When does unemployment run out in Washington - confused about my benefit duration

In Washington, regular unemployment benefits last for a maximum of 26 weeks within your benefit year. The benefit year runs for 52 weeks from when you first filed your claim. So if you filed in March 2024, your benefit year ends in March 2025. The 26 weeks refers to weeks where you receive any unemployment payment, even if it's a partial payment due to part-time work.

this is so confusing!! i thought you got unemployment for a full year if you qualified. why is it only 26 weeks?

I was in a similar situation last year and had trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about my remaining balance. If you're having trouble reaching them by phone, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made it way easier than spending hours trying to call.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN! I've been trying to get answers about my claim duration for weeks and Washington ESD just gives you the runaround. They make it impossible to get real help when you need it most.

To answer your question about what happens when benefits run out - once you exhaust your 26 weeks of regular unemployment, you generally cannot file a new claim until you've worked and earned enough wages to qualify again. There's no automatic extension unless special federal programs are in place, which they currently are not.

wait so if I file in january my benefits expire in january the next year even if I only collected for 10 weeks total?

I just checked my account and I can see exactly how many weeks I have left. Log into your Washington ESD account and look for your claim summary - it should show your remaining benefit balance and weeks remaining.

This reminds me of when my brother's benefits were about to run out in 2023. He was freaking out just like you. Turns out he still had 8 weeks left because he'd had some weeks where he didn't file claims while doing temporary work. The system can be confusing but the information is there if you know where to look.

Pro tip: start job searching more intensively when you hit around week 20 of benefits. Don't wait until the last minute. The job market is tough right now and you want to give yourself time.

Does anyone know if there are any state programs that can help bridge the gap between unemployment ending and finding work? Like food assistance or anything?

I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it really helped me get through to Washington ESD when I needed to check my benefit status. Saved me so much time and frustration compared to calling repeatedly.

The 26 week limit is so arbitrary. Other states have different durations depending on unemployment rates. Washington should adjust the duration based on economic conditions.

Make sure you understand the difference between your weekly benefit amount running out versus your time limit. You might exhaust your dollar amount before hitting 26 weeks, or vice versa.

been there, it's stressful when you see the weeks counting down

If you're really worried about timing, you might want to look into training programs through WorkSource. Sometimes you can extend benefits if you're in an approved training program, though the rules are pretty strict about that.

Remember that even after your benefits run out, you still need to keep looking for work if you want to be eligible for a new claim later. Don't just stop your job search because the money stopped.

I tried using Claimyr too after reading about it here and it worked great. Got connected to someone at Washington ESD who explained exactly how many weeks I had left and what would happen when they ran out. Worth trying if you can't get through the regular way.

Just went through this myself. Benefits ended in December and now I'm scrambling to find work without that safety net. Start planning early!

The key thing to remember is that your benefit year and your 26 weeks are two separate limits. You can't collect more than 26 weeks of benefits, and you can't collect benefits outside your benefit year, whichever comes first.

thanks everyone this thread helped me understand my situation better too