Who qualifies for unemployment benefits through Washington ESD - confused about eligibility

You might qualify! Washington ESD looks at your earnings in what they call your 'base year' - basically the first 4 of the last 5 quarters before you filed. You need to have earned at least $1,005 in your highest quarter AND your total base year earnings need to be at least 1.25 times your highest quarter earnings. With $12k total, you probably meet the minimum if it was spread across multiple quarters.

Also you have to be able and available for work, actively looking for jobs, and you can't have quit voluntarily or been fired for misconduct. Since you said you were laid off that should be fine for the separation reason.

I was in a similar situation and had trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about my eligibility. Spent hours on hold just to get disconnected. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent who could look up my wage history and confirm I qualified. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made the whole process way less stressful.

Don't forget you also need to register with WorkSource Washington within 4 weeks of filing your claim. It's required for most claimants and you'll need to complete a skills assessment and create a resume on their site.

ugh the whole system is so complicated! why cant they just make it simple - if you worked and lost your job through no fault of your own you should get benefits period

So it sounds like I should definitely apply and see what happens? Even if my hours were inconsistent?

One thing to watch out for - if you're still working part-time somewhere else, you need to report those earnings on your weekly claims. They'll reduce your benefits but you might still get partial unemployment.

I've been dealing with Washington ESD for months and it's been a nightmare. My claim has been in adjudication forever and I can never get anyone on the phone to explain what's happening. Might have to try that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier.

For the OP - you should also know that even if you qualify, there's usually a one-week waiting period before you start receiving benefits. And you have to file weekly claims every week to get paid, even if nothing has changed in your situation.

Also important to know - if you have any questions about your specific situation, don't rely on general information. Every case is different and Washington ESD agents can look at your actual wage history and work separation details to give you definitive answers.

wait do you have to be a us citizen to get unemployment? asking for a friend

I qualified with part-time work too, so don't let that discourage you. The key is having enough total earnings across the base year quarters. My situation was similar - inconsistent retail hours but I made enough over the year to qualify for benefits.

The monetary determination letter will tell you exactly how much you're eligible for and for how many weeks. Don't panic if the amount seems low - it's based on your past earnings so part-time wages = lower weekly benefit amount.

Just apply online at esd.wa.gov and see what happens. The application will ask for your employer info and they'll verify your wages directly with your employer. If you don't qualify they'll send you a determination explaining why.

One more tip - if you do get denied initially, don't give up. Sometimes there are errors in wage reporting or other issues that can be corrected on appeal. I know someone who got approved on appeal after being initially denied.

Has anyone used Claimyr recently? I'm curious about how well it works for getting through to Washington ESD these days.

For what it's worth, I had part-time work from two different employers and still qualified. They combine all your wages from all employers when calculating eligibility, so don't worry if your income was split between multiple jobs.

The whole process can be overwhelming at first but once you get into the routine of filing weekly claims it becomes pretty automatic. The hardest part is usually the initial application and waiting for approval.

Make sure you keep good records of everything - your job search activities, any contact with Washington ESD, important dates, etc. It can really help if you ever need to appeal something or answer questions about your claim.

Overall sounds like you probably qualify based on what you described. The part-time thing isn't a barrier as long as you earned enough. Go ahead and apply - you'll know for sure within a few weeks!