What happens after 6 months of unemployment in Washington ESD - benefits continue or cut off?

So it's 26 weeks total? I thought it was based on calendar months. How do I know if Extended Benefits are available right now?

You can check the Washington ESD website for current EB status. They post updates when the program is active. It's triggered by state unemployment rates.

That's exactly what I'm afraid of. How long were you without benefits before finding work?

about 3 weeks thankfully. but those were some stressful weeks for sure.

I haven't gotten any notices yet. Should I be calling Washington ESD to check my remaining balance?

Good luck getting through to Washington ESD on the phone! I've been trying for weeks to get answers about my claim status. The hold times are insane and half the time they just disconnect you.

I had the same phone problem until I found Claimyr - it's a service that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Saved me hours of frustration. You can check it out at claimyr.com and they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

That's a common misconception. Your benefit year lasts 52 weeks, but you can only collect benefits for up to 26 of those weeks (unless extended benefits are available). Different states have different rules too.

Ohhhh that makes more sense. So the benefit year and the actual weeks you can collect are two different things?

I mean, unemployment isn't supposed to be permanent though. It's temporary assistance while you look for work.

Sure, but 6 months goes by fast when you're trying to find something that actually pays the bills and matches your experience level.

Four weeks is actually a good buffer to intensify your job search. Make sure you're applying to at least 3 jobs per week as required and documenting everything in your job search log.

I've been doing way more than 3 applications per week. More like 10-15. Still not getting many callbacks though.

Like I mentioned earlier, calling Washington ESD directly is a nightmare. But that Claimyr service I used actually got me through to someone who explained my exact situation. Worth trying if you're tired of sitting on hold for hours.

I'll check that out. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get real answers.

How do you apply for food assistance? Through DSHS?

yeah through DSHS. you can apply online. also look into local food banks and utility assistance programs.

Definitely check! I was surprised when I saw I only had 4 weeks left. Time goes by faster than you think.

What are those federal thresholds exactly? Just curious how bad unemployment would need to get for extended benefits to kick in.

The state's unemployment rate needs to be at least 6.5% and 110% of the rate during the same period in either of the two previous years. There are also optional triggers states can use.

Yeah, I wish I had realized this earlier. Would have been more aggressive with my job search from the beginning.

Same here. I was being too picky early on thinking I had plenty of time.

I haven't worked at all since filing my claim, so that wouldn't apply to me.

Yeah, it's mostly for people who had temporary work during their claim period.

They do mention it in the initial paperwork but it's easy to miss among all the other information.

True, but they could make it more prominent since it's such an important detail.

That's encouraging to hear. I'm hoping the pressure will help me be less selective too.

Exactly. I turned down a couple offers earlier in my unemployment that I ended up wishing I had taken.

I keep seeing mentions of this Claimyr service. Might be worth trying since I can't get through on my own.

It's definitely worth it. Saved me so much time and frustration compared to trying to call myself.

Glad this helped! That's exactly why I posted - figured other people might be in the same boat.

Definitely. This was a wake-up call I needed.

Good luck with your job search! Hope you find something before those 4 weeks are up.

Keep us updated on how it goes! Rooting for you.

I've been doing some temp work through a few agencies and it definitely helps bridge the gap financially. The key is to register with multiple agencies since work can be sporadic. I've had luck with Adecco and Kelly Services for office temp work. For gig work, I've been doing some DoorDash and TaskRabbit when I'm not job searching. It's not steady income but every little bit helps when you're facing that benefit cutoff. Just make sure to report any earnings on your weekly claims if you're still collecting - they can reduce your benefits but you might still get partial payments.

That's really good advice about registering with multiple temp agencies! I hadn't thought about that strategy. Quick question - when you do temp work or gig work while still collecting partial benefits, do you have to report it immediately or can you wait until your next weekly claim? I'm worried about messing up the reporting process and having issues with Washington ESD later. Also, have you found that temp agencies are understanding about you potentially leaving for permanent work, or do they get annoyed when you have to quit for interviews/new jobs?