How long does it take to reopen an unemployment claim with Washington ESD?

That's a relief! I was worried I'd have to wait weeks for approval. Should I call Washington ESD first or just go ahead and file?

Just file online through your eServices account. If there are any issues, they'll let you know. Calling is usually unnecessary unless you run into problems.

Did you have to do any job search activities during the weeks you weren't filing? I'm worried they might ask about that gap period.

No, you don't need to do job search for weeks you weren't claiming benefits. Just restart your job search activities when you reopen.

Interesting, never heard of that service. Is it legit? I'm always skeptical of third-party services for government stuff.

Yeah it's totally legitimate. They just help you get through the phone queue, they don't handle your claim or anything. Really saved me a lot of frustration.

Good to know this exists! I'll keep it in mind if I run into any issues with the reopening process.

I filed my original claim in March 2024, so I should still be within the benefit year. Thanks for the heads up though!

Wait, I thought benefit years were only 6 months? I'm confused about this whole system.

@profile8 No, benefit years are 52 weeks (one full year) from when you first filed. You might be thinking of the maximum weeks of benefits you can collect.

What kind of documentation did they want? I have my layoff paperwork from the temp agency.

they wanted like separation paperwork and pay stubs from the job i had while not claiming. just be ready with everything

The temp job was only 3 months and not super high paying, so hopefully that won't be an issue.

How do they even know about the temp job if you weren't filing claims? Do they check with employers automatically?

When you reopen, you have to report any work you did while not claiming. They can also get wage reports from employers quarterly, so it's better to be upfront about it.

PUA ended in 2021, so you can't reopen that type of claim. You'd need to file a new regular unemployment claim if you're eligible.

Ah okay, that makes sense. Thanks for clarifying!

How much does it cost? I'm tight on money right now but really need to talk to someone at Washington ESD.

I think it's pretty reasonable, especially compared to the time and frustration of trying to call on your own. Check their website for current pricing.

I get the frustration, but once you do it once it's not too bad. The Washington ESD website actually has pretty good step-by-step guides if you look around.

Maybe I'll give it another try. I just get overwhelmed by all the terminology and requirements.

Awesome! Glad it worked out smoothly for you.

That's great news! See, it's usually not as complicated as people think it's going to be.

lucky you! maybe they've improved the system since i had to deal with it

Good reminder! I already started applying to jobs again but I need to make sure I'm logging everything properly.

Is WorkSourceWA still the system they use for job search logging? I thought they changed it.

Yes, WorkSourceWA is still the main system. There might be some updates to the interface but it's the same basic requirement.

How long had it been since you last filed? I'm only talking about a 3-4 month gap.

Mine was over a year, so that's why I needed a new claim. Your situation should be fine for just reopening.

No waiting week for reopening within your benefit year. The waiting week is only served once per benefit year when you first file.

Perfect, thanks! That's one less thing to worry about.

Good point. I was definitely laid off - the assignment ended and they didn't have anything else for me. I have the paperwork to prove it.

That should be fine then. Just make sure your story matches what the temp agency reports to Washington ESD.

Agreed! I was really nervous about the whole process but everyone's advice made it much less stressful.

Forums like this are lifesavers when dealing with government bureaucracy. Real people with real experiences beat official FAQ pages every time.

Thanks for the endorsement! I bookmarked their site just in case I need it in the future.

I might need to look into that too. I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks about a different issue.

Definitely worth it if you're having trouble getting through. Saves so much time and frustration.

Glad I could help! It's always nice when one person's question benefits others too.

Exactly! I'll probably be filing my reopening claim tomorrow based on all the advice here.

That's encouraging! Sounds like Washington ESD has really improved their processing times.

That's way better than the horror stories I used to hear about Washington ESD. Maybe they finally got their act together after all the pandemic issues.

Yeah, I think they learned a lot from the pandemic chaos and streamlined a lot of their processes. Still not perfect, but much better.

You should report the income details when you reopen. They need to know dates of employment and total earnings to make sure it doesn't affect your benefit calculation.

Okay, I'll make sure to have my pay stubs ready. Better to provide too much information than too little.

Exactly! I was really worried for nothing. The actual process was pretty straightforward.

That's usually how it goes with this stuff. We work ourselves up over nothing!