Laid off can I get unemployment - Washington ESD eligibility help needed

Yes, you should definitely qualify for unemployment benefits since you were laid off due to budget cuts. That's considered a qualifying separation. You'll need to file your initial claim on the Washington ESD website as soon as possible. Don't wait - you want to get your claim started right away.

The Washington ESD website is secure.esd.wa.gov - you can file your initial claim there 24/7. Since you were laid off, this should be straightforward. Your benefit amount will be based on your earnings over the past year. With your salary, you should get a decent weekly benefit amount.

I was in your exact situation last year - laid off after working at the same company for years. I kept trying to call Washington ESD to check on my claim status but could never get through. The phone lines are constantly busy. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually reach someone at Washington ESD. They have a service that calls for you and gets you connected to an agent. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Make sure you start filing your weekly claims right away after you submit your initial claim. Even if your claim is still processing, you need to keep filing every week to get paid for those weeks later.

ugh the whole process is so confusing when you're doing it for the first time. I remember being stressed about every little detail. But since you were laid off, you definitely qualify. Just make sure you answer all the questions honestly on your application.

Don't forget about the job search requirements! Once you start receiving benefits, you'll need to do job search activities every week. I think it's 3 job search activities per week now. Keep track of everything because they can audit your job search log.

I got laid off from my job in tech last month and filed immediately. The whole process was actually smoother than I expected. My claim was approved in about 2 weeks and I've been getting my weekly payments without any issues.

Quick tip - screenshot everything when you file your claim and save all your confirmation numbers. I had an issue where the system glitched and I lost some information, but having screenshots saved me a lot of headache.

Just to clarify - you mentioned you worked there for 2 years at $45k annually. That's definitely enough work history to qualify for the maximum benefit period. Your weekly benefit amount will be roughly half of your average weekly wage, up to the state maximum.

The Washington ESD system can be slow sometimes, especially if you're trying to call them. I had to wait 3 weeks just to talk to someone about a simple question. That Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier actually sounds pretty useful for avoiding the phone wait times.

Make sure you file your claim for the right week. The system asks for the week ending date, not the week beginning date. I messed that up initially and had to call to fix it.

Also, don't panic if your claim shows 'pending' or goes to adjudication. Even simple layoff cases sometimes get flagged for review. It doesn't mean you did anything wrong.

The most important thing is to file ASAP. You can't get benefits for weeks before you file your claim, so don't wait. Even if you're not sure about some details, file the claim and you can clarify later if needed.

I'm going through the same thing right now. Got laid off two weeks ago and just got my first unemployment payment. The process really isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Just follow the instructions and you'll be fine.

One more thing - when you do your weekly claims, make sure you report any income accurately. Even small amounts like odd jobs or freelance work need to be reported. Washington ESD will find out eventually and it's not worth the risk of an overpayment.

The Washington ESD website also has a lot of good resources for job searching. Take advantage of those while you're collecting benefits. It can help you meet your job search requirements and might lead to better opportunities.

If you run into any issues or have questions about your specific situation, that Claimyr service is really handy. I used it when I couldn't figure out why my payment was delayed. Got connected to an agent who explained everything in 10 minutes.

just file online and stop overthinking it. if you got laid off you qualify, period. took me like 20 minutes to file and i was getting payments within 3 weeks

To summarize for you: File your initial claim at secure.esd.wa.gov immediately, register with WorkSourceWA, start filing weekly claims every Sunday, and keep track of your job search activities. Since you were laid off due to budget cuts, you should have no problem qualifying. Good luck with your job search!

Welcome to the club nobody wants to join! But seriously, Washington ESD benefits helped me get through 4 months of unemployment last year. The system works, even if it's not always fast. You'll be okay.