How long do you have to file unemployment claim in Washington?

You generally want to file your unemployment claim as soon as possible after becoming unemployed. In Washington, you can file your claim online through the Washington ESD website. The sooner you file, the sooner your benefits can start. There isn't necessarily a hard deadline that completely cuts you off, but delays can affect when your benefits begin.

The key thing to understand is that unemployment benefits are typically paid from the Sunday of the week you file your claim forward. So if you filed today, your benefit year would start from the most recent Sunday. You can't get benefits for weeks before you filed, even if you were unemployed during those weeks.

I had this exact same problem last year! I waited almost a month before filing because I thought I'd find another job quickly. Big mistake - lost out on a whole month of benefits. The Washington ESD system is really strict about this stuff.

File TODAY. Don't wait any longer. I think there might be some rule about filing within a certain timeframe of becoming unemployed but I'm not 100% sure what it is. Better safe than sorry.

I think technically you have up to a year from when you lost your job to file, but like everyone else said, you only get benefits from the week you file forward. So waiting costs you money even if you're still technically eligible.

Construction work can be tricky with unemployment because sometimes layoffs are seasonal or temporary. Make sure when you file that you indicate whether you expect to be called back or if this is a permanent layoff. It affects how they process your claim.

Does anyone know if there are different rules for different types of job loss? Like if you quit vs got fired vs laid off?

I waited 3 weeks to file mine and still got approved, but I definitely lost those 3 weeks of payments. The Washington ESD adjudication process took forever too - like 6 weeks before I saw any money.

Just curious - why did you wait two weeks? Most people I know file the day after they lose their job.

Pro tip: even if you think you might find a job soon, file anyway. You can always cancel your claim if you find work. But if you don't file and the job search takes longer than expected, you're losing money every week.

The Washington ESD website has all this information but it's buried in their FAQ section. You basically want to file your initial claim within the first week of unemployment if possible.

I had a situation where I thought my layoff was temporary but it ended up being permanent. I waited to file because I thought I'd be called back in a few weeks. Cost me a lot of money when the callback never came.

For what it's worth, I had to call Washington ESD multiple times to get clarity on my filing timeline. Their phone system is absolutely terrible - kept getting busy signals or getting disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. Finally used some service called Claimyr that helped me get through. Saved me so much frustration.

Bottom line: file your claim TODAY. Don't wait another day. Every day you wait is money you're not going to get back.

Just to add some specific info - in Washington state, you generally have 52 weeks from your last day of work to file an initial claim. But again, benefits only start from when you file, not when you became unemployed. So that 52-week window doesn't help you get back pay.

UPDATE: Just filed my claim online. Took about 30 minutes to complete all the forms. Thanks everyone for pushing me to do this today instead of waiting longer!