What happens after you exhaust unemployment benefits - Washington ESD ran out

Unfortunately when you exhaust your regular UI benefits in Washington, that's it for that benefit year. There aren't any federal extensions like there were during the pandemic. You'd need to wait until your benefit year ends to potentially file a new claim, but you'd need to have worked enough to qualify again.

same boat here, exhausted my benefits in November and been struggling ever since. applied for food stamps and medicaid at least

I had the same issue trying to figure out what to do after my benefits ended. Spent weeks trying to get through to Washington ESD to ask about my options. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They explained that I could potentially work part-time to build up new qualifying wages. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

After exhausting regular UI, your main options are: 1) Work enough to qualify for a new claim when your benefit year ends, 2) Apply for other assistance programs like SNAP and Medicaid, 3) Look into local workforce development programs that might offer job training with stipends, 4) Check if you qualify for any disability benefits if you have health issues preventing work.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! They give you just enough to survive for a few months then cut you off completely. Meanwhile politicians get their paychecks no matter what. It's disgusting how they treat working people in this state.

One thing to keep in mind - if you do any gig work or part-time work while looking for full-time employment, keep track of your earnings. You might be able to qualify for a new claim sooner than waiting the full benefit year if you earn enough.

also check if your previous employer offers any kind of severance or extended benefits you might have missed

Another thing I learned when I talked to Washington ESD through Claimyr - if you have any weeks where you worked but didn't claim because you thought you were over the earnings limit, you might be able to go back and claim those weeks if you were under the limit. Worth asking about.

honestly at this point im just doing doordash and uber to survive, its not great but pays something

been there! what helped me was making a strict budget and cutting everything non-essential. also hit up food banks regularly

If you're still actively job searching, make sure you're documenting everything for when you do work again. Future employers sometimes want to see what you were doing during unemployment gaps.

One more resource - 211 is a helpline that can connect you with local assistance programs. Just dial 2-1-1 from any phone. They can help you find food assistance, utility help, housing assistance, etc.

my cousin went through this last year and ended up taking a job at costco just to get some income flowing again, worked out well for him actually

Also worth mentioning - if you find work but it's lower paying than your previous job, you might be able to get partial unemployment benefits if your hours are reduced or wages are significantly lower. Washington has provisions for underemployment.

whatever you do dont let them make you feel bad about needing help. you paid into this system with your taxes

Just remembered - when I used Claimyr to talk to Washington ESD, they also mentioned that some people qualify for Trade Adjustment Assistance if their job loss was due to foreign trade. Might be worth asking about if that applies to your situation.

hang in there, this too shall pass. took me 11 months to find something after my benefits ran out but i eventually did

one last thing - if you have any retirement accounts like 401k you might be able to take hardship withdrawals but talk to a financial advisor first about the penalties

check with your local churches too even if youre not religious, a lot of them have assistance programs for people in need

Final thought - keep checking the Washington ESD website for any new programs or changes. Sometimes they announce temporary assistance programs or changes to eligibility requirements. And definitely keep your claim profile updated even though you're not getting benefits anymore.