How many jobs do you have to apply for each week in Washington?

It's 3 job search activities per week, but they don't all have to be applications. Can include networking, job fairs, interviews, etc.