Reapplying for unemployment after benefit year ends - timing and approval process?

Yes, you can definitely apply for a new benefit year when your current one expires in October. The key thing is that you've worked enough hours during your base year to qualify for a new claim (roughly 680+ hours depending on circumstances). As for timing, you can actually apply for the new claim up to one week before your current benefit year ends. I'd recommend doing exactly that - apply during that final week of September rather than waiting until October. This helps minimize any gap in payments. Regarding processing time, it shouldn't take anywhere near 9 weeks this time around. Since you've been in their system recently and they have your wage information, it typically processes much faster - often 1-2 weeks if there are no issues requiring adjudication.

make sure u check ur monetry eligability on the ESD website before u apply!! i thought i had enough hours last time but they counted different quarters than what i expected and i got denied. the quarters they look at for base year might not be exactly what u think.

I WENT THROUGH THE EXACT SAME THING last year!!! Let me tell you what happened to me - I tried to file a week before my benefit year ended and the system gave me some weird error message. I called and called and could NEVER get through to anyone!!!! So frustrating!!! I ended up having to wait until the exact day after my benefit year ended to file the new claim. AND THEN they put me in adjudication for 6 WEEKS because they said they needed to "verify my job separation" even though they already had all that info!!! The whole system is designed to make us wait and suffer I swear.

I had a similar situation earlier this year. Tried applying online the week before my benefit year ended but kept getting errors. Called ESD for three days straight but could never get through - always busy signals or disconnections after waiting on hold. Finally found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual ESD agent within 20 minutes. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The agent told me my new application was getting rejected because my old claim was still technically active. She helped me apply correctly so I didn't lose any weeks of benefits. Saved me a lot of stress during an already stressful time.

You should know that when you reapply, ESD will determine if you qualify for a new claim OR need to continue with your existing claim through what's called the "benefit year end" (BYE) review process. If your new potential weekly benefit amount would be at least 15% higher than your current benefit, they'll put you on the new claim. Otherwise, they might just extend your current claim for the remaining 16 weeks. Also, be prepared that when you apply after your benefit year ends, you need to serve a new waiting week (the first week is unpaid). This is standard procedure for new claims even if you had a previous claim.

whatever u do make sure u keep filing your weekly claims during the transition!!! even if your applying for a new benefit year, keep claiming every week. i messed this up and lost 2 weeks of benefits because i thought i had to wait until the new claim was approved before filing weekly claims again.

Thanks everyone for the great advice! I really appreciate all the detailed information. I'll definitely apply the week before my benefit year ends and keep filing my weekly claims during the transition. And I'll check my monetary eligibility first to make sure I have enough hours in the right quarters. If I run into problems getting through to ESD, I'll try that Claimyr service that was mentioned. I'm feeling much better prepared for October now!

Just wondering has anyone else noticed that the claims filed in October seem to get processed slower? I swear ESD is always backed up right when the fiscal year changes. My friend and I both applied in early October last year and we both waited like 5-6 weeks. But my sister applied in December and got approved in 10 days. Just something to be aware of maybe?

I'm in a similar situation - my benefit year is ending in a few months and I've been wondering about the reapplication process too. This thread has been super helpful! One question I have - if you've already used some weeks from your current claim (like the 10 weeks you mentioned), does that affect your eligibility for a new claim at all? Or is it purely based on the hours you worked during the base period regardless of how many weeks you've already collected? Also curious if anyone knows whether working at two different employers (like your situation with the layoffs from different companies) makes the application process any more complicated?

This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm currently dealing with a somewhat similar situation - my benefit year ends in December and I've been stressing about the reapplication process. A few things I wanted to add based on my research and experience with my first claim: 1. Make sure to keep all your employment documentation from your recent job (pay stubs, termination letter, etc.) even though ESD should have the wage info already. Sometimes they ask for verification documents during the review process. 2. When you do reapply, the online system might ask you to report ALL job separations from the past 18 months, not just your most recent one. So be prepared to explain both layoffs even though they already have that info from your first claim. 3. I've heard that if you worked in multiple states during your base period, it can slow things down, but since both your jobs were in Washington that shouldn't be an issue for you. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - it's so much more helpful than trying to navigate the ESD website alone!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm actually in almost the exact same boat - benefit year ending soon and worried about the reapplication process. One thing I wanted to add based on my experience: when you do apply for the new claim, make sure your contact information is completely up to date in the system. I moved during my first claim period and forgot to update my address, which caused a 3-week delay when they tried to mail me forms to the wrong address. Also, if you're planning to apply that last week before your benefit year ends, I'd recommend doing it earlier in the week rather than waiting until Friday. A friend of mine applied on a Friday afternoon and said the system seemed really slow/glitchy, probably because of high traffic. She ended up having to call Monday to make sure it went through properly. Sounds like you've got a solid plan though! Having 6 months of full-time work should definitely put you in good shape for qualifying. The fact that your new job paid more should also help with that 15% rule someone mentioned earlier.

Just want to echo what others have said about keeping detailed records throughout this whole process! I went through a similar situation last year and one thing that really helped was creating a simple spreadsheet tracking all the key dates - when I applied, when my benefit year ended, when I filed each weekly claim, etc. Also, if you do end up needing to call ESD for any reason during this transition, try calling right at 8am when they open. I had much better luck getting through in that first hour compared to later in the day. And definitely have all your information ready - claim number, SSN, recent employer info - because they'll ask for it right away to verify your identity. One more tip: if your new claim does get approved, don't be surprised if your first payment under the new claim takes an extra week or two to process even after approval. Something about their system switching between old and new claims can cause a delay in the payment schedule. Just something to factor into your budgeting! Sounds like you're being really proactive about planning ahead, which is smart. Good luck with everything!