How soon can you reapply for unemployment after Washington ESD claim ends?

That's what I was hoping to hear! Do I need to have worked a certain amount since my last claim started?

Yes, you need sufficient work history in your new base period. Washington ESD will look at the last 5 quarters to determine if you qualify.

I did work part-time for a few months during my claim. Does that complicate things?

It might actually help you! Those wages could count toward establishing a new claim with higher benefits.

I used this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. Found it at claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Actually got connected within an hour instead of spending days calling.

That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?

It's worth checking out the demo first. I was skeptical too but it worked when nothing else did.

No, that's not correct. You can file a new claim as soon as your benefit year ends if you have qualifying wages.

oh good because I was panicking about having no income for a whole year

How do I know which quarters they'll look at? This is so confusing.

They use the first four of the last five completed quarters when you file. So if you file in January 2025, they'd look at July 2024 through June 2024, April-June 2024, January-March 2024, and October-December 2023.

That actually makes sense. I had good wages in some of those earlier quarters.

How long did you wait? Did it affect your claim amount?

I waited 3 months thinking I had to. By then my wages had shifted to different quarters and I qualified for way less money. File as soon as your benefit year ends!

Did you have to do anything special or just file like normal?

Just filed normally through the Washington ESD website. They automatically calculated my new benefit amount based on my recent wages.

Were your benefits higher or lower than your previous claim?

Actually higher because I had worked some higher paying jobs during my previous claim period.

Wait, how can you file weekly claims if your benefit year ended?

You can't file weekly claims after your benefit year ends until your new claim is approved. That's not accurate advice.

Sorry, I meant don't let there be a big gap between when your old claim ends and when you file the new one.

Is it the same as filing an initial claim or is there a specific reapplication process?

It's essentially the same process. Washington ESD treats it as a new claim even though you're a previous claimant.

How would I know if I have outstanding issues? My account doesn't show anything.

Sometimes issues don't show up until you file a new claim. That's when Washington ESD does a more thorough review of your account.

This happened to me. Had to deal with an overpayment from 2 years ago before my new claim could go through.

How long does it take to get a wage transcript?

Usually a few days if you request it online through your SecureAccess Washington account.

That's a good point. Nothing to lose by trying.

Exactly. And if you do qualify, you don't want to miss out on benefits while you're waiting around.

Yes, once your benefit year ends, those benefits are gone forever. That's why it's important to make sure you have qualifying wages before your current claim expires.

That's scary. How can I check if I have enough wages for a new claim?

You need wages in at least two quarters of your base period, and your total wages need to be at least 680 times your weekly benefit amount.

Is there a minimum amount you need to earn?

Any wages help, but you need substantial earnings spread across multiple quarters to establish a solid new claim.

I tried Claimyr last week when I couldn't get through about my adjudication issue. Worked like they said it would.

Good to know there are options besides endless calling.

Are the job search requirements stricter for new claims?

Not stricter, but they might assign you to different WorkSource activities based on how long you've been unemployed total.

Yeah I had to do more intensive job search activities on my second claim.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to file tomorrow morning. Really appreciate all the advice!

Good luck! Hope your new claim gets approved quickly.

I'll update this thread once I hear back from Washington ESD.