Washington ESD claim - which of the following is not a form of unemployment benefits I can apply for?

The main types available through Washington ESD are regular unemployment insurance (UI), standby benefits if you're temporarily laid off, and disaster unemployment assistance in certain situations. There's also partial unemployment if you're working reduced hours. What specific programs were you seeing mentioned?

Regular UI is probably what you want if you were laid off. I filed mine online through the Washington ESD website and it was pretty straightforward once I figured out the system.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about your eligibility, I used a service called Claimyr that helps you actually reach an agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really helped me get answers about which benefit type to apply for.

Don't forget about the job search requirements! Even if you qualify for regular UI, you'll need to do job searches every week and log them in your WorkSourceWA account. That trips up a lot of people.

ugh why is this so confusing?? i just want to know if i can get benefits while i look for work. seems like it should be simple

I think there's also something called Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) if your job was lost due to international trade, but that's pretty specific. Most people just need regular UI benefits.

The Washington ESD website has a benefits estimator tool that can help you figure out what you might qualify for and how much you could receive. Might be worth checking that out before you apply.

Just make sure you apply as soon as possible after losing your job. There's usually a waiting week but you want to get your claim started right away to avoid delays.

I tried calling Washington ESD last week to ask about benefit types and couldn't get through. The phone system is terrible.

There's also SharedWork if your employer participates in that program, but that's more for reduced hours rather than full unemployment. Sounds like regular UI is what you need.

whatever you do dont apply for the wrong type of benefits. i made that mistake and it delayed my whole claim by weeks while they sorted it out

The easiest way to think about it: if you're completely out of work through no fault of your own, apply for regular unemployment insurance. If you're still working but with reduced hours, look into partial benefits. Everything else is pretty specialized.

I had to call Washington ESD three times before I found someone who could explain the difference between all the benefit types. The first two agents I talked to gave me conflicting information.

Don't overthink it. If you worked a regular job and got laid off, apply for regular unemployment benefits. The application will tell you if you don't qualify for some reason.

My cousin tried to apply for some federal extended benefits program she read about online but it turned out that program ended years ago. Wasted weeks trying to figure out why her application wasn't working.

The key thing to remember is that most of the special pandemic unemployment programs are gone now. Regular UI, partial benefits for reduced hours, and disaster assistance in specific situations are what's currently available through Washington ESD.

just got off the phone with washington esd (finally!) and they confirmed regular ui is the main program for people who lost their jobs. took forever to get through but the agent was helpful once i reached someone.

I work in HR and deal with unemployment claims regularly. For a standard layoff situation like yours, regular unemployment insurance through Washington ESD is the correct program. Don't let all the different terms confuse you.

Bottom line: if you're unemployed through no fault of your own and looking for work, apply for regular unemployment insurance. That's the main program and covers most people's situations.