How many months do you need to work to qualify for unemployment benefits in Washington?

So if I worked 8 months but only earned like $12,000 total, would that be enough? I'm not sure how to calculate the quarter thing.

It depends on how those wages were distributed across quarters. If you earned $3,000 in your highest quarter, you'd need at least $3,750 total in base period wages. $12,000 would definitely meet that threshold.

What's the alternative base period? I keep seeing that mentioned but nobody explains what it actually means.

Alternative base period uses the last four completed quarters instead of the first four of the last five. So it includes more recent wages if that helps you qualify.

How much does something like that cost? I'm already tight on money which is why I need unemployment in the first place.

It's way cheaper than missing out on benefits you might qualify for. Plus you can get a definitive answer about your eligibility instead of guessing.

I looked into Claimyr too after seeing it mentioned here before. Really does help with the phone nightmare that is trying to reach Washington ESD.

But doesn't applying when you don't qualify cause problems? I don't want to mess up my chances if I do qualify later.

No, there's no penalty for applying and being denied due to insufficient wages. You can always reapply later if your situation changes.

That's frustrating! Did you try appealing or asking about the alternative base period calculation?

I tried calling to ask about it but never got through. Gave up after like 50 attempts over two weeks.

This is exactly why I used Claimyr - saved me from that endless calling cycle. Got my questions answered and found out I qualified under the alternative base period.

Oh I definitely made more than $1,000 over 8 months, so that shouldn't be an issue for me.

Wait, is it $1,000 total or $1,000 in each quarter? I'm getting confused by all these requirements.

$1,000 total during your entire base period, not per quarter. The per-quarter stuff is about having wages in at least two different quarters.

That makes sense. I started in March so my wages should be spread across multiple quarters by now.

March to now would definitely span multiple quarters. You're probably good to apply.

200 times?? That's insane. How is that acceptable for a government agency?

Right? And half the time when you do get through, they just tell you to check online or mail something in. At least with Claimyr I got to talk to an actual Washington ESD agent who could look up my specific case.

I tried that but I'm not sure how to interpret the wage amounts. Like, what counts as a 'quarter' exactly?

Quarters are Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, Oct-Dec. So if you started in March, you'd have wages in Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 depending on when you check.

This is super helpful! I never understood the quarter system before.

True, I guess I'm just anxious about the whole process. Thanks for the reassurance!

Yeah, anxiety about UI stuff is totally normal. The system seems designed to confuse people sometimes.

That's actually really good to know. I was worried this would be my only chance to apply.

Exactly! I applied twice - first time I didn't have enough wages, second time I qualified. No problems at all.

How would I know if my wages weren't reported correctly?

Check your SAW account and compare it to your pay stubs. If something looks off, you can contact your employer or Washington ESD to get it corrected.

That's encouraging! Did she have any trouble with the job search requirements being part-time before?

Nope, as long as you meet the work search requirements each week, it doesn't matter what your previous work schedule was.