What happens after 26 weeks of unemployment with Washington ESD?

When you hit 26 weeks, your regular UI benefits end unless there's an extended benefits program active. Washington ESD will send you a notice about whether extended benefits are available - it depends on the state's unemployment rate. Right now I don't think we qualify for the extended program but you should check your account for any notifications.

I went through this exact situation last year. After 26 weeks you're basically done unless extended benefits kick in. The good news is you can file a new claim if you've worked enough in the past year to qualify again. But if you've been unemployed the whole time, you probably won't have enough wages to start a new benefit year.

This is so stressful when you're getting close to the end! I remember trying to call Washington ESD to ask about this and spending hours on hold. If you need to talk to someone about your options, I recently found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to ESD agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Made it so much easier to actually reach someone instead of calling hundreds of times.

ugh the 26 week cliff is terrifying!! i'm at week 23 right now and already losing sleep over it. have you looked into other assistance programs? i know there's food assistance and stuff but i'm not sure what else is available after UI runs out

The whole system is designed to push people off benefits. 26 weeks isn't enough time to find decent work in this economy, especially in creative fields. I bet they're counting on people just giving up and taking any minimum wage job they can find.

Check if you're eligible for any training programs through WorkSource. I know they have some programs that can extend your benefits while you're in training for in-demand jobs. Might be worth looking into if regular job searching isn't working out.

I hit my 26 weeks back in September and there were no extended benefits available then. Had to scramble to find temporary work just to pay rent. The transition is really abrupt - one week you're getting benefits, the next week nothing. Make sure you're prepared for that financial cliff.

The timing of when extended benefits are available is really frustrating. It's based on the state unemployment rate over a specific period, but by the time they calculate it and make it available, you might have already been cut off for weeks. I wish there was more predictability to it.

honestly I just kept calling ESD every week after my benefits ended to see if anything changed with extended benefits. took forever to get through but I wanted to stay on top of it. eventually had to use that claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier just to talk to an actual person about my options

Don't forget to file your taxes early if you collected UI benefits this year. You'll get a 1099-G from Washington ESD and you'll owe taxes on those benefits. Just adding to the fun of hitting the 26 week mark!

Keep documenting your job search activities even after benefits end, especially if there's any chance extended benefits might become available later. You'll need to show you've been actively looking for work during any gaps.

The graphic design market is brutal right now. Have you considered expanding into UX/UI design or learning some web development? I know it's not ideal to completely pivot but those skills are more in demand.

Check your benefit year end date in your online account. Sometimes people think they're hitting 26 weeks but their benefit year might end first, which is a different situation. If your benefit year ends, you can potentially file a new claim if you have enough wages.

this happened to me in 2023 and I was so unprepared. definitely start looking into other resources now - food banks, utility assistance, anything that can help bridge the gap. also check if your city or county has any emergency assistance programs

One thing that helped me was networking with other graphic designers who had been through similar situations. Some of them had found ways to piece together freelance work or had leads on companies that were hiring. Professional groups on LinkedIn and Facebook can be surprisingly helpful.

Washington ESD should automatically send you information about what happens when your benefits end. If you haven't received anything yet, you might want to call them or use one of those services like Claimyr to make sure there isn't something you need to do on your end.

Update us when you find out what happens! I'm sure there are other people in similar situations who would benefit from knowing how it goes.