How to apply for extended unemployment benefits - Washington ESD process?
My regular UI benefits are about to run out in two weeks and I'm wondering about extended benefits in Washington. I've been unemployed for 22 weeks now and still actively job searching but the market is brutal right now. Does Washington ESD automatically file extended benefits or do I have to apply separately? I'm getting conflicting info online about whether extended benefits are even available right now. Has anyone gone through this process recently?
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Luca Conti
Extended benefits in Washington are triggered by unemployment rates and aren't always available. Right now I don't think they're active because our state unemployment rate is below the trigger threshold. You should get a notice from Washington ESD about 3 weeks before your regular benefits exhaust telling you if extended benefits are available.
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Zara Ahmed
•So if they're not available, that's just it? No other options after regular UI runs out?
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Luca Conti
•Pretty much, unless you qualify for a new claim with recent work. The pandemic programs like PEUC are long gone.
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Nia Johnson
i think you have to reapply or something? my cousin went through this last year but it was a huge hassle trying to get through to anyone at esd to figure out what to do
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Zara Ahmed
•Yeah that's what I'm worried about - not being able to get through to anyone for clear answers.
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CyberNinja
•I had luck using Claimyr recently to actually reach a Washington ESD agent when I couldn't get through normally. They got me connected within a few hours instead of me trying to call for weeks. Check out claimyr.com - there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Mateo Lopez
Extended Benefits (EB) in Washington are only triggered when the state's unemployment rate meets specific federal thresholds. As of now, Washington's rate is too low to trigger EB. You don't apply separately - if they were available, Washington ESD would automatically file the extension for eligible claimants about 2-3 weeks before regular benefits exhaust. You'd receive a determination letter explaining your eligibility.
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Zara Ahmed
•This is really helpful, thank you. So I should just wait to see if I get that determination letter?
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Mateo Lopez
•Exactly. If you don't receive anything by next week, extended benefits aren't available. You could also check with Washington ESD directly, but given current call volumes, that might be challenging.
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Aisha Abdullah
•THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!! I've been trying to get answers about this for MONTHS and nobody at ESD knows anything. They just keep transferring you around in circles!
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Ethan Davis
Wait I'm confused - are extended benefits the same as the extra weeks I might qualify for if I worked recently? I had some part-time work earlier this year.
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Mateo Lopez
•No, those are different. If you earned enough wages since your original claim started, you might qualify for a new regular UI claim, not extended benefits. Extended benefits are additional weeks added to your existing claim during high unemployment periods.
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Ethan Davis
•Oh okay that makes sense. Should I apply for a new claim then if I worked part-time?
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Luca Conti
•You'd need to check if your earnings meet the monetary requirements for a new claim. If they do, a new claim would likely give you a higher benefit amount than extended benefits anyway.
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Yuki Tanaka
This happened to my brother last year. He never got extended benefits because the trigger wasn't met, but he was able to file a new claim based on work he did during his first claim year. Got another 26 weeks of benefits that way.
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Zara Ahmed
•How much did he have to earn to qualify for the new claim? I only worked part-time for about 3 months.
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Yuki Tanaka
•I think it was around $3,000 or something? You'd have to check the current wage requirements on the Washington ESD website.
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Carmen Ortiz
been there!! the waiting and not knowing is the worst part. i spent weeks calling esd trying to get a straight answer about my options before my benefits ran out
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Zara Ahmed
•What ended up happening with your situation?
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Carmen Ortiz
•No extended benefits were available, but I did qualify for a new claim. Took forever to get through to someone to file it though. That's when I found out about Claimyr - wish I'd known about it sooner!
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Zara Ahmed
•I keep hearing about Claimyr in these threads. Is it actually legit?
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CyberNinja
Yeah Claimyr is totally legit - I was skeptical at first too but it really works. They basically handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when an agent is available. Way better than sitting on hold for hours or getting hung up on.
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MidnightRider
•How much does something like that cost though?
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CyberNinja
•It's worth it when you're dealing with something this important and time-sensitive. Check their website for current info.
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Andre Laurent
Extended benefits trigger at 6.5% unemployment rate for 13 weeks or 8% for 3 months, if I remember correctly. Washington hasn't hit those numbers recently so EB hasn't been available. Your best bet is checking if you can file a new regular claim.
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Zara Ahmed
•Thank you for the specific numbers! That helps me understand why they're not available.
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Andre Laurent
•No problem. The thresholds are pretty high, which is why extended benefits are rare outside of major recessions.
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Zoe Papadopoulos
This is so stressful... I'm in almost the same situation and have been losing sleep over what I'm going to do when my benefits end. The job market is terrible right now.
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Zara Ahmed
•I feel you completely. It's terrifying not knowing what's next.
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Luca Conti
•Have you both checked if you might qualify for new claims? Even part-time work during your benefit year could potentially qualify you for another 26 weeks.
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Zoe Papadopoulos
•I haven't worked at all since I got laid off so probably not an option for me.
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Jamal Washington
Just went through this last month - no extended benefits available but I did get a new claim approved. Had to provide pay stubs from my temporary work earlier this year. The whole process took about 3 weeks from application to first payment.
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Zara Ahmed
•That's encouraging! Did you have to do anything special to apply for the new claim?
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Jamal Washington
•I had to call to discuss it first since I was already on a claim. That's where Claimyr came in handy - got me through to someone quickly to figure out my options.
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Mei Wong
The system makes no sense to me. Why can't they just automatically check if you qualify for a new claim when your old one runs out?
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Mateo Lopez
•They have to verify your wages and work history manually. Plus there are different rules and benefit calculations for new claims vs extensions.
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Mei Wong
•Still seems like something that could be automated in 2025...
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Liam Fitzgerald
Update on my situation - finally got through to Washington ESD and confirmed no extended benefits are available right now. But the agent helped me file a new claim based on my part-time work from earlier this year. Should know within a week if it's approved.
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Zara Ahmed
•That's great news! How long did it take you to get through to someone?
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Liam Fitzgerald
•I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned - took about 2 hours instead of me calling all week. Definitely worth it for something this important.
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Zara Ahmed
•I think I'm going to try that too. Thanks for the update!
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Alejandro Castro
I'm in a similar boat - my benefits are ending next month and I've been stressing about it. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like I should focus on checking if I qualify for a new claim rather than waiting for extended benefits that probably won't be available. Did some freelance work earlier this year, so maybe that'll help. The Claimyr service keeps coming up in these discussions - might be worth trying since getting through to ESD normally seems impossible. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it's really helpful to know I'm not alone in this situation.
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