Washington ESD unemployment claim - worried about decreased spending affecting my benefits

Your individual claim won't be affected by broader economic trends. Washington ESD benefits are funded through employer taxes and federal programs, not current economic conditions. As long as you're filing your weekly claims correctly and meeting job search requirements, your benefits should continue.

That's a relief! I was worried they might cut everyone's benefits if too many people filed claims.

Yeah the funding structure is pretty stable, though extensions might get political during recessions

I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks about my claim status and can never get through. The phone system is completely overwhelmed right now.

Have you tried using Claimyr? It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

Never heard of that, is it legit? I'm desperate at this point.

Yeah it's real, I used it last month when my claim got stuck in adjudication. Got connected to an actual person within a few minutes instead of the usual 3+ hour wait times.

The whole system is broken anyway. They make you jump through hoops while people are struggling to pay rent.

I get the frustration but the job search requirements exist for a reason. The system works if you follow the rules.

Easy to say when you're not the one trying to find work in this economy

Wait, do we still have to do the job search thing if the economy is bad and there aren't many jobs? Seems pointless to apply for stuff that doesn't exist.

Yes, you still need to complete your required job search activities each week. The number of available jobs doesn't change the requirement - you need to document your search efforts in WorkSource WA.

Ugh that's annoying but thanks for clarifying

I just apply to random stuff online, takes like 10 minutes to meet the requirement

Economic downturns actually tend to make unemployment benefits MORE available, not less. During recessions, Congress often extends benefit durations and adds federal programs. The 2008 recession had extended benefits for 99 weeks in some states, and during COVID we had PUA and other programs.

Oh wow I didn't know that. So if things get worse I might actually get MORE help?

Potentially yes, though it depends on federal action. Regular state benefits like what you're getting now are more stable.

Those COVID programs were a mess though, took forever to get approved

I think you're overthinking this. Just focus on filing your weekly claims and looking for work. The macro economy stuff is out of your control.

You're probably right, I just get anxious about money stuff

anxiety is totally normal when you're unemployed, hang in there

Has anyone had issues with their benefits getting delayed because of high claim volume? Mine have been pending for 2 weeks now.

If it's been 2 weeks you might have an adjudication issue. Check your account for any flags or requests for information.

Nothing shows up in my account, it just says pending

This is exactly when Claimyr is helpful - you can get through to someone who can actually check what's causing the delay instead of guessing.

The real problem is that unemployment benefits are too low to live on anyway. Even if they don't get cut, it's not enough.

True but it's better than nothing. At least it covers some basics while you job search.

Barely covers rent in Seattle, forget about everything else

move somewhere cheaper? unemployment isn't supposed to replace your full salary

I've been on unemployment 3 different times over the past 10 years and benefits have always been consistent. The amount is based on your previous wages, not economic conditions.

That's reassuring to hear from someone with experience. Did you ever have issues with adjudication or delays?

Once when I had a job separation issue, but it got resolved after I provided documentation. Most of the time it's pretty straightforward.

Just make sure you're not working any side gigs without reporting them. They audit that stuff and you don't want an overpayment situation.

What counts as work that needs to be reported? Like if I sell some stuff online?

Anything where you're earning money should be reported on your weekly claims. Better safe than sorry with overpayments.

overpayments are THE WORST, they make you pay back everything plus penalties

The decreased spending thing is real though - when everyone cuts back it does create a cycle where businesses lay off more people. But like others said, that's not going to affect your individual claim.

Yeah it's called a recession, happens every 10-15 years or so

Right, but unemployment insurance is designed to help stabilize that cycle by keeping some money flowing

Anyone know if there are any job training programs available through Washington ESD? Might be worth looking into while on benefits.

Yes! WorkSource has various training programs and you can sometimes get approval to do training instead of job search. Check with your local WorkSource office.

Thanks, I'll look into that. Might as well use this time productively.

I did a coding bootcamp through WorkSource, they even extended my benefits during training

The best thing you can do is just stay on top of your weekly claims and job search requirements. Don't let economic anxiety distract you from the basics.

Good advice. I think I was just spiraling a bit about things I can't control.

we've all been there, unemployment is stressful enough without worrying about the whole economy

I had a friend who got worried about the same thing during the 2008 recession. Her benefits continued normally the whole time, and she actually got extended benefits when they became available.

How long were the extended benefits back then?

I think it varied by state, but some places had up to 99 weeks total including extensions. Washington had pretty good extended benefits during that time.

Stop overthinking and just file your claims on time every week. That's literally all you need to do to keep getting benefits.

You're right, I'm probably making this more complicated than it needs to be.

and do your job searches! don't skip that part

I tried calling Washington ESD yesterday and the wait time message said over 2 hours. Gave up after 45 minutes on hold.

Try calling right when they open at 8am, sometimes the wait is shorter then

Or use Claimyr if you need to actually get through. I've recommended it to several people now and everyone has had success getting connected quickly.

I might have to try that, this phone situation is ridiculous

Your benefits are safe as long as you qualify. Economic conditions might affect how long it takes to find a new job, but not your current claim.

Thanks, that makes me feel better. I was worried they might cut everyone's benefits if too many people needed help.

nah that's not how it works, the fund is pretty stable

Just remember that unemployment is temporary. Focus on your job search and don't get too caught up in economic doom scenarios.

You're absolutely right. I should focus on finding work instead of worrying about things I can't control.

exactly, and there are always jobs out there even in bad economies, they might just be different than what you're used to

Economic cycles are normal and the unemployment system is designed to handle them. Your benefits should be fine as long as you meet the requirements.

This is good perspective. The system has been through recessions before and keeps working.

True, I guess I was just panicking unnecessarily. Thanks everyone for the reassurance!