Just discovered UI requalification requires 6x new weekly benefit amount - denied benefits
I'm seriously frustrated right now and want to save others from this surprise. After my previous UI benefits ran out, I applied for a new benefit year thinking I'd easily qualify since I had more than enough hours in my base year (way over the 680 required). The ESD website made it seem straightforward. NOPE! Just got denied and spent 3 hours getting through to someone who explained why. Apparently, there's this "requalify" rule that nobody talks about: if you're applying after receiving UI before, you MUST have returned to work and earned at least 6 TIMES your new weekly benefit amount AFTER your previous claim, even if you have enough hours in your base year. I had a part-time job for 2 months but only made about $4,200 total. My new calculated weekly benefit would've been $780, so I needed $4,680 in earnings. Missed it by just $480! Now I have NO benefits despite having worked the required hours overall. The ESD rep said this is a separate requirement that trips up tons of people. The website doesn't make this clear AT ALL during the application process. Has anyone else run into this? Any suggestions for appealing or other options?
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Justin Chang
Ugh that rule caught me too! I was shocked when they denied me last summer. It's buried in some obscure part of their website but not where you'd actually look when applying. The worst part is that if you'd made just $480 more you would have qualified. Did the rep mention if there's any kind of partial benefit option?
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Wesley Hallow
•No, she basically said I'm out of luck. She suggested I might qualify for hardship assistance through DSHS instead, but that's a whole different system with even more paperwork. I'm going to try appealing anyway, since I was only short by such a small amount. The system is so frustrating!
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Grace Thomas
This is definitely an important rule that trips up a lot of claimants. The technical term for it is "requalification requirements" and unfortunately there's not much flexibility with it. The 6x rule is actually federal guidance that all states follow, though some states require even more earnings. For anyone reading this: after receiving UI benefits, before you can establish a new valid claim, you must: 1. Have enough hours in your base year (680+) 2. AND have returned to work and earned at least 6 times your new weekly benefit amount Both requirements must be met, not just one. The reasoning behind it is to prevent people from working just enough hours to qualify for another round of benefits without substantial reattachment to the workforce. You can appeal, but unless there's a calculation error about your earnings, it's unlikely to be successful since this is a statutory requirement.
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Wesley Hallow
•Thanks for explaining. I wish this was more prominently displayed during the application process! I spent weeks thinking I'd get benefits only to be blindsided. Any idea if they count gig work or 1099 income toward the 6x amount? I did some side work that wasn't reported as regular wages.
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Hunter Brighton
1099 income does NOT count for the 6x earnings requirement unless you reported it as self-employment on your UI claims and paid UI taxes on it. I learned this the hard way too. BTW, if you're struggling to get through to ESD to discuss appeal options or alternatives, I found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an ESD agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending days redialing. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 It was worth it for me because I had a similar situation and needed to understand all my options directly from ESD. The agent ended up helping me identify some wages that hadn't been properly reported by an employer.
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Dylan Baskin
•has anyone actually tried this claimyr thing? seems sketchy to pay for something that should be free. the whole system is rigged to deny benefits imo
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Lauren Wood
Yep, I used Claimyr last month when I was in adjudication hell for 5 weeks. It worked exactly as advertised. Got through to ESD in about 15 mins when I'd been trying for days on my own. The agent was actually super helpful and fixed my claim on the spot. Regarding the 6x rule - it's super frustrating but it is actually mentioned in the Unemployment Handbook they email you after you apply. Page 12 I think? But who reads every page of that thing? They should make it part of the application questions so people aren't blindsided.
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Dylan Baskin
•ok good to know. might try it, been trying to reach ESD for 2 weeks about something different
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Ellie Lopez
Hi thr quick question related to this, if I worked full-time for 3 months after my last UI claim ended but then got laid off again, would that be enough to satisfy the 6x rule??? I made about $9800 during those 3 months if that matters
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Grace Thomas
•It depends on what your new weekly benefit amount would be. Take your highest-earning quarter from your base year, divide by 25, and that's approximately your weekly benefit amount (though capped at $1,000/week for 2025). Then multiply by 6. Based on your $9,800 over 3 months, you likely earned enough to satisfy the 6x rule unless your weekly benefit amount would be extremely high. You can use the ESD benefit calculator on their website to estimate your weekly amount.
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Chad Winthrope
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO DENY BENEFITS!!!!! I've had nothing but problems with ESD for YEARS! They make these stupid rules and hide them on purpose so people get denied. Then when you call they keep you on hold until you hang up or the call drops. I swear they do it on purpose!!!! And don't bother appealing - I tried twice and they ALWAYS side with ESD. Complete waste of time. The 6x rule is just another BS way to avoid paying people what they deserve after they've paid into the system for years!!!!!
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Justin Chang
•While I understand your frustration (believe me, I've been there), the 6x rule is actually a federal requirement, not something ESD made up. It's meant to ensure people are truly reattaching to the workforce between benefit periods. The real issue is they don't make it clear enough during the application process.
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Wesley Hallow
Update: I called again using a different approach. I asked specifically about my part-time job AND some freelance work I did that was paid via direct deposit (not 1099). The new agent checked and said I might be able to include some of those earnings if I can document them properly! She's sending me a form to submit my bank statements and any contract info. Not getting my hopes up, but there might be a small chance if I can prove I earned enough.
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Grace Thomas
•That's a good development! If you can properly document self-employment earnings, they can sometimes be counted toward the requalification amount. You'll need to show that these were legitimate earnings and that you reported them on your taxes. Be sure to submit everything through your eServices account or by fax/mail with a cover letter clearly explaining what these documents are for. Good luck!
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Paige Cantoni
im confused...does this mean once youve used UI once you always need to make 6x the benefit amount to qualify again? or is this just if you try to claim again immediately after a previous claim period ends?
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Grace Thomas
•It's not about how much time passes between claims, but rather about what happens between them. After any UI claim, before you can qualify for a new claim, you need to: 1. Have enough work hours in your base year (the standard 680+ hours requirement) 2. AND have earnings after your previous claim that equal at least 6 times your new weekly benefit amount This applies whether it's been 3 months or 3 years since your last claim. The key is that you must have returned to work and earned enough after your previous UI benefits before you can establish a new claim.
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