Washington ESD eligibility requirements - how to be eligible for unemployment benefits
I'm trying to figure out if I qualify for unemployment benefits through Washington ESD. I was laid off from my retail job last month after working there for about 8 months. Before that I had another job for 6 months. I'm not sure what the requirements are - do I need to have worked a certain amount of time? What about earnings? I've heard there are job search requirements too but I don't know what those involve. Can someone explain the basic eligibility requirements for Washington unemployment?
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CosmosCaptain
You need to meet several requirements for Washington ESD eligibility. First is the monetary requirement - you need sufficient earnings in your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 quarters). You also need to be unemployed through no fault of your own, able and available for work, and actively seeking employment.
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Ravi Choudhury
•What counts as sufficient earnings? Is there a minimum dollar amount I need to have made?
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CosmosCaptain
•For 2025, you need at least $5,265 in your base period and earnings in at least two quarters. Plus your highest quarter needs to be at least 1.5 times your lowest quarter with earnings.
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Freya Johansen
The job search requirement is 3 job search activities per week once you start claiming. This includes applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, or working with WorkSource. You have to keep a log of all your activities.
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Omar Fawzi
•Do I have to register with WorkSource right away or can I wait?
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Freya Johansen
•You should register with WorkSource within the first few weeks of filing your claim. It's one of the eligibility requirements and they can help with job search resources.
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Chloe Wilson
I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD to verify my eligibility when I first applied. Kept getting busy signals and disconnected calls. Finally used Claimyr.com to get connected to an actual agent who walked me through the requirements. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Diego Mendoza
•How much does that service cost? I'm already tight on money waiting for my claim to process.
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Chloe Wilson
•It's worth checking out their site for the details. For me it was definitely worth it to actually talk to someone instead of calling for hours with no luck.
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Ravi Choudhury
•Thanks for the tip! I might need that if I can't get through to verify my earnings history.
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Anastasia Romanov
Don't forget you also can't be receiving certain other benefits like Social Security retirement or workers compensation. And if you quit your job you probably won't qualify unless it was for good cause like unsafe working conditions or harassment.
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StellarSurfer
•What if you were fired for attendance issues? Does that disqualify you?
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Anastasia Romanov
•That could potentially disqualify you if Washington ESD determines it was misconduct. They'll do an adjudication to review the circumstances of your separation.
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Omar Fawzi
I'm confused about the base period thing. If I apply today what time period are they looking at for my earnings?
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CosmosCaptain
•If you apply in Q1 2025 (Jan-Mar), your base period would be Q1 2024 through Q4 2024. It's the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file.
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Omar Fawzi
•OK that makes sense. So they're not looking at my most recent earnings necessarily.
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Sean Kelly
You also have to be physically able to work and available for work. If you're sick or have childcare issues that prevent you from working, you might not qualify.
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Zara Malik
•What about part-time work? Can you collect unemployment if you're working reduced hours?
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Sean Kelly
•Yes, you might qualify for partial benefits if your hours were reduced. You report your earnings each week and they calculate a reduced benefit amount.
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Diego Mendoza
The Washington ESD website has an eligibility quiz thing but honestly it's pretty confusing. I ended up just filing and letting them tell me if I qualified or not.
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Ravi Choudhury
•How long did it take to find out if you were approved?
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Diego Mendoza
•About 2 weeks for me, but some people wait longer if they have to do adjudication for job separation issues.
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Luca Greco
Make sure you have all your employment history ready when you file. You'll need employer names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason you left each job. Missing information can delay your claim.
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Nia Thompson
•Do you need pay stubs or will they verify earnings with employers directly?
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Luca Greco
•They usually verify with employers and state records, but having your own documentation helps if there are discrepancies.
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Mateo Rodriguez
Another thing - you can't turn down suitable work once you're receiving benefits. What's considered suitable depends on your skills and how long you've been unemployed.
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Ravi Choudhury
•How do they define suitable work? Can I turn down a job that pays way less than my previous job?
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Initially you can be more selective, but after several weeks they expect you to consider jobs at lower pay levels. The exact rules vary.
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Aisha Hussain
I had issues with my claim because I moved to Washington from another state. They had to do an interstate claim which took forever to sort out. If you worked in multiple states recently, be prepared for complications.
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GalacticGladiator
•Did you end up getting benefits from Washington or your previous state?
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Aisha Hussain
•Washington ESD handled it but they had to coordinate with my previous state to get wage records. Added weeks to the process.
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Ethan Brown
The system is so backed up right now. I've been trying to get someone on the phone at Washington ESD for days to ask about my eligibility determination. The automated system just hangs up on you.
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Chloe Wilson
•That's exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to get answers about your specific situation.
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Ethan Brown
•Yeah I might have to try that. This is ridiculous.
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Yuki Yamamoto
Don't forget about the waiting week. Even if you're eligible, you won't get paid for your first week of unemployment. It's unpaid but you still have to file that weekly claim.
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Carmen Ruiz
•Wait, so even if I qualify I don't get paid the first week? That seems unfair when people are already struggling.
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Yuki Yamamoto
•It's been that way for years. Just how the system works unfortunately.
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Andre Lefebvre
You also need to be a U.S. citizen or authorized to work in the U.S. They'll verify your work authorization as part of the eligibility process.
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Ravi Choudhury
•Good point. I assume they check that against Social Security records or something.
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Zoe Dimitriou
If you have any questions about whether your specific situation qualifies, it's worth calling Washington ESD or using one of those callback services. Better to know upfront than file and get denied later.
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QuantumQuest
•Agreed. I wasted weeks thinking I qualified when I actually didn't meet the earnings requirement. Would have saved time knowing that earlier.
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Ravi Choudhury
•Thanks everyone, this has been really helpful. I think I meet the requirements but I'll double-check my earnings first.
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