Who is eligible to apply for unemployment benefits in Washington - need clarification

You don't need to work a full year to qualify for Washington ESD benefits. The main requirements are: 1) You must have earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period, 2) Your total base period wages must be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings, 3) You must be unemployed through no fault of your own, and 4) You must be able and available for work. Your $18,000 from last year should definitely meet the wage requirements.

Part-time work definitely counts toward your eligibility! I qualified with mostly part-time wages. As long as you meet the minimum wage requirements in your base period, you're good. Being laid off also means you're unemployed through no fault of your own, so that requirement is met too.

Just to add - you also need to be actively looking for work and register with WorkSource Washington. They'll require you to complete job search activities each week to maintain your benefits. Don't forget about that requirement when you start filing your weekly claims.

I had such a hard time getting through to Washington ESD when I had questions about my eligibility. Spent hours on hold just to get basic information. If you need to talk to someone directly about your specific situation, I discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to ESD agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way easier than trying to call yourself.

Don't forget you also can't be receiving certain other benefits at the same time. Like if you're getting workers compensation or retirement benefits, that might affect your eligibility. But since you were just laid off from regular employment, you should be fine.

ugh the whole system is so complicated why cant they just make it simple to understand

One thing to watch out for - if you quit your job instead of being laid off, you might not qualify unless you had good cause. But layoffs definitely qualify you as long as you meet the wage requirements.

Also make sure you apply as soon as possible after your layoff. There's no waiting period in Washington but you want to get your claim started right away. You can file online through the Washington ESD website.

I think people overthink the eligibility requirements. If you worked and paid into the system, and you lost your job through no fault of your own, you probably qualify. The wage requirements aren't that high - sounds like you definitely earned enough.

Quick question - does military service count toward the wage requirements? I had a friend who served before getting a civilian job and wasn't sure if that affected his eligibility.

What about students? I'm taking classes part-time while working. Would that disqualify me if I got laid off?

I remember when I first applied I was so confused about all the requirements. Turns out I was way overthinking it. The Washington ESD website actually has a pretty good eligibility quiz you can take to see if you qualify before you apply.

Another thing to consider - if you're thinking about starting your own business, you might be eligible for the Self-Employment Assistance Program instead of regular UI. But that's a special program with different requirements.

Make sure you understand the difference between monetary eligibility and non-monetary eligibility too. Monetary is about your wages and work history. Non-monetary is about the reason you became unemployed and whether you're able and available for work.

Does anyone know if gig work counts toward eligibility? Like DoorDash or Uber?

I had to use that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier when I couldn't get through to ESD about my eligibility questions. Worked great - got connected to an agent who explained everything clearly. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

One more thing - even if you think you might not qualify, it's worth applying anyway. Sometimes people are surprised and do qualify when they thought they wouldn't. The worst they can do is deny your claim.

Yeah from what you described you should definitely qualify. $18,000 in wages, laid off through no fault of your own, able to work - you check all the boxes. Good luck with your claim!

Just wanted to add that if you have any issues with your claim getting stuck in adjudication or anything like that, that Claimyr service is really helpful for getting through to ESD agents to check on your status. I used it when my claim was delayed and got answers right away.