How many times can you collect unemployment in a lifetime - Washington ESD limits?

There's no lifetime limit on unemployment benefits in Washington state. What matters is whether you've earned enough wages in your base period and meet the eligibility requirements each time you file. As long as you worked enough hours and earned sufficient wages between claims, you can collect UI multiple times.

I've collected unemployment 4 times over the past 15 years due to various layoffs and company closures. Never had an issue with Washington ESD saying I'd reached some kind of limit. Each time was treated as a separate claim based on my recent work history.

The confusion might come from the fact that there ARE limits on how long you can collect benefits during a single claim period (typically 26 weeks in Washington), but there's no lifetime cap. You can file new claims as many times as you need to, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements each time.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to confirm your eligibility, you might want to check out Claimyr.com. They help people get connected to ESD agents without waiting on hold for hours. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. I used it when I needed to verify my work history for a new claim.

wait so theres really no limit?? i thought after 3 times they would flag your account or something. this is good to know because i might need to file again soon too

I think the confusion comes from other states that might have different rules, but Washington is pretty straightforward - no lifetime limits. The only thing that matters is your base period wages and work history for each individual claim.

Just make sure you're documenting your work search activities properly each time you file. That's usually where people run into problems, not with lifetime limits. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week.

I've been collecting unemployment on and off for years due to seasonal work in construction. Never had Washington ESD tell me I couldn't file because of previous claims. They just look at your recent earnings and employment history.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you have overlapping benefit years or file too quickly after your last claim ended, they might need to do some additional verification. But that's not the same as hitting a lifetime limit - it's just making sure everything is properly documented.

The key thing to remember is that Washington ESD treats each claim independently. Your eligibility is based on your base period wages (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file). Previous claims don't factor into this calculation at all.

If you do need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about your specific situation, I'd definitely recommend using Claimyr to get through. The regular phone lines are always swamped, but Claimyr helped me connect with an agent who could explain exactly how my previous claims affected my new application (spoiler: they didn't).

Just to add another data point - I've filed unemployment claims in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. Each time was approved without any questions about my previous claims. Washington ESD really does treat each application independently.

One more thing - make sure you understand the difference between a new claim and reopening an existing claim. If you're within your benefit year and had weeks left, you might be reopening rather than filing completely new. But either way, there's no lifetime limit on benefits.

this thread has been super helpful. i was worried about the same thing and now i know i dont need to stress about it. thanks everyone!

The only 'limit' I can think of is that you can't collect benefits while you're working full-time, but that's not really a lifetime limit - that's just the basic eligibility requirement. Once you're unemployed again and meet the work requirements, you can file a new claim.

To summarize for anyone else reading this: Washington state has no lifetime limit on unemployment benefits. You can file as many claims as you need throughout your career, as long as you meet the work and wage requirements for each individual claim. Don't let fear of hitting some imaginary limit prevent you from filing when you're eligible.

One last thing - even though there's no lifetime limit, make sure you're always honest about your work history and reason for unemployment. That's what actually matters for eligibility, not how many times you've filed before.

Hope this helps ease your concerns! The unemployment system exists to help people during periods of joblessness, and there's no shame in using it multiple times if you need it. Just make sure you meet the requirements each time.

Final thought - if you're concerned about your specific situation, you can always call Washington ESD directly or use their online messaging system to get official confirmation. But based on everything I know, you should be fine to file again if you meet the basic requirements.

Good luck with your potential claim! Remember, unemployment benefits are there for exactly situations like yours - temporary financial support while you look for new work. Use the system as intended and don't worry about hitting any lifetime limits that don't exist.