What are qualifications for unemployment benefits in Washington - confused about requirements
I'm trying to figure out if I qualify for Washington ESD unemployment benefits but the website is confusing me. I worked for 8 months at a retail job before getting laid off last week. Do I need to have worked for a full year? What about the wage requirements they mention? I made about $2,800 per month but I'm not sure if that's enough. Also confused about the job search thing - do I have to apply for jobs right away or can I wait a few weeks? Really need to know what the actual qualifications are because my savings won't last long.
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Alice Pierce
The basic qualifications for Washington ESD unemployment are: 1) You must have earned wages in at least two quarters during your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters), 2) Your total base period wages must be at least 680 times the state minimum wage, 3) You must be unemployed through no fault of your own, 4) You must be able and available for work, and 5) You must actively search for work. With 8 months of work at $2,800/month, you should meet the wage requirements.
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Amy Fleming
•Thanks! What does 'base period' mean exactly? And how do they calculate that 680 times minimum wage thing?
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Alice Pierce
•Base period is the first 4 quarters of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, your base period would be January 2024 through December 2024. The 680 times minimum wage comes to about $11,220 total for the base period.
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Esteban Tate
You also need to register with WorkSourceWA and start your job search within a week of filing your claim. Don't wait - they're pretty strict about this requirement. You'll need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
•wait really? I thought you got like a grace period to figure things out first
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Esteban Tate
•Nope, no grace period. You need to be actively searching from week one unless you're on standby with a definite return to work date.
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Elin Robinson
I had so much trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I was trying to understand the qualifications. Spent hours on hold just to get basic info. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual agent in like 10 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration.
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Atticus Domingo
•Never heard of that before. Does it actually work or is it a scam?
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Elin Robinson
•It's legit - they just help you get through the phone queue faster. I was skeptical too but it actually connected me to a real Washington ESD representative who answered all my qualification questions.
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Amy Fleming
•Interesting, might try that if I can't get through the normal way. Thanks for the tip!
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Beth Ford
Don't forget about the waiting week! Even if you qualify, you won't get paid for your first week of unemployment. That caught me off guard when I filed my claim.
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Amy Fleming
•Ugh seriously? So even if I file this week I won't get anything for this week?
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Beth Ford
•Exactly. The waiting week is unpaid. You'll get your first payment for week 2 if everything goes smoothly.
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Morita Montoya
Make sure you weren't fired for misconduct or you quit without good cause. Those will disqualify you immediately. Being laid off should be fine though.
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Amy Fleming
•I was definitely laid off due to business slowdown, not fired or anything. Should be good on that front.
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Kingston Bellamy
•Yeah layoffs are usually straightforward. Just make sure you have documentation if they ask for it during adjudication.
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Joy Olmedo
The wage calculation is based on your highest earning quarter too. So if you had one really good quarter, that helps with your weekly benefit amount even if other quarters were lower.
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Amy Fleming
•Good to know! I think my last quarter was my highest since I got a small raise in October.
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Isaiah Cross
•Yeah they take your highest quarter wages, divide by 26, then you get about 3.85% of your average weekly wage up to the maximum.
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Amy Fleming
•Math is confusing but sounds like I should qualify for something at least.
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Kiara Greene
honestly the washington unemployment system is so confusing, they should just list this stuff clearly instead of making us hunt for it
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Evelyn Kelly
•RIGHT?? I spent forever trying to figure out if I qualified. The website is terrible.
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Kiara Greene
•exactly! and then when you call they put you on hold forever or hang up on you
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Paloma Clark
One thing to watch out for - if you have any vacation pay or severance, that might affect your benefits or delay when you can start collecting. Washington ESD considers that as wages.
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Amy Fleming
•I did get paid for my unused vacation days. Does that mean I have to wait to file?
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Paloma Clark
•You can still file, but you'll need to report that vacation pay and it might delay your first payment. They'll ask about it on your weekly claim.
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Heather Tyson
•Same thing happened to me. Had to wait like 2 extra weeks because of vacation payout.
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Raul Neal
Also remember you have to file your weekly claims every week even if you're in adjudication or waiting for approval. Miss a week and you lose that week's benefits forever.
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Amy Fleming
•When do I file the weekly claims? Is there a specific day?
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Raul Neal
•You can file starting Sunday for the previous week. I always do mine Sunday morning so I don't forget.
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Jenna Sloan
•Set a reminder! I almost missed week 3 and would have lost that money permanently.
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Christian Burns
Quick question - do you have to be a US citizen to qualify? I have a work permit but not citizenship yet.
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Alice Pierce
•You need to be authorized to work in the US, but citizenship isn't required. Your work permit should cover that requirement.
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Christian Burns
•Perfect, thanks! Was worried about that.
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Sasha Reese
The whole process is such a pain. I qualified but then got stuck in adjudication for weeks because they wanted to verify my employment. Finally got through using that Claimyr thing someone mentioned and the agent helped clear it up.
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Amy Fleming
•How long did adjudication take for you total?
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Sasha Reese
•About 3 weeks total, but once I talked to an actual person it got resolved in a few days. Getting through on the phone was the hard part.
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Muhammad Hobbs
Don't stress too much about the qualifications - if you worked 8 months and got laid off, you almost certainly qualify. The hard part is navigating the system once you file.
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Amy Fleming
•That's reassuring, thanks! I'll file this week and see what happens.
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Noland Curtis
•Good luck! The system is frustrating but the benefits are worth it if you qualify.
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Amy Fleming
•Appreciate all the help everyone! This thread was way more helpful than the Washington ESD website.
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Diez Ellis
One last tip - keep records of everything. Screenshots of your application, copies of documents you submit, notes from phone calls. You'll thank yourself later if any issues come up.
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Amy Fleming
•Good advice! I'll start a folder for all this stuff.
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Vanessa Figueroa
•Yes! I wish someone had told me that from the beginning. Had to recreate so much documentation later.
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