Washington ESD unemployment benefits - how long can I collect before running out?
Started collecting unemployment in September after my manufacturing job got eliminated. I'm getting close to week 16 and starting to worry about how much time I have left. My benefit year shows it expires next September, but I keep hearing different things about how many weeks you actually get. Some people say 26 weeks max, others mention extensions. Can someone explain how this actually works with Washington ESD? I don't want to be caught off guard if my benefits suddenly stop.
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Darren Brooks
In Washington state, regular UI benefits are typically 26 weeks maximum during your benefit year. However, the exact number of weeks depends on your earnings history and the state's unemployment rate. You can check your remaining weeks by logging into your SecureAccess Washington account and looking at your claim summary.
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Cynthia Love
•Thanks! I'll check my account tonight. So there's no automatic extension after 26 weeks anymore?
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Darren Brooks
•Not automatically. Extensions only happen during periods of high unemployment or economic crisis, like we had during COVID. Right now you'd exhaust at 26 weeks unless something changes.
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Rosie Harper
depends on when you filed and your base period wages too. i got 23 weeks because my earnings weren't super high in my base period. check your monetary determination letter that Washington ESD sent when you first filed
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Cynthia Love
•I think I still have that letter somewhere. Will dig it up to double check my exact entitlement.
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Elliott luviBorBatman
•Yeah the letter shows your weekly benefit amount AND total weeks available. Don't lose that - you might need it later for job applications or other stuff.
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Demi Hall
If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to verify your remaining weeks, I found Claimyr really helpful. It's a service that gets you connected to an actual agent without the endless busy signals. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling myself.
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Mateusius Townsend
•Never heard of that before. Is it legit or one of those scam things? I'm always suspicious of services that claim to help with government stuff.
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Demi Hall
•Totally legit - check out claimyr.com. They don't ask for your personal info or SSN or anything sketchy. Just helps you get through the phone queue to talk to someone at Washington ESD.
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Cynthia Love
•Might be worth trying if I can't get clear info from my online account. The phone system is brutal.
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Kara Yoshida
You should also be aware that Washington has work search requirements that get stricter as you get closer to exhausting benefits. Make sure you're keeping good records of your job contacts because they can audit you at any time.
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Cynthia Love
•How many job contacts do I need per week? I've been doing 3 like the website says but heard it might be more now.
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Kara Yoshida
•It's 3 per week minimum, but they want 'meaningful' job search activities. Just applying online isn't always enough - they want to see networking, skills training, etc.
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Philip Cowan
wait so there's NO extensions at all anymore?? I thought there was always something after regular benefits ran out. This is scary
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Darren Brooks
•There's no federal extension program active right now. During recessions Congress sometimes authorizes extended benefits, but that's not happening currently. You need to plan for benefits ending.
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Philip Cowan
•ugh this is not what I wanted to hear. guess I better step up my job search
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Rosie Harper
also remember that even if you find a job before your benefits run out, you might be able to keep some weeks for later if you get laid off again within your benefit year. washington esd doesn't just throw away unused weeks
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Caesar Grant
•Really? I didn't know you could save unused weeks. How does that work exactly?
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Rosie Harper
•if you go back to work and then get laid off again before your benefit year expires, you can use your remaining weeks. you don't have to requalify unless you want to start a new claim
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Elliott luviBorBatman
The key thing is your benefit year date. Mine started in March 2024 and runs through March 2025. Even if I use all 26 weeks by November, I can't file a new claim until March unless I have enough new wages to qualify.
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Cynthia Love
•So you'd just be out of luck between November and March? That seems harsh.
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Elliott luviBorBatman
•Exactly. That's why it's called a benefit year - one year, one set of benefits. You need substantial work history to open a new claim early.
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Lena Schultz
I exhausted my benefits last year and it was rough. No warning, just boom - last payment. Make sure you have a backup plan because Washington ESD doesn't mess around with the cutoff dates.
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Cynthia Love
•What did you do after they ran out? Did you qualify for any other assistance?
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Lena Schultz
•Had to apply for basic food assistance and got help with utilities through LIHEAP. Also looked into WorkFirst but didn't qualify. It's a tough gap.
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Demi Hall
If anyone needs to talk to Washington ESD about their remaining weeks or benefit year, definitely try Claimyr. I used it twice last month when I had questions about my claim status. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Gemma Andrews
•How much does it cost? I'm already tight on money with just unemployment benefits.
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Demi Hall
•They have different options but honestly even their basic service saved me so much time and frustration. Check claimyr.com for current pricing.
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Pedro Sawyer
Pro tip: download and print your payment history before you get close to exhausting. Washington ESD's system can be glitchy and it's good to have your own records of what you received.
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Cynthia Love
•Good point. I should probably do that this week along with finding my monetary determination letter.
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Mae Bennett
The 26 week thing isn't set in stone either. During high unemployment periods Washington can trigger extended benefits automatically. But right now the unemployment rate is too low to qualify for EB.
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Beatrice Marshall
•What unemployment rate triggers extended benefits? Is there a specific number?
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Mae Bennett
•It's complicated but generally the state unemployment rate needs to be significantly higher than previous years. We're nowhere near that threshold right now.
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Melina Haruko
been on unemployment 3 times in the past 10 years and it's always been 26 weeks max unless there's a recession. plan accordingly because there's no safety net after that unless congress does something
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Cynthia Love
•That's sobering. Guess I need to really focus on finding something before I hit week 26.
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Melina Haruko
•yep, and don't count on getting hired right at week 25 either. job market can be unpredictable
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Dallas Villalobos
Also worth noting that if you do find work but it's part-time or low-paying, you might still be able to collect partial unemployment benefits. Washington ESD has provisions for that.
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Cynthia Love
•How does partial unemployment work? Do those weeks count against your 26 week total?
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Dallas Villalobos
•Yes, partial weeks still count toward your total. But if you're earning less than your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you can still get some payment.
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Reina Salazar
THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN! 26 weeks isn't enough time to find decent work in this economy. Politicians don't care about working people anymore!!!
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
•I feel your frustration but complaining won't change the current rules. Better to focus energy on job searching.
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Reina Salazar
•Easy for you to say. Some industries take longer to bounce back and 6 months isn't realistic for everyone.
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Demi Lagos
Check if your industry has any specific retraining programs through WorkSource. Sometimes there are grants or extended support for certain fields, especially if your job was eliminated due to trade or technology changes.
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Cynthia Love
•Manufacturing was definitely affected by trade issues. I'll look into WorkSource programs in my area.
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Mason Lopez
Just want to add - if you get a job offer before your benefits run out, don't automatically turn down lower-paying positions thinking you can hold out. Better to have some income than none at all after week 26.
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Cynthia Love
•True. I've been maybe too picky about salary requirements. Might need to adjust my expectations.
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Vera Visnjic
•You can always keep looking for better opportunities while working. Income is income.
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Jake Sinclair
Used Claimyr last week to get through to Washington ESD about a different issue and the agent was actually helpful for once. They confirmed my remaining weeks and explained some stuff about my benefit year that I was confused about.
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Cynthia Love
•Ok you've all convinced me to try this Claimyr thing. The phone system is impossible otherwise.
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Brielle Johnson
•Yeah it's worth it just for the peace of mind. Better to know exactly where you stand than guess.
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Honorah King
One more thing - make sure you understand the difference between your benefit year ending and exhausting your weeks. Those are two different scenarios with different rules for reapplying.
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Cynthia Love
•Can you explain the difference? I thought they were the same thing.
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Honorah King
•Benefit year ending means 52 weeks have passed since you filed. Exhausting weeks means you used up all 26 payments. Different rules apply for each situation when filing a new claim.
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Oliver Brown
Bottom line - start planning now for what happens after your benefits end. Don't wait until week 25 to figure out your next move. The job market moves slow and Washington ESD doesn't give extensions unless there's a major crisis.
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Cynthia Love
•You're absolutely right. Thanks everyone for the reality check. Time to get serious about this job search.
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