Who is eligible for unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?
I'm trying to figure out if I qualify for unemployment benefits through Washington ESD. I was laid off from my restaurant job last month due to slow business, but I'm not sure if I meet all the requirements. I worked there for about 8 months and made around $2,800 per month. I've never filed for unemployment before and the Washington ESD website is confusing me. Can someone explain the basic eligibility requirements? I don't want to waste time filing if I don't qualify.
45 comments
Join the conversation
Edison Estevez
The main eligibility requirements for Washington ESD unemployment benefits are: 1) You must be unemployed through no fault of your own (layoffs, business closure, etc.), 2) You must have earned enough wages during your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters), 3) You must be able and available to work, and 4) You must actively search for work. Based on what you described, being laid off due to slow business should qualify as 'not your fault.' The wage requirement is typically around $3,800 in your highest quarter during the base period.
0 coins
Jibriel Kohn
•Thanks! I think I made around $8,400 in my highest quarter, so that should be enough. What exactly counts as 'actively searching for work'?
0 coins
Edison Estevez
•You need to make at least 3 job search activities per week and keep a log. This includes applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, or meeting with WorkSource staff. Washington ESD can audit your job search activities, so keep good records.
0 coins
Emily Nguyen-Smith
Don't forget about the waiting week! Even if you're eligible, you won't get paid for your first week of unemployment. Also, if you quit your job or were fired for misconduct, you won't qualify. Since you were laid off, you should be fine on that front.
0 coins
James Johnson
•Wait, there's still a waiting week? I thought they got rid of that during COVID.
0 coins
Emily Nguyen-Smith
•The waiting week is back as of 2023. It was suspended during the pandemic but Washington ESD reinstated it.
0 coins
Sophia Rodriguez
I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I was trying to verify my eligibility. Spent hours on hold just to get disconnected. Someone on here recommended Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it actually worked - they helped me get connected to an agent who walked me through the requirements. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
0 coins
Mia Green
•How much does that service cost? I'm already worried about money.
0 coins
Sophia Rodriguez
•It's worth it when you can't get through any other way. I wasted weeks trying to call on my own and got nowhere. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to understand your situation.
0 coins
Emma Bianchi
You also need to be a U.S. citizen or have work authorization. And if you're receiving other benefits like workers' compensation, that might affect your unemployment eligibility. The base period wage calculation can be tricky too - they look at specific quarters, not just any 12-month period.
0 coins
Jibriel Kohn
•I'm a citizen and not getting any other benefits. How do I know which quarters they're using for my base period?
0 coins
Emma Bianchi
•If you file your claim now in early 2025, your base period would likely be Q1 2024 through Q4 2024. Washington ESD uses the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters when you file your claim.
0 coins
Lucas Kowalski
ugh the washington esd system is so confusing!! i tried to figure out my base period wages and gave up. why cant they just make it simple???
0 coins
Edison Estevez
•I know it's frustrating, but once you understand the basics it gets easier. The key is just making sure you earned enough wages in the right time period and that you lost your job through no fault of your own.
0 coins
Lucas Kowalski
•thanks i guess ill just try filing and see what happens
0 coins
Olivia Martinez
Don't forget that even if you're technically eligible, you have to file your weekly claims every week to keep getting benefits. Miss a week and you lose that week's payment. Also, any work you do while on unemployment needs to be reported, even if it's just a few hours.
0 coins
Jibriel Kohn
•What if I get some part-time work while I'm looking for a full-time job? Do I lose my unemployment completely?
0 coins
Olivia Martinez
•No, you can work part-time and still collect partial benefits. Washington ESD has a formula where they reduce your weekly benefit amount based on how much you earn, but you can still get something as long as you earn less than 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount.
0 coins
Charlie Yang
I've been on unemployment twice and the eligibility requirements haven't changed much. The restaurant industry layoffs definitely qualify. Just make sure you have all your employment dates and wage information ready when you file. Washington ESD will verify everything with your employer anyway.
0 coins
Jibriel Kohn
•Should I contact my old employer before filing to let them know?
0 coins
Charlie Yang
•You don't need to, but it doesn't hurt. Washington ESD will send them a notice asking to verify your employment and the reason you left. As long as you were laid off and not fired for cause, there shouldn't be any issues.
0 coins
Grace Patel
The system is totally broken. I was eligible but it took 6 weeks to get my first payment because of some stupid verification issue. Even when you qualify, getting the money is a whole other nightmare. Good luck.
0 coins
ApolloJackson
•That's why I tell everyone about Claimyr now. When my claim got stuck in adjudication, I used their service to actually reach someone at Washington ESD who could explain what was happening. Worth every penny when you're not getting paid.
0 coins
Grace Patel
•Yeah maybe I should have tried that instead of calling 50 times a day for weeks
0 coins
Isabella Russo
Also remember that if you have a pension or retirement benefits, that might affect your unemployment. And if you're a student, there are special rules about eligibility during school terms. The restaurant industry is pretty straightforward though - most layoffs qualify.
0 coins
Jibriel Kohn
•I'm not a student and no pension, so I think I'm good there. Sounds like I should just go ahead and file.
0 coins
Isabella Russo
•Yeah, you sound like a pretty clear-cut case. The sooner you file, the sooner you can start the process. There's no penalty for filing if you don't qualify - they'll just deny your claim.
0 coins
Rajiv Kumar
One thing people don't realize is that your weekly benefit amount is based on your wages during the base period, not your most recent job. So even if your restaurant job paid less than a previous job, they'll calculate based on all your wages during those four quarters.
0 coins
Jibriel Kohn
•That's actually good news for me since I had a higher-paying job before the restaurant. Thanks for explaining that!
0 coins
Rajiv Kumar
•Exactly! A lot of people think it's just based on their last job, but Washington ESD looks at the bigger picture of your earnings.
0 coins
Aria Washington
just want to add that you cant get unemployment if you quit without good cause. being laid off is different than quitting so you should be fine. i made that mistake once and got denied.
0 coins
Jibriel Kohn
•What counts as 'good cause' if someone does quit?
0 coins
Aria Washington
•things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, major reduction in hours or pay, stuff like that. basically you have to prove you had no choice but to quit
0 coins
Liam O'Reilly
The eligibility requirements are pretty standard across the board. Work history, not your fault, able and available to work, actively seeking work. Restaurant layoffs are super common and almost always qualify. The hard part is usually navigating the system once you're approved.
0 coins
Chloe Delgado
•So true about navigating the system! The weekly claims process is confusing at first, and don't even get me started on trying to reach someone by phone when you have questions.
0 coins
Liam O'Reilly
•Yeah, the phone system is terrible. I've heard good things about that Claimyr service for getting through to agents, but I was lucky enough to get through the regular way eventually.
0 coins
Ava Harris
Washington ESD also has some specific rules about looking for work in your usual occupation first. Since you worked in restaurants, they might expect you to look for restaurant jobs before branching out to other industries, at least initially.
0 coins
Jibriel Kohn
•That makes sense. I am planning to look for another restaurant job first anyway, so that works out.
0 coins
Ava Harris
•Good plan. After a few weeks, if you're not finding anything in restaurants, you can expand your search to other industries. Washington ESD is pretty reasonable about that.
0 coins
Jacob Lee
Don't stress too much about the eligibility requirements. If you were laid off from a regular job where you paid into the system, you almost certainly qualify. The worst they can do is say no, and then you can appeal if you think they're wrong.
0 coins
Jibriel Kohn
•Thanks, that's reassuring. I was making this more complicated in my head than it needed to be.
0 coins
Jacob Lee
•Yeah, the system is designed to help people who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. That's exactly your situation, so you should be fine.
0 coins
Emily Thompson
One last thing - make sure you file as soon as possible after your last day of work. You can't get benefits for weeks before you file, even if you were eligible. I waited a month to file and lost out on 4 weeks of benefits.
0 coins
Jibriel Kohn
•Oh wow, I didn't know that! It's been about 3 weeks since my last day. I'll file this week for sure.
0 coins
Emily Thompson
•Good call. The sooner the better. Even if there are issues with your claim, at least you'll have the filing date locked in.
0 coins