How many unemployment checks do you get from Washington ESD?
I just filed my initial claim with Washington ESD last week and I'm trying to figure out how long I can collect benefits. I worked for 2 years at my last job before getting laid off. Does anyone know how many weeks of unemployment you can get? I've heard different numbers from people and want to make sure I understand what to expect.
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Mei Chen
In Washington state, you can typically get up to 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits. But the exact number depends on your work history and earnings in your base period. You'll need to file weekly claims to keep getting paid.
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Jamal Thompson
•Thanks! Do I need to do anything special for the weekly claims or just answer the questions online?
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Mei Chen
•Just log into your Washington ESD account every week and answer the questions honestly. Make sure you're actively looking for work too - they require job search activities.
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CosmicCadet
i think its 26 weeks but not sure if that changed recently. been on unemployment twice and both times got the full 26 weeks
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Jamal Thompson
•Did you have any trouble with your claims getting approved? I'm worried about delays.
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CosmicCadet
•first time was smooth but second time took forever to get through to someone when i had questions
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Liam O'Connor
The 26 weeks is the standard maximum, but some people get less depending on their earnings history. Washington ESD calculates your benefit year based on your base period wages. If you worked consistently for 2 years, you should qualify for the full duration.
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Jamal Thompson
•That's reassuring. I made decent money at my last job so hopefully that helps.
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Amara Adeyemi
•Yeah the calculation is based on your highest earning quarter. If you made good money you should be fine.
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Giovanni Gallo
If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about your claim, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me connect with an agent. They have a website claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already tight on money.
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Giovanni Gallo
•It's worth checking out their site for details. For me it was better than spending all day trying to get through the phone lines.
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Dylan Wright
•Interesting, never heard of this before. Might be worth looking into if I run into issues.
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
WAIT so is it 26 weeks total or 26 payments? I'm getting confused because I thought unemployment was paid every two weeks??
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Mei Chen
•It's 26 weekly payments, not 26 bi-weekly payments. You file a weekly claim every week and get paid once per week if approved.
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
•Oh thank god! I was worried I'd only get 13 actual payments. That makes way more sense.
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Amara Adeyemi
Just remember you have to be actively looking for work the whole time. Washington ESD requires job search activities and they do check up on it sometimes. Keep a log of where you apply.
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Jamal Thompson
•How many jobs do I need to apply to per week? I haven't gotten clear info on that.
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Amara Adeyemi
•I think it's 3 job search activities per week but check the Washington ESD website to be sure. Could be applications, networking, interviews, etc.
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Liam O'Connor
•Yes, it's 3 work search activities per week. They count job applications, attending job fairs, networking events, interviews, and even some online job search activities.
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NebulaKnight
The whole system is so confusing honestly. I've been trying to figure out my benefit amount too and the calculators online don't seem to match what I'm seeing in my account.
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Mei Chen
•Your weekly benefit amount is usually about 60-70% of your average weekly wage, up to the maximum amount Washington allows.
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NebulaKnight
•Yeah I read that but the math still doesn't add up for me. Might need to call them.
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CosmicCadet
does anyone know if you can get an extension after the 26 weeks? i remember during covid there were extra weeks but not sure about now
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Liam O'Connor
•Regular extensions depend on the unemployment rate in Washington. If it's high enough, Extended Benefits might kick in, but that's pretty rare these days.
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CosmicCadet
•gotcha, so probably just the 26 weeks then. better than nothing i guess
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Dylan Wright
I'm in a similar situation - just got laid off last month. The 26 weeks should give us enough time to find something new. At least Washington's benefits are better than some other states I've heard about.
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Jamal Thompson
•Yeah I'm trying to stay positive about it. Using the time to maybe learn some new skills too.
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Dylan Wright
•That's a good idea. Maybe look into WorkSource for free training programs while you're collecting benefits.
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Sofia Ramirez
Make sure you don't miss any weekly claims! If you forget to file one week, you might lose that week's payment. Set a reminder on your phone or something.
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Jamal Thompson
•Good point! When are the weekly claims due? Is there a specific day?
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Sofia Ramirez
•You can file starting Sunday for the previous week. I usually do mine Sunday morning so I don't forget.
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Mei Chen
•The deadline is usually the following Saturday, but don't push it. File as early in the week as you can.
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Dmitry Popov
Been on unemployment before and the weekly claims become routine after a while. Just make sure you're honest about any work you do or money you earn - even small amounts need to be reported.
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Jamal Thompson
•What if I do some freelance work while collecting? Do I need to report that?
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Dmitry Popov
•Yes, definitely report any earnings. They'll deduct it from your weekly benefit but you might still get something if it's not too much.
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Ava Rodriguez
The Washington ESD website has a good FAQ section about benefit duration. Worth checking out if you want all the details about how they calculate your benefit year.
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Jamal Thompson
•I'll definitely check that out. Thanks for the tip!
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Giovanni Gallo
One more thing about contacting Washington ESD - if you do need to call them for any reason, I really recommend checking out that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier. The phone lines are usually swamped and you can waste hours trying to get through. Much easier to let them handle the calling part.
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Miguel Ortiz
•I was skeptical about services like this but honestly after spending 6 hours on hold last week, I'm willing to try anything.
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Giovanni Gallo
•Yeah I was skeptical too but it actually worked. Got connected to an agent in like 20 minutes instead of calling all day.
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Zainab Khalil
just to clarify for everyone - the 26 weeks is your maximum benefit duration, but you have to keep filing weekly claims and meeting all the requirements. if you get a job before then, obviously you stop collecting
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Jamal Thompson
•Right, hopefully I'll find something before the 26 weeks are up anyway!
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Zainab Khalil
•exactly! use the time to really focus on job searching and maybe improving your skills
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QuantumQuest
Don't forget about the waiting week thing - I think Washington eliminated it but double check. Some states make you wait a week before benefits start.
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Liam O'Connor
•Washington did eliminate the waiting week, so you can get paid for your first week if you're eligible.
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QuantumQuest
•Good to know! That's one less thing to worry about.
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Connor Murphy
The system can be glitchy sometimes too. I had a week where my claim didn't process properly and had to call to get it fixed. Keep track of your weekly filings just in case.
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Jamal Thompson
•Ugh that sounds stressful. How long did it take to get resolved?
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Connor Murphy
•Took about a week once I got through to someone. They backdated the payment so I didn't lose anything.
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Yara Haddad
I'm coming up on week 20 of my benefits and starting to get nervous about running out. Really hoping to find something in the next few weeks!
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Jamal Thompson
•You've got this! 6 weeks is still a decent amount of time to find something.
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Yara Haddad
•Thanks for the encouragement! Just gotta stay positive and keep applying.
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Keisha Robinson
Pro tip: if your claim goes into adjudication for any reason, that can delay your payments but it doesn't use up your 26 weeks. The benefit year is based on when you filed, not when you start getting paid.
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Jamal Thompson
•That's good to know! What usually causes adjudication?
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Keisha Robinson
•Usually questions about why you lost your job or issues with your work history. Sometimes just random verification stuff.
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Paolo Conti
26 weeks goes by faster than you think. Use the time wisely - not just for job searching but maybe taking care of stuff you couldn't do while working full time.
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Jamal Thompson
•Good point! I've been meaning to get some health checkups done anyway.
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Amina Sow
Bottom line: 26 weeks maximum, file weekly claims, keep looking for work, and don't stress too much about the system. It works, just takes some getting used to.
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Jamal Thompson
•Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! Feeling much more confident about the process now.
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Amina Sow
•You're welcome! We've all been there. Good luck with the job search!
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