How long do I have to apply for unemployment in Washington ESD - missed deadline?

You haven't missed your chance! In Washington, you can typically apply for unemployment benefits within one year of your last day of work. However, the sooner you apply, the better - benefits are only paid from the week you file your claim, not retroactively to when you were laid off. So those 6 weeks you waited are unfortunately lost benefit weeks.

yeah you can still apply but like the other person said you lost those weeks. I made the same mistake when I got fired from my restaurant job - waited 3 weeks thinking id find something fast and lost out on like $1800

File your claim immediately online at esd.wa.gov. The one-year rule the previous poster mentioned is accurate, but there are some nuances. You need to have worked enough hours and earned enough wages in your 'base period' (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters). Since you were laid off recently, you should definitely qualify. Just don't wait any longer - every day you delay is money you're not getting.

I was in a similar situation last year and had trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about my timeline. Their phone system is absolutely brutal - kept getting disconnected after waiting hours. Found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to an agent in like 20 minutes. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Might be worth it if you need to talk to someone about your specific situation.

The warehouse industry has been brutal lately. Lost my forklift job 4 months ago and finally got back to work last week. Definitely file for UI right away - you'll need every week of benefits you can get. Job market is tougher than people think right now.

Wait I'm confused - I thought unemployment was only for people who get fired, not laid off? Or is that the same thing? I got let go due to 'company restructuring' last month.

SIX WEEKS?? Dude you really shot yourself in the foot here. That's probably $2500+ you just threw away. Always file for unemployment the DAY you lose your job, even if you think you'll find work quickly. You never know.

The Washington ESD website says you have up to one year but honestly their website is confusing as hell. I spent like 2 hours trying to figure out the base period thing when I filed. Ended up calling and waiting forever just to get basic questions answered.

Pro tip: file your claim on Sunday night or early Monday morning. The system is less busy then and you're more likely to get through without errors. I tried filing on a Wednesday afternoon and the site kept timing out.

I hate that Washington doesn't pay retroactive benefits. Other states do this - it's such BS that you get punished for not knowing the system immediately.

Just went through this whole process myself. Make sure you have your Social Security card, driver's license, and employment info ready when you file. The system will ask for all your previous employers from the last 18 months I think? Had to dig up old paystubs.

Once you file, you'll need to complete your weekly claims every week. Don't forget this step! I missed one week early on and it was a huge hassle to get it sorted out. You have to report any work you did that week and any income.

Anyone know what happens if your claim goes into adjudication? Mine's been pending for 3 weeks now with no explanation.

The whole system is designed to discourage people from applying. Making you wait on hold for hours, confusing websites, no retroactive pay - it's all intentional to save them money.

File online at esd.wa.gov as soon as possible. You can also call but good luck getting through. I spent 4 hours on hold yesterday just to ask one simple question about my weekly claim.

Quick question - do you have to be a Washington resident to file for Washington unemployment? I worked here but live just across the border.

To answer the original question directly: you typically have up to one year from your last day of work to file for unemployment benefits in Washington. But benefits only start from the week you file your claim, so waiting costs you money. File immediately even if you think you'll find work soon - you can always stop claiming benefits if you get a job.

Just echoing what others said - file ASAP. The longer you wait, the more money you lose. And start keeping track of your job search activities immediately because you'll need to report them on your weekly claims.

One more thing - if you have any trouble with your claim or need to speak with Washington ESD about specific issues, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier actually works. Used it myself when my claim was stuck in adjudication and was able to get answers that resolved the issue quickly.

I'm in a similar boat - got laid off from my retail job about 3 weeks ago and kept putting off filing because I was embarrassed about needing unemployment benefits. Reading through all these responses has been really eye-opening. I had no idea that you lose those weeks permanently! Going to file my claim first thing tomorrow morning. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's helping people like me and Julian realize we need to act fast even when we're feeling overwhelmed about the whole process.

The advice here has been spot on - you definitely haven't missed your deadline, but those 6 weeks of lost benefits really sting. I went through something similar when I got laid off from my manufacturing job last year. Waited about a month thinking I'd bounce back quickly, and it ended up costing me around $1,600 in benefits I'll never get back. The hardest part is accepting that the money is just gone, but don't let that discourage you from filing now. Washington's unemployment system isn't perfect, but once you get your claim going, it does provide crucial support while you're job hunting. Make sure you have all your employment documentation ready before you start the online application - employer info, dates, reason for separation, etc. And definitely start tracking your job search activities in detail from day one because those weekly certifications require specific information about what you did to look for work each week.