Who can file unemployment benefits with Washington ESD - eligibility requirements?
I'm trying to figure out if I qualify to file for unemployment benefits through Washington ESD. I've been working part-time for the last 8 months at a retail job but they just cut my hours down to almost nothing. My friend said I might be able to get some help but I'm not sure who can actually file for unemployment benefits. Do you have to be completely unemployed or can people with reduced hours apply too? Also wondering about things like how long you need to have worked and if there are income requirements. Any help would be appreciated!
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Zoe Papadakis
You can definitely file for unemployment benefits in Washington if your hours were reduced! Washington ESD has something called partial unemployment benefits for people in your exact situation. You don't have to be completely unemployed to qualify.
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Andre Dupont
•That's great news! Do you know what the minimum requirements are for how long you need to have worked?
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Zoe Papadakis
•You need to have worked in at least two of the last five quarters and earned a minimum amount. For 2025, you need at least $8,125 in your base period to qualify for regular UI benefits.
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ThunderBolt7
Here's who can file for unemployment benefits with Washington ESD: 1) People who lost their job through no fault of their own 2) Workers with reduced hours (like you) 3) People who quit for good cause 4) Seasonal workers when their season ends 5) Some self-employed people under certain circumstances. The key is you need sufficient work history and wages in your base period.
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Jamal Edwards
•What counts as 'good cause' for quitting? I've been thinking about leaving my job because of harassment issues.
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ThunderBolt7
•Good cause includes things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, discrimination, or significant changes to your job duties or pay. You'd need to document everything though.
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Mei Chen
•be careful with the quit for good cause thing - washington esd is really strict about proving it and you might have to go through adjudication which takes forever
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Liam O'Sullivan
I was in a similar situation last year and had trouble getting through to Washington ESD to even ask about eligibility. Spent hours on hold trying to reach someone who could explain the requirements. Finally found this service called Claimyr that helped me get connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Andre Dupont
•How does that work exactly? Do they just help you get through the phone lines?
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Liam O'Sullivan
•Yeah, they handle all the calling and waiting for you. Once they get an agent on the line, they connect you directly. Saved me so much time and frustration.
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Amara Okonkwo
just to add - you also need to be able and available for work to file unemployment benefits. that means you're actively looking for a job and can accept work if offered. washington esd requires you to do job search activities every week
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Andre Dupont
•What kind of job search activities do they require? I've never filed before so I'm not sure what I need to do.
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ThunderBolt7
•You need to complete 3 job search activities per week. This can include applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, or using WorkSourceWA services. You have to log everything in your online account.
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Giovanni Marino
One thing people don't realize is that even if you're working part-time, you might still qualify for partial benefits. Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount and if you earn less than that in a week, you can get the difference as unemployment benefits.
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Andre Dupont
•That's exactly what I was hoping to hear! So if my hours got cut but I'm still working some, I could potentially get help with the lost income?
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Giovanni Marino
•Exactly! They use a formula where you can earn up to a certain amount before it affects your benefits. It's designed to help people in situations like yours.
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Fatima Al-Sayed
•this is really helpful info - I didn't know about partial benefits either. does anyone know if you still have to do the job search requirements if you're working part time?
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Dylan Hughes
IMPORTANT: You cannot file unemployment benefits if you were fired for misconduct, quit without good cause, or are on strike. Also, certain types of workers like independent contractors traditionally couldn't file, though some rules changed during the pandemic.
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NightOwl42
•Are the pandemic rules still in effect? I thought things like PUA ended a while ago.
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Dylan Hughes
•You're right, the pandemic programs like PUA and PEUC ended in 2021. We're back to regular unemployment insurance rules now.
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Sofia Rodriguez
don't forget about military service members and federal employees - they have their own unemployment programs but the process is similar. also if you worked in multiple states you might need to file in the state where you worked most recently
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Andre Dupont
•I've only worked in Washington so that shouldn't be an issue for me, but good to know!
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Dmitry Ivanov
•Actually if you worked in multiple states during your base period, you might be able to combine wages from all states. It's called an interstate claim.
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Ava Thompson
The wage requirements can be confusing but here's the basic breakdown: You need wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters). The total wages in your base period must be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter wages. There's also that minimum threshold of $8,125 total.
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Andre Dupont
•This is getting complicated. Is there an easy way to check if I meet the wage requirements without doing all the math?
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Ava Thompson
•When you file your claim online, Washington ESD will automatically calculate everything for you based on your work history. You'll know right away if you qualify.
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Miguel Herrera
Also worth mentioning - students can sometimes file for unemployment benefits but there are special rules. Generally you can't get benefits for weeks when you're enrolled in school unless you're in an approved training program.
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Zainab Ali
•what about people going to school part time? like taking evening classes?
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Miguel Herrera
•Part-time students can usually get benefits as long as school doesn't interfere with their ability to work. But Washington ESD looks at each case individually.
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Connor Murphy
I've been trying to get more info about eligibility requirements but keep getting stuck in Washington ESD's phone system. Found out about Claimyr from a coworker and it's been a game changer. They actually got me connected to someone who could answer my specific questions about partial unemployment.
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Andre Dupont
•That sounds really helpful. I'm dreading having to call them myself.
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Yara Nassar
•same here - tried calling washington esd like 20 times last week and never got through. might have to check out this claimyr thing
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StarGazer101
One group that often gets overlooked - people who work seasonal jobs. Like if you work summers at a resort or winters at a ski area, you can file for unemployment during your off-season. The key is that the work has to be truly seasonal, not just temporary.
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Keisha Jackson
•How do they determine if something is seasonal vs just temporary work?
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StarGazer101
•It's based on the nature of the business and whether the work regularly occurs during specific times of the year. Like landscaping in summer or tax preparation during tax season.
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Paolo Romano
Just want to emphasize that being able and available for work is crucial. This means you can't be on vacation, have medical restrictions that prevent you from working, or be unavailable due to personal reasons. Washington ESD takes this requirement seriously.
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Andre Dupont
•What if you have a medical issue but can still work? Does that disqualify you?
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Paolo Romano
•As long as you can perform some type of work and are actively seeking employment within your capabilities, you should be fine. The key is being honest about any limitations.
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Amina Diop
here's something that tripped me up - if you're getting severance pay or vacation payout, that might affect when you can start collecting benefits. washington esd has rules about how these payments are treated
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Oliver Schmidt
•Really? I thought severance was separate from unemployment benefits.
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Amina Diop
•nope, it can delay when your benefits start. depends on how much and how it's paid out. definitely something to ask about when you file
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Natasha Volkov
The bottom line is that Washington ESD wants to help people who lose work through no fault of their own and are actively trying to get back to work. If you meet the wage requirements and are available for suitable work, you'll likely qualify for some level of benefits.
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Andre Dupont
•This has been really helpful everyone. I think I'm going to go ahead and file a claim online and see what happens.
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Zoe Papadakis
•Good luck! The online system at secure.esd.wa.gov is pretty straightforward. Just have your employment history and wage information ready.
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Javier Torres
oh and one more thing - make sure you file as soon as possible after your hours get cut. there's no waiting period in washington but you can't backdate benefits very far. the sooner you file the better
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Andre Dupont
•How far back can you backdate if needed?
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Javier Torres
•i think it's only one week but don't quote me on that. best to file right away to avoid any issues
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Emma Wilson
•Actually I think you can backdate up to one week but you need a good reason. Things like not knowing you could file or being out of town. Better to file immediately though.
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QuantumLeap
For anyone still having trouble getting through to Washington ESD for eligibility questions, I used Claimyr recently and they were able to connect me to an agent who walked me through the whole process. Really took the guesswork out of whether I qualified or not.
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Andre Dupont
•That's the third person who's mentioned them. Must be legit if multiple people are having success with it.
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Malik Johnson
•yeah i'm definitely going to try claimyr if i can't get through the regular way. this whole process is stressful enough without adding phone tag to it
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