Will my unused ESD benefits still be available after a 6-month contract job ends?

Congrats on the contract! I went through something similar last year. When your contract ends, you can reopen your existing claim if it's still within your benefit year (which is 12 months from when you first applied). Your remaining 2 months of benefits should still be available to you as long as you're within that benefit year.

The previous response isn't entirely accurate. You need to understand the difference between your "benefit year" and your "maximum benefits payable." Your benefit year is a 12-month period from when you first filed. During that year, you can collect up to your maximum benefit amount (typically 26 weeks/6 months worth of payments). When you take this contract job, your claim becomes inactive, but your benefit year continues running. When the contract ends, IF you're still within the original benefit year, you can reopen your claim and collect your remaining benefits (those unused 2 months). HOWEVER, if your benefit year expires while you're working, you'd need to file a completely new claim after the contract ends, with benefit amounts calculated based on your new work history including this contract job.

ya but make sure u report when u get the job!! if u dont tell ESD ur working thats fraud and theyll make u pay everything back with penalties!!!!

Something no one has mentioned - make sure your contract position is actually paying into the unemployment system. Some contract positions are considered self-employment and don't contribute to UI, which could affect your future claims. Double-check if you're classified as a W-2 contract employee (eligible for UI) or a 1099 contractor (not eligible).

the ESD system is such garbage!! i had a similar situation and when i tried to reopen my claim the system kept crashing and i couldnt get anyone on the phone for WEEKS. ended up missing out on benefits i deserved. good luck even getting through to ask these questions!!

One more thing - when you reopen your claim after the contract ends, expect to wait 1-3 weeks for benefits to restart. They usually review everything again, especially with a gap in claims. Don't panic if it's not immediate!

I've been thru this exact scenario twice in the past year. Here's what you need to know: 1) When you start work, do your final weekly claim for partial week if needed 2) Select "I returned to full-time work" option on that claim 3) Your claim becomes inactive but remains in the system 4) After contract ends, go to your eServices account 5) Click "Restart your claim" (NOT "File a new claim") 6) You'll answer questions about your contract work 7) If still within benefit year, remaining benefits should be available One tricky thing: if your contract gets extended beyond what you initially report, you might need to call to update your return-to-work date. The system gets confused sometimes with multiple start/end dates.

my cousing got a job 4 months into his claim but then they fired him after 2 weeks and he cudnt get his old benefits back had to start all over again and got less money

Update: I talked to my potential employer and found out I'll be a W-2 contract employee through their staffing agency, not a 1099 contractor. That sounds like good news based on what everyone has said! One last question - does anyone know if I need to do anything special with my job search activities in the final week before I start the new job? Do I still need to complete and document 3 job search activities that week?