Washington ESD claim denied - unemployment during economic downturns help?
My Washington ESD claim got denied last week and I'm trying to understand if there's any historical precedent for how unemployment benefits work during tough economic times. I was laid off from my manufacturing job in Tacoma and they're saying I don't qualify because of some technicality about my work history. I've been reading about how unemployment was handled back in the 1920s before modern systems existed and wondering if anyone knows how Washington handles claims during periods when lots of people are out of work? My weekly claim filing has been a nightmare and I can't get through to anyone at Washington ESD to explain the denial.
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Ella Thompson
The 1920s comparison is interesting but not really relevant to your current Washington ESD situation. Back then there was no unemployment insurance system at all - people just had to rely on charity or family. Your denial is probably related to base period wages or separation issues. Did you check your monetary determination letter to see what quarters they're using for your claim?
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Matthew Sanchez
•I haven't gotten a monetary determination yet, just the denial notice. Should I be looking for something specific in my Washington ESD account?
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Ella Thompson
•Yes, log into your SecureAccess Washington account and look under 'Claims and Benefits' for all the determination letters. That'll tell you exactly why they denied you.
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JacksonHarris
I had a similar issue with Washington ESD last year and calling them was impossible - kept getting busy signals or hung up on after waiting for hours. What really helped me was using Claimyr to get through to an actual agent. They have this system that calls for you and gets you connected when an agent picks up. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way better than spending all day redialing.
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Matthew Sanchez
•Never heard of that service - is it legit? I'm desperate to talk to someone at Washington ESD about this denial.
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JacksonHarris
•Yeah it's real, claimyr.com is the website. I was skeptical too but it actually worked - got me through to Washington ESD in like 20 minutes instead of the usual all-day calling marathon.
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Jeremiah Brown
•I used Claimyr too when my claim was stuck in adjudication for weeks. Definitely worth it if you need to reach Washington ESD quickly.
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Royal_GM_Mark
Washington ESD denials are usually pretty specific about the reason. Most common ones are: insufficient base period wages, voluntary quit without good cause, fired for misconduct, or not able and available for work. Which category did they put you in? Also the 1920s thing is kind of random - unemployment insurance didn't exist until the 1930s after the Great Depression.
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Matthew Sanchez
•The letter mentions something about 'insufficient wages in base period' but I worked full time for over a year before getting laid off.
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Royal_GM_Mark
•They look at specific quarters for your base period, not just any year of work. If you started your job recently, your highest earning quarters might not be in the base period they're using.
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Amelia Cartwright
•This happened to me! I started my job in January but they were using quarters from the previous year when I was in school. Had to wait and reapply later.
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Chris King
honestly the whole washington esd system is broken, doesnt matter if its the 1920s or 2020s they find ways to deny people who need help. took me 3 months to get my benefits and thats WITH a lawyer helping me appeal
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Matthew Sanchez
•Three months?? I can't wait that long, I have rent and bills due next week.
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Rachel Clark
•That's why you need to appeal immediately if you think the denial is wrong. Don't wait around.
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Jeremiah Brown
For what it's worth, during actual economic downturns Washington ESD does tend to be more overwhelmed and slower to process claims. But the eligibility rules don't really change. If you were legitimately laid off and had sufficient wages, you should qualify. The base period issue is probably what's causing your denial.
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Matthew Sanchez
•So if it's a base period issue, can I reapply later when different quarters are included?
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Jeremiah Brown
•Yes, you can reapply in the next quarter. But first I'd appeal this denial if you think it's wrong - you might have other wage credits they didn't count.
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Ella Thompson
Just to clarify the historical context you mentioned - the 1920s actually had relatively low unemployment for most of the decade (around 3-5%) until the crash in 1929. There was no unemployment insurance system though, so people who lost jobs had no safety net. That's why the current Washington ESD system exists - it was created after the Great Depression. But none of that helps with your current claim issue.
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Zachary Hughes
•Yeah the real unemployment crisis was the 1930s, not the 1920s. The 1920s were actually pretty good economically until the very end.
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Matthew Sanchez
•Thanks for the history lesson but I'm more worried about paying my bills right now than what happened 100 years ago.
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Mia Alvarez
I work in HR and see Washington ESD denials all the time. The base period wage issue is super common, especially for people who started jobs recently or had gaps in employment. You definitely need to call them to get clarification on exactly which quarters they used and why your wages weren't sufficient.
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Matthew Sanchez
•But that's the problem - I can't get through to anyone at Washington ESD! Their phone lines are always busy.
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JacksonHarris
•That's exactly why I recommended Claimyr earlier - it solves the phone problem. Much easier than trying to call Washington ESD directly.
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Mia Alvarez
•Yeah I've heard other people mention that service too. Might be worth trying if you're having trouble getting through the normal way.
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Carter Holmes
ok this might sound dumb but what exactly is a base period? I keep seeing people mention it but I'm confused about how Washington ESD calculates it
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Royal_GM_Mark
•Base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if you filed in January 2025, they'd look at January-March 2024, April-June 2024, July-September 2024, and October-December 2024.
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Carter Holmes
•ohhhh that makes sense why someone who just started working recently might not have enough wages in those quarters
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Sophia Long
The whole system is designed to make it hard to get benefits, period. Doesn't matter what decade we're in. At least in the 1920s people knew they were on their own - now they make you jump through hoops and then deny you anyway.
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Rachel Clark
•That's not really true though. Millions of people get unemployment benefits every year. The system works for most people who qualify.
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Sophia Long
•Tell that to everyone stuck in adjudication hell for months or getting denied for technicalities.
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Amelia Cartwright
OP, seriously though - if you think the denial is wrong you need to appeal within 30 days. Don't let that deadline pass while you're trying to figure out the phone situation. You can appeal online through your Washington ESD account even if you can't reach anyone by phone.
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Matthew Sanchez
•I didn't know I could appeal online! That might be easier than trying to call. Where exactly do I find that option?
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Amelia Cartwright
•Log into your SecureAccess Washington account, go to unemployment services, and look for 'Appeal a Decision' or something similar. Should be pretty obvious once you're in there.
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Angelica Smith
I'm curious about the Tacoma manufacturing job you mentioned - what industry? Some sectors have specific rules about seasonal work or temporary layoffs that might affect your claim.
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Matthew Sanchez
•It was aerospace manufacturing, steady year-round work. Nothing seasonal about it, they just had to cut staff due to contract issues.
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Angelica Smith
•Aerospace should be fine then, no special rules there. Definitely sounds like a base period wage calculation issue.
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Logan Greenburg
wait so if I understand this right, even if you worked full time for a year, you might not qualify for unemployment if you started the job recently? that seems really unfair
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Royal_GM_Mark
•It's about when your highest earning quarters fall within the base period. The system isn't perfect but it's designed to ensure people have a substantial work history before claiming benefits.
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Logan Greenburg
•I guess that makes sense from a policy perspective but it really screws over people who are actually working and paying into the system
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Charlotte Jones
Another option if the base period is the issue - Washington ESD has something called an alternate base period that uses more recent quarters. You might want to ask about that when you talk to them.
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Matthew Sanchez
•How do I request an alternate base period? Is that something I have to specifically ask for?
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Charlotte Jones
•I think they're supposed to automatically consider it if the regular base period doesn't work, but definitely worth asking about explicitly.
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JacksonHarris
Just wanted to follow up on the Claimyr thing since a few people asked about it - I used it again last month when I had questions about my job search requirements and it worked great. Got through to Washington ESD in under 30 minutes. Really takes the stress out of trying to reach them.
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Lucas Bey
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already tight on money after being laid off.
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JacksonHarris
•It's worth checking their website for current info, but when I used it the value was definitely there compared to spending entire days trying to call myself.
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Harper Thompson
This whole thread started with a question about the 1920s and turned into troubleshooting a Washington ESD claim lol. But seriously OP, focus on the appeal process and getting your base period wages clarified rather than historical comparisons.
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Matthew Sanchez
•Yeah you're right, I was just frustrated and rambling. The practical advice here has been really helpful.
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Caleb Stark
•That's what these forums are for - getting real help with real problems!
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Jade O'Malley
One more thing - if you do end up appealing, make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while the appeal is pending. A lot of people make the mistake of stopping their weekly claims during an appeal.
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Matthew Sanchez
•Wait, I thought if you were denied you couldn't file weekly claims anymore?
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Jade O'Malley
•Nope, you keep filing during the appeal process. If you win the appeal, you'll get paid for those weeks. If you don't file, you lose those weeks permanently.
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Hunter Edmunds
•This is really important advice that not enough people know about!
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Ella Lewis
Good luck with everything OP. Sounds like you have a solid case if you were legitimately laid off from steady work. The Washington ESD system has its flaws but it does work when you know how to navigate it.
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Matthew Sanchez
•Thanks everyone, this has been way more helpful than anything I found on the official Washington ESD website. I'm going to start with the online appeal and try that Claimyr service to talk to someone.
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Andrew Pinnock
•That sounds like a solid plan. Hope it works out for you!
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