How long do u have to apply for unemployment benefits in Washington state?

You should apply as soon as possible! In Washington state, you can apply for unemployment benefits immediately after your last day of work. There's no waiting period to file your initial claim. The sooner you apply, the sooner your benefits can start processing.

To answer your question directly - you have up to one year from your last day of work to file for unemployment benefits in Washington. However, you can only get benefits for weeks that you actually file weekly claims. So if you wait 3 months to apply, you lose those 3 months of potential benefits.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I first applied. Their phone lines are always busy and it took me weeks to get answers about my claim status. If you run into that problem, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

File immediately don't even think about it! I waited 2 weeks thinking my job might call me back and that was $800 down the drain that I never got back.

Just to clarify the timeline - you can file your initial claim any time within that one year window, but your benefit year starts from the date you file, not from when you lost your job. And remember you need to file weekly claims every week to actually receive payments, even if your claim is still being processed.

washington esd is so backed up right now, took them 3 weeks just to process my initial claim. but you still gotta file right away or you lose weeks of benefits

One more important point - if your employer contests your claim or if there are any issues with your application, the adjudication process can take several weeks. But you should still keep filing your weekly claims during this time. Washington ESD will pay you retroactively for all eligible weeks once your claim is approved.

I applied 6 months after I lost my job because I thought I had to wait until my savings ran out... biggest mistake ever. Lost thousands in benefits that I could never get back.

Since you're just starting this process, you might want to bookmark that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier. Most people end up needing to call Washington ESD at some point during their claim, whether it's for adjudication issues, questions about job search requirements, or problems with weekly claims. Having a way to actually get through to someone can be a lifesaver.

also make sure you have all your documents ready - social security card, ID, employment history, etc. the faster you can complete the application the better

Don't overthink this - just file today. The worst thing that can happen is they ask for more information. The best thing is you start getting benefits right away. There's really no downside to applying immediately.

The one year deadline is really just a safety net. In practice, if you wait more than a few weeks you're losing money for no reason. Apply now, worry about details later.

Just to summarize for anyone else reading this: You have up to 1 year to file your initial unemployment claim in Washington, but you can only receive benefits for weeks that you actually file weekly claims. File immediately after your last day of work to maximize your benefits. Don't wait to see if your job calls you back - you can always stop claiming if you get rehired.

One thing nobody mentioned - even if you think you might not qualify for unemployment, you should still apply. Sometimes people are surprised by what they're eligible for, especially if they weren't familiar with all the rules.

Final plug for that Claimyr service - if your claim goes into adjudication or you have any issues, being able to actually talk to a Washington ESD rep makes all the difference. The online system doesn't always give you the full picture of what's happening with your claim.

update us once you file! curious to see how long it takes them to process new claims these days

Good luck! Remember to keep filing those weekly claims every week even if your initial claim is still processing. That's the key to not losing any benefits.

You got this! And seriously, don't stress about making mistakes on the application. You can always provide additional information later if needed.

One last tip - save screenshots of everything during the application process. Sometimes the system glitches and having proof of what you submitted can help if there are issues later.

Honestly this thread is making me feel better about my own unemployment experience. It's nice to know other people have gone through the same confusion and stress.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact same situation last year. I was laid off from my warehouse job and made the mistake of waiting almost a month to apply because I kept thinking they might call me back. Lost out on about $1,200 in benefits that I never got back. Washington ESD is pretty strict about the timeline - you can file up to a year after your separation date, but you only get paid for the weeks you actually file claims for. So even though you have a year to start your initial claim, every week you wait is money lost forever. My advice is to file today if you haven't already, and don't look back. Even if your employer does call you back to work, you can always stop filing weekly claims at that point. But at least you'll have the safety net in place!