When did Washington ESD COVID unemployment benefits officially end?

The federal pandemic programs (PUA, PEUC, and the $300 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation) all ended on September 4, 2021 in Washington state. That was a Saturday, so the last week you could claim was the week ending September 4th.

I remember that transition period was confusing for a lot of people. Washington ESD had to process thousands of claims that were switching from pandemic programs back to regular UI. Took weeks for some people to get their benefits sorted out.

If you're trying to research old claims or think you missed something, you might want to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD directly. I spent months trying to figure out my 2021 benefits through their website and messages, getting nowhere. Finally used claimyr.com to get through to an actual agent who pulled up my whole claim history in 5 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works - basically they handle the calling and waiting so you don't have to sit on hold for hours.

The whole covid unemployment thing was such a mess. I knew people who got overpaid and had to pay back thousands, others who never got what they were owed. Washington ESD is STILL dealing with appeals and audits from that period.

Just to clarify the timeline for anyone reading this: PUA (Pandemic Unemployment Assistance) was for self-employed, gig workers, etc. PEUC (Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation) extended regular UI benefits. Both ended September 4, 2021. The extra $300 weekly payment (FPUC) also ended that same date. After that, Washington state went back to pre-pandemic unemployment rules and benefit amounts.

i remember that september 2021 date because it was right when i was supposed to go back to work but then my job fell through AGAIN and suddenly there was no more pandemic unemployment to fall back on. worst timing ever

For anyone dealing with old pandemic-era claims, keep in mind that Washington ESD extended some deadlines for appeals and documentation. But those extensions have mostly expired by now. If you think you have an issue from 2020-2021, don't wait to address it.

The September 4, 2021 date is burned into my memory because I was helping my elderly neighbor with her claim and we had no idea the programs were ending. She went from getting like $450/week to suddenly nothing because she didn't qualify for regular UI as a self-employed person.

Since we're talking about getting answers from Washington ESD - seriously consider using a service like Claimyr if you need to actually speak with someone about your old claims. I wasted so much time trying to get through their phone system the traditional way. With Claimyr, they handle all the calling and waiting, then connect you when they get an agent on the line. Saved me hours of frustration and I actually got my questions answered.

Just remembered - there was also that Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) program that gave an extra $100/week to certain people. That also ended September 4, 2021. A lot of people forget about that one.

The whole pandemic unemployment era feels like a fever dream now. So many different programs, extensions, changes in rules. I don't blame anyone for being confused about what ended when.

wait so if covid unemployment ended in september 2021, why am i still seeing news about unemployment fraud from that time? are they still investigating?

For what it's worth, if you're trying to research your 2021 claims, Washington ESD keeps records going back several years. You should be able to see your full payment history in your online account, including which programs you received benefits from and when they ended.

This is exactly why I ended up using Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD. Trying to decipher their online records and figure out what happened with my 2021 claims was giving me a headache. One phone call with an actual agent cleared everything up. They could see my entire claim history and explain what each payment was for. Worth every penny to avoid the hassle of trying to get through their phone system myself.

I still can't believe how abruptly everything ended. One week you're getting all these benefits, the next week it's just gone. No gradual phase-out or anything.

Bottom line: all pandemic unemployment programs ended September 4, 2021 in Washington. After that date, only regular state UI continued for people who qualified. If you have questions about your specific situation from that time period, you'll probably need to talk to Washington ESD directly since the online records can be confusing.

thanks everyone for the info. i was definitely confused about the timeline but this thread cleared it up. september 4 2021 was the end of the extra pandemic benefits, got it.