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The whole thing is such a hassle but the benefits really help when you're between jobs. I collected for about 4 months last year and it made a huge difference in keeping up with my bills.
For job search requirements, you need 3 job search activities per week in Washington. Make sure you're logging these in WorkSourceWA because they do audit them randomly.
The 'unemployment' status is basically Washington ESD's way of saying your claim exists and is active. Once you get past the waiting week and any verification steps, you should see payment activity in your account.
One thing to watch out for - make sure you apply for DUA within the deadline. I think it's 30 days from when the disaster assistance period begins, but double-check that. Missing the deadline could disqualify you entirely.
Good point. I applied pretty quickly after the disaster declaration but I didn't realize there was a strict deadline. That could trip people up.
Just wanted to add that if you're self-employed or a contractor, DUA might be your only option since you probably don't qualify for regular UI. The benefit calculation works differently for self-employed folks though - they use your tax returns to figure out your weekly amount.
This is important info. A lot of gig workers and contractors don't realize they might qualify for disaster unemployment when they wouldn't normally get regular unemployment benefits.
If you do end up needing to contact Washington ESD during the process and can't get through on the phone, I had good luck with Claimyr recently. They helped me reach an adjudicator when my quit claim was stuck in review. Way better than spending hours on hold or getting disconnected.
Good luck with whatever you decide. Just remember that unemployment benefits are temporary - try to line up your next job as quickly as possible even if you do qualify. The job market is still pretty competitive right now.
Isabella Silva
For budgeting purposes, assume you'll get roughly 40-50% of your previous weekly gross pay. That's usually pretty close for most people.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
•That's a good rule of thumb. Makes it easier to plan ahead.
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Isabella Silva
•Yep, and remember it's temporary so use the time wisely to find your next job.
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Ravi Choudhury
The amount also depends on how much you made in your 'base period' which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. So recent pay raises might not count if they happened too recently.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
•That's complicated. I got a raise about 3 months ago so hopefully that counts.
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Ravi Choudhury
•It probably will count depending on when exactly you file. The base period calculation can be tricky.
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