How Long Does Unemployment Last In Washington State

How Do I Manage My Unemployment Benefits

Who qualifies for Washington unemployment during COVID-19 outbreak?

Once youre approved for unemployment insurance benefits, you will need to submit recertification each week to receive your weekly benefit for the previous week. If you submitted your initial claim online, youll have already set up an account with the Employee Security Departments eServices website. Simply log into your account and check for a message about your weekly unemployment compensation in your account alerts. Click the link in that email and follow the instructions from there to make your weekly claim.

If you are not able to apply online, you can submit your weekly UI benefits claim over the phone. Simply call 800-318-6022 either to use the automated system or to speak with a claims agent. You may choose to receive your unemployment benefits either via direct deposit or by prepaid debit card, both of which can be set up online when you apply for your benefits.

How Can I Estimate My Weekly Benefit Amount

You can estimate your own weekly benefit amount to see how much you are potentially eligible to receive. To do this, you need to know which calendar quarters will make up your base year.

Your base year is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the week in which you apply for benefits. For example, if you applied for unemployment benefits on Jan. 20, 2021, your base year would include wages earned from Oct. 1, 2019, through Sept. 30, 2020.

You could be eligible for an alternate base year claim if you do not have enough hours in that base year for a valid claim .

When you file your claim here:

Your base year is the blue-shaded area.

To estimate how much you might be eligible to receive, add together the gross wages in the two highest quarters during that period, divide by 2, and then multiply by 0.0385 to get your weekly benefit amount.

The total amount of benefits potentially payable on your claim is found by taking the smaller of:

26 times your weekly benefit amount or
1/3 of the total gross wages in all four quarters of your base year.

Q The School I Work At Is Closed Due To The Governors Order To Close Am I Eligible For Unemployment Benefits

A. If you are being paid by the school while your school is closed, you can apply for benefits, but you may be considered fully employed and not eligible. If your school is not paying you while it is closed, you may be eligible for benefits. You will have to be able, available and actively seeking work during each week you claim, unless you are approved for standby. Eligibility decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

What Else Do I Need To Know

LeVine also addressed issues that applicants may face when applying for unemployment under the new CARES Act rules.

The website says Im ineligible after I filled out the form, but the checklist says Im eligible.

LeVine says that people should ignore that message, and click on the link to apply for the unemployment assistance. LeVine said this glitch was a trade-off in order to prioritize getting systems in place to get people their money faster.

Thats not the optimal experience and I recognize that, LeVine said.

She said ESD staff would be working through the weekend on upgrading the states systems.

I was self-employed or an independent contractor, so how will my weekly benefit be determined?

Independent contractors and self-employed workers will need to upload their wage data to the Employment Security Department, and ESD staff will review it to verify it and determine how much the applicant is eligible for per week. But the state in the meantime will provide the minimum weekly benefit.

If the person is eligible for more than the minimum, ESD will pay the difference retroactively when wages have been verified.

What is the minimum benefit? When will I get it?

The minimum benefit will be $235 from the state unemployment assistance program, plus $600 from the CARES act. That will come to $835 a week.

If I was denied benefits in the past few weeks, should I try again?

MORE TIPS ON APPLYING FOR UNEMPLOYMENT:

Q Do Immigrants Qualify For Unemployment Benefits

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A. It depends on their status. If an immigrant has a work visa or DACA and their work permit will not be expiring soon after they apply for the benefits, they qualify. If their work authorization expires, they will no longer qualify for this benefit.

Undocumented do not qualify for any current unemployment benefits.

We are working in collaboration with other unions, legal groups, immigrant justice groups to support our immigrant communities in WA state and will share information once that is available.

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Q Im Receiving Severance Payis That Considered Income And Will I Be Able To Apply For Unemployment Benefits

If you receive a one-time payment, you will not qualify for unemployment for the week in which you receive the severance pay. After that, you may be eligible depending on your other circumstances.
If you receive several severance payments, your employer must report taxes paid to ESD on this income and if this severance pay disqualifies you from receiving the unemployment benefits, you can apply once the severance pay runs out. You will be able to file and receive full unemployment benefits, the 26 weeks plus the 13 additional weeks extended by the federal government.

Am I Eligible For Unemployment Benefits

To qualify for unemployment benefits in the state of Washington, a claimant must satisfy several requirements. First, the applicant must have worked in Washington state for at least a portion of the base year used to calculate benefits. In Washington, you must have accrued a total of at least 680 working hours in your base year to be eligible for unemployment benefits. Unless you recently left the military and are currently located in Washington state, at least some of those hours must have occurred in Washington state.

You must also be out of work through no fault of your own, meaning you cannot have quit your job without good cause. In addition, you must be willing, able, and available to accept suitable work when it is offered.

To be eligible for Washington unemployment insurance benefits, you must be a resident of Washington and all of the following must be true:

You are unemployed through no fault of your own
You worked in Washington during the past 12 months

You earned a minimum amount of wages determined by Washington guidelines
You are actively seeking work each week you are collecting benefits

Spotlight Changes To Unemployment Benefits Under The Consolidated Appropriations Act

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Six months of free COBRA health insurance were available to the unemployed
Workers who had at least $5,000 in annual self-employment income but were previously ineligible for regular state unemployment benefits will continue to receive up to $100 per week

Unemployment Claims And Joblessness Are Low

How unemployment benefits are calculated

Workers have benefited from a hot job market since early 2021. In that time, the layoff rate fell to historic lows, while job openings and voluntary departures touched record highs and wage growth surged. The unemployment rate was 3.5% in July tying early 2020 for the lowest rate since 1969.

However, claims for unemployment benefits, while around prepandemic levels, have increased slightly since the spring. Many companies have announced layoffs in recent weeks. The Federal Reserve is also raising borrowing costs to cool the economy and tame stubbornly high inflation. Seventy-three percent of economists polled recently by the National Association for Business Economics aren’t confident the Fed can achieve that goal without triggering a recession.

“Claims haven’t gone up that much yet but we’re entering an uncertain period,” according to Andrew Stettner, a senior fellow and unemployment expert at The Century Foundation, a progressive think tank.

Here are some of the key differences workers will see if they apply for unemployment benefits.

How Long Does Unemployment Last

Each state have set their own limit in regard to the number of weeks through which unemployed residents could receive benefits.

For instance, there are only two states who provide struggling unemployed workers with more than 26 weeks of benefits. Massachusetts announced in September 2021 that the maximum number of weeks for which a claimant may receive unemployment benefits is increased from 26 to 30 weeks.

“Under the statute, if the monthly unemployment rate rises above 5.1% in any of the Massachusetts measured metropolitan areas, all claimants, regardless of initial filing date, will be eligible for a maximum of up to 30 weeks of benefits,” the state announced at the time.

“Massachusetts reduced the number of weeks to 26 due to the federal extensions of unemployment benefits. The Massachusetts Unemployment Insurance statute, G.L. c. 151A, §30 provides that during a period of federal extension, the maximum allowable weeks of benefits must be reduced to 26.”

Meanwhile, Montana provides eligible citizens with up to 28 weeks of benefits, but other states such as Arkansas and Iowa reduced their maximum to 16 weeks.

Michigan reduced the number to 20 weeks in 2021, while South Carolina and Missouri also offer up to 20 weeks of UI.

You can contact your local government’s authorities to require more information about how long does unemployment last in your state.

What Is The Procedure For Filing For Unemployment Benefits

To be eligible for unemployment benefits, you must be out of work due to circumstances beyond your control.

Unemployment benefits can be applied online through ESDs eServices page, which can be found here.

Remember that you should only apply for unemployment benefits at this time if you were already eligible before the CARES Act was passed in December of 2009.

If you werent eligible until that time , the ESD system is not currently configured to accept your application.

Youll need to sign up for the ESDs COVID-19 email updates in order to be notified when the system is updated and you can submit an application. The completion of this update is expected around the middle of April.

Beginning on the date that the unemployment program was established and you became eligible for unemployment benefits, your weekly benefits will be paid out in installments.

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which broadened the scope of who is eligible for unemployment benefits, began operations on March 29, 2020. This means that if you have to wait until the middle of April to apply, you will not lose any weekly benefits.

Q I Am A 1099 Or Independent Contractor Do I Qualify For Unemployment

A. Go ahead and file, the ESD will determine your eligibility to state unemployment. If you do qualify, you may receive benefits from the state. ESD will follow up with you with instructions.

Under the CARES Act, unemployment benefits have been expanded to include those who normally wouldnt qualify, such as independent contractors. You can leave your claim open or file once that is implemented, sometime in the week of April 18.

What Happens If My Unemployment Benefits Are Denied

Extended Unemployment Benefits In Washington State

If you are denied unemployment benefits, you have the right to file an appeal. Instructions on how to begin this process will be included in your notice of determination of unemployed status. The quickest and most convenient way to appeal a decision is to do so online through your eServices account.

Also Check: How To File Taxes On Unemployment Benefits

Cobra Doesn’t Apply To Everyone

COBRA applies only to employers who had 20 or more workers in the previous year.
State and local governments fall under COBRA, but federal plans and certain religious organizations do not. Federal employees have some similar rights under another law. Ask your human resource department for more information.

COBRA generally does not apply to employees who are terminated for gross misconduct.

Washington Unemployment Benefits And Eligibility

Learn about Washington state’s eligibility requirements for unemployment, and discover the benefits you can receive while you’re looking for a new job.

Unemployment assistance is designed to help you cover expenses when you’re between jobs. In Washington state, the Employment Security Department manages unemployment claims and benefits. If you’re planning to make a claim, make sure you meet the requirements a complete, accurate application can help you get funds faster.

What Is The Appealing Process In Washington

If your claim is denied, or your weekly amount is reduced you will be mailed an Administrative Decision within a certain number of business days of it happening.

You may receive a form along with the decision which you should fill out and return if you choose to appeal the decision. It is important to note, that if you choose to appeal the decision you should continue to file your weekly claims for benefits.

That way, if the appeal is reached in your favor, you can be paid out for all the weeks you were eligible for. Administrative decisions become final within 20 days from the date they were mailed. It is pertinent that you respond quickly to ensure your greatest chance of success.

Weeks Of Unemployment Insurance Available And Unemployment Rates

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The remaining six states periodically update their maximum weeks of UI available based on changes in the states unemployment rate:

Alabama currently provides up to 14 weeks of UI for new enrollees, with an additional five-week extension for those enrolled in a state-approved training program
Georgia provides 14 weeks of UI, but in the COVID-19 emergency that has been increased to 26 weeks
Florida currently provides up to 12 weeks for claims filed after January 1, 2022

Idaho currently provides up to 20 weeks for new enrollees based on its August unemployment rate
Kansas currently provides up to 16 weeks of UI and
North Carolina currently provides up to 12 weeks for claims filed after January 1, 2022.

Kentucky and Oklahoma also have enacted legislation that would cut their maximum number of weeks of benefits beginning in 2023.

State laws in many states with a maximum of 26 weeks employ a sliding scale based on a workers earnings history to determine the maximum number of weeks for which an individual worker qualifies. Except in Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico, many UI recipients maximum is fewer than 26 weeks.

TABLE 1

Recommended Reading: How To Get Financial Help When Unemployed

How Do I Report Fraud

Washington state has a comprehensive network designed to help residents report instances of fraudulent claims. To report fraud, use the secure fraud reporting form to alert officials that an imposter may be fraudulently claiming benefits under your name. If you have reason to believe that someone is claiming fraudulent unemployment benefits, you also can report this using the states fraud tip reporting form.

What Federal Unemployment Benefits Are Available

The CARES Act created the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, which can provide 13 weeks of additional benefits to those whove been affected by the pandemic and exhausted their states regular benefits. Although this program is slated to expire at the end of this year, unless its extended by Congress.

Those extended benefits may then be followed by additional weeks of federally funded unemployment benefits in states with high unemployment . That can add up to a total of 59 potential weeks of unemployment benefitsdepending again on which state you live in.

Recommended Reading: How To Apply For Washington State Unemployment

Q Are Unemployment Benefits Taxable

A.Yes. The Federal Internal Revenue Service does not require the ESD to withhold taxes from your weekly unemployment benefits. However, you may choose to have 10 percent of your weekly benefits deducted for income-tax purposes. You may avoid a large tax bill if you choose to have income taxes withheld from your benefits.

Q In Normal Circumstances Where I Would Be Required To Search For Work Would I Have To Accept Any Job That Is Offered

A.No, you do not have to look for or accept work that is not suitable. Work is not suitable if:

The work is not in line with your training and experience.

You must join or resign from a labor union.
The hours or working conditions are not as favorable as most other jobs in your occupation in your area.

The work is farther than the usual commuting distance for people in your occupation in your area.
The wages offered are lower than the wages common for that occupation in your area.
The work is unreasonably dangerous.

You cannot physically do the work.
The work would offend your religious beliefs or moral conscience.

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How Do I Apply For Unemployment Benefits In Washington

The easiest way to apply for your UI benefits is to submit your eligibility claim online. You also have the option of calling Washingtons claim center to submit your unemployment claim. However, please know that long wait times are common when filing a claim by phone. Its much faster and more efficient to apply online, and you are strongly encouraged to do so. Its a good idea to make sure that you apply for your unemployment compensation within two weeks of losing your job.