Washington ESD unemployment benefits between jobs - eligible during job transitions?

That's a relief! Do I need to report the future job when I file my initial claim?

You should be honest about your situation but focus on your current unemployed status. When you file weekly claims, you'll report any work or job offers as they come up.

Did you have to keep job searching even though you already had something lined up?

Yeah, you still need to meet the job search requirements. I kept applying to other positions just in case and to satisfy Washington ESD requirements.

This is good to know. I always thought having a job lined up would automatically disqualify you from benefits.

How much does that service cost? I'm trying to be careful with money while unemployed.

It's worth checking out their site for current info. For me, getting my claim processed quickly was worth way more than the frustration of calling for hours myself.

Good question! You're still considered available as long as you could theoretically accept other work. The fact that you have a future commitment doesn't change your current availability status.

That makes sense. I guess I was overthinking the 'available' requirement.

Yeah, available just means you can work right now if offered a job. Your future plans don't factor into your current availability.

No, it's definitely permanent. They eliminated my position entirely due to budget cuts.

Then you should be good to go. Just keep all your paperwork from the layoff for your records.

I agree the website could be clearer, but the basic rule is pretty straightforward - if you're currently unemployed and available for work, you can file a claim.

Yeah but there are so many exceptions and special circumstances. It shouldn't be this complicated.

Good point about the overpayment. I definitely don't want to deal with that mess later.

Yeah, it's much easier to report everything correctly upfront than to deal with repayment demands later.

That's exactly what I was worried about! I'll file this week.

Smart move. The sooner you file, the sooner your claim gets processed and you can start receiving benefits.

That sounds really helpful. I might check that out if I run into issues.

I've heard good things about that service from other people on here. Seems like a legitimate way to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD.

That makes sense. My new job actually pays more, so I wasn't expecting benefits to match that anyway.

Good, just wanted to make sure you had realistic expectations about the benefit amount.

Correct, voluntary quitting usually disqualifies you from benefits unless you had good cause like unsafe working conditions or harassment.

Yeah, that's what I figured. Just wanted to double-check since the original poster's situation is so similar to mine.

That's a bummer. At least you knew about the gap ahead of time and could plan for it financially.

Thanks for the reminder. I have my termination letter but should probably gather my recent pay stubs too.

Yeah, having everything organized upfront makes the whole process much smoother.

Glad it's helpful! I was so confused when this first happened to me.

Yeah, these transition periods can be really stressful when you're not sure about your benefits eligibility.

You should report it when it becomes relevant to your weekly claims. The initial claim focuses on your current unemployed status.

Got it, thanks for clarifying that.

I've been trying to call but keep getting busy signals. That's actually why I posted here first.

That's exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier - they handle the calling hassle for you and get you connected to an actual person.

Ah, that makes sense. The phone lines are definitely frustrating to deal with.

That's encouraging! Did you have any issues with the job search requirements during that time?

Nope, just kept applying to other positions and documented everything. Washington ESD never questioned it.

Definitely will do that. I've heard the overpayment situations can be a real nightmare to deal with.

They really can be. Much better to be proactive about reporting changes.

Yeah, I was surprised I couldn't find much information about it online. That's why I decided to ask here.

Well, now there's a good thread about it for the next person who searches for this topic!

Will do! I'm planning to file this weekend so I'll let everyone know how it goes.

Looking forward to hearing about it. Good luck with everything!

Yeah, it was definitely a layoff due to budget cuts. I have documentation showing it was a reduction in force, not performance-related.

Perfect, that should make your claim approval much smoother.