When can I file a new unemployment claim after my Washington ESD benefits ended?

You can typically file a new claim after your benefit year ends, which is 52 weeks from when you first filed. But there are some requirements - you need to have worked and earned enough wages since your last claim to qualify for a new benefit year.

Thanks! How much do I need to have earned? The odd jobs I've been doing probably don't add up to much.

In Washington you need at least $3,850 in covered wages in your base period. The base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file.

I was in the exact same situation last year! The waiting and uncertainty is brutal. I kept calling Washington ESD but could never get through to ask about refiling.

I had the same problem with calling. I actually found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Interesting, I'll have to look into that. Anything has to be better than spending hours on hold just to get disconnected.

That sounds too good to be true but I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point.

The key thing is understanding the difference between extending benefits and filing a completely new claim. If your benefit year hasn't ended yet, you might still be able to claim remaining weeks if you qualify.

How do I know if my benefit year has ended? I thought it was over when I stopped getting payments.

Log into your Washington ESD account and check your claim summary. It should show your benefit year begin and end dates. The benefit year is 52 weeks regardless of when you exhaust your weekly benefit amount.

MAKE SURE YOU MEET THE WORK REQUIREMENTS FIRST!! I tried to file a new claim too early and it screwed up my whole situation. Washington ESD made me wait even longer because of the mistake.

Oh no, what happened exactly? I definitely don't want to make it worse.

I filed before I had enough wages and they denied the new claim. Then I had to appeal and it took months to sort out. Just wait until you're sure you qualify.

This is why it's so important to talk to someone at Washington ESD before filing. The rules are confusing and one mistake can cause huge delays.

i think u can file after a year but dont quote me on that lol

It's actually more nuanced than that. You can file a new claim after your benefit year ends OR if you have sufficient new wages, whichever comes first.

Here's what I learned from my experience: You need to look at both your benefit year end date AND whether you've earned enough in new wages. If you've worked since your last claim and earned at least $3,850 in covered employment, you might be able to file earlier than waiting for the full benefit year to end.

This is really helpful. Where can I find information about what counts as 'covered employment'? Some of my work was contractor stuff.

Contractor work usually doesn't count unless you were misclassified. It needs to be W-2 employment where unemployment taxes were paid. You can check your wage records in your Washington ESD account.

I had the same question about contractor work. It's frustrating because that's a lot of available work these days but it doesn't count for UI.

The timing rules are tricky and I'd really recommend talking to someone at Washington ESD before you file. I used Claimyr to get through and the agent was able to look at my specific situation and tell me exactly when I could refile. Saved me from making a costly mistake.

How much does that service cost? I'm already strapped for cash.

I'd rather not get into pricing details here, but it was worth it for me to avoid the hassle and potential problems. The peace of mind was valuable.

Don't forget about the job search requirements too! When you file a new claim, you'll need to start tracking your job search activities again. Make sure you're ready for that.

Good point. I've been job searching anyway but haven't been keeping detailed records like they require.

Yeah, you need to log at least 3 job search activities per week. Start documenting everything now so you're ready when you file.

Update on my situation - I ended up using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and finally got through to Washington ESD. Turns out I could have filed my new claim 3 weeks ago! The agent walked me through everything and I submitted it that same day.

That's great news! Were you able to get your benefits started right away?

It took about a week to process but yes, I'm back to receiving weekly benefits now. So much relief!

This gives me hope. I've been putting off dealing with this but I really need to figure out my options.

Remember that even if you can't file a new regular UI claim right away, there might be other programs available depending on your situation. Sometimes people overlook other options.

What other programs are you thinking of? I thought regular UI was the main one.

There's also training benefits, trade adjustment assistance, disaster unemployment - depends on your specific circumstances. A Washington ESD agent can review all your options.

The whole system is so confusing. I wish they made this information clearer on the website instead of making us dig around for answers.

Totally agree. The Washington ESD website has the info but it's buried and written in confusing legal language.

That's exactly why I made my mistake earlier. The website makes it sound simple but there are so many little details that can trip you up.

For what it's worth, I called Washington ESD this morning and actually got through after about 45 minutes on hold. The agent was super helpful and answered all my questions about refiling.

Wow, you got lucky! What time did you call? I can never get through.

I called right at 8am when they opened. I think that's the key - call the moment they start taking calls.

Just to add another data point - I was able to file a new claim about 10 months after my first one ended because I had worked enough hours at a new job. Don't assume you have to wait the full year!

That's encouraging. How did you calculate whether you had enough wages? Did you just guess or was there a way to check?

I looked at my pay stubs and added up my gross wages for the quarters that would be in my base period. Then I compared it to the minimum requirement.

The timing thing stressed me out so much. I kept second-guessing myself about when I could file again. Definitely recommend getting confirmation from Washington ESD before you submit anything.

Yeah, I'm getting that message loud and clear from everyone here. I'll make sure to talk to someone official before filing.

Quick question - do the wages from your base period for the NEW claim have to be different from your previous claim? Or can there be overlap?

Good question! The wages used for your new claim need to be from after your previous claim was filed. You can't double-dip on the same wages for multiple claims.

That makes sense. Thanks for clarifying!

I waited too long to refile and ended up with a gap in coverage that I couldn't recover. Don't make my mistake - as soon as you think you might qualify, start the process of finding out for sure.

How long was your gap? Did it affect your total benefits available?

About 6 weeks. And yes, those weeks were just lost - you can't backdate a new claim to cover periods when you weren't actively claiming.

Thanks everyone for all this info. I'm going to check my wage records tonight and then try to get through to Washington ESD tomorrow to discuss my options. Sounds like there's hope!

Good luck! If you can't get through the regular way, that Claimyr service really does work for connecting with agents.

Keep us posted on how it goes! Your situation will probably help other people in similar circumstances.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! The key is checking both your benefit year end date AND whether you've earned enough new wages since your last claim. Don't just assume you have to wait the full year - I was able to refile after about 8 months because I had picked up enough part-time work. The $3,850 wage requirement everyone mentioned is correct, but make sure it's from W-2 employment where UI taxes were paid. I'd definitely recommend calling Washington ESD to verify your specific situation before filing - it's worth the wait on hold to avoid any mistakes that could delay your benefits.