Washington Unemployment Benefits Guide

This guide explains how to apply for unemployment in Washington. Follow step by step instructions that will help you claim benefits through WA state unemployment office.

First and foremost, apply as soon as you lose the job. State unemployment offices generally take 1-3 weeks to process your application, especially for the initial claim. The compensation will be paid from the week you applied and if you delay, you will lose the benefits prior to the week of filing. You won't be allowed to back-date your claims or claim the benefits for prior weeks.

Washington Unemployment Compensation Eligibility Requirements

There are some basic rules for eligibility. Even if you meet some of these rules partially, you should still apply for unemployment because state offices make a reasonable attempt to process your claim, as long as you provide a good justification.

1. You must have lost your job through no fault of your own. That means if you have quit job voluntarily you may not qualify for unemployment insurance. However, there are exceptions - such as working in hazardous or inhuman working conditions etc. to this rule.
2. You must be willing and able to work. If you are physically disabled, you do not qualify.
3. You must have worked minimum number of weeks specified by the State. Washington State minimum weeks of covered employment requirement (employer must have paid unemployment taxes on your behalf): 17
4. You must have earned minimum amount of wages specified by State during this period. This amount may change every year. You can get get complete eligibility criteria and the benefits calculator from state website mentioned in the next section. Minimum wages earned during the base period:

Prepare documents required to apply for unemployment in WA

• Your name, address, social security number and other personal details such as telephone number, email address etc.
• Dependents name, date of birth and their social security number.
• Details of your previous employer. For each employer, you need to provide
  1. Name and address
  2. Telephone number
  3. Start and end dates of employment

• If you had out-of-state employment in the past 18 months, you also need to provide the employment details.
• Reason you lost the job – it has to be involuntary to be eligible to receive benefits.
• Your job skills summary
• If you are not an US citizen, keep your alien registration number and work authorization. However if you are on a work visa such as H1-B, immigration experts do not advise claiming unemployment insurance.

Apply for Benefits or Claim Extension

You can submit your application for unemployment compensation online, off-line (by mail or by visiting local employment office) or through telephone. Online application is the quickest and most efficient option which will also be available 24x7, 7 days a week.

Prepare and submit your application online here

If you choose to file over phone, call the unemployment compensation services toll-free number at 800-318-6022 (TTY 800-365-8969) 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

If you are applying for unemployment extension in Washington, make sure you check the latest rules. Many states are in the process of revising the rules to extend the benefits beyond the initial period. Also, remember that you need to report unemployment benefits as an income when you file taxes with IRS at the end of the year.

All the major cities in Washington including Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Everett, Spokane Val, Federal Way, Yakima, Kent, and Bellingham have an unemployment office location to process unemployment claims. You can visit the local office for consultation or to file for unemployment in person

Washington Unemployment Rate (Trend)

The graph below shows the current and historical unemployment rate in the state

Frequently Asked Questions

Unemployment benefits in Washington when you work part-time
If you work part-time, you can collect UI benefits, but you benefits will be reduced. You must still meet the job-search requirements while working part-time.

If you did not work more than 17 hours in any week in your base period, you may need to look for only part-time work. Working part-time usually extends the number of weeks you can draw benefits. Additional earnings also may help you qualify for a new claim when your benefit year ends.



How does severance pay affect your benefits?
Severance payments do not usually affect your unemployment benefits. However, pay in lieu of notice or continuation pay with full benefits that are guaranteed can affect your benefits. Report any separation-related payments you receive or are entitled to receive to the telecenter.

Payments are considered severance pay when:
* The payments are not assigned to any period after your date of separation from your employer.
* You are not on call or in any way required to be available to your employer in order to receive these benefits.
* Your fringe benefits do not continue to accrue (vacation, retirement, sick, etc).
* You accept a new job and it does not affect your severance pay.


Special Information for ex-servicepersons filing for unemployment insurance based on military service wages.
Federal law requires that you be physically in the state in which you file your first claim based on military wages. If you are recently separated from the military, and have not filed a new claim based on your military wages, you must be in the State of Washington now to use this online application.

Next steps

After you have submitted your application, you should actively look out for work because the benefits you receive will not be enough to cover your living expenses. The best thing to do is to take a look at your job skills and determine if you want to improve or learn new skills so that you can use this opportunity to revive your career. There are plenty of online opportunities to earn a living while working from home.

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