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Important note: if Washington ESD schedules a fact-finding interview (which they might for a termination case), make sure you participate! Missing those interviews can result in automatic denial.
Bottom line: getting fired doesn't automatically disqualify you from unemployment benefits in Washington. File your claim, be honest about what happened, and let Washington ESD make the determination. Good luck!
Just want to add another vote for Claimyr if you're struggling to reach ESD. I was skeptical at first but it actually worked when I needed to resolve a similar issue. Saved me weeks of frustration trying to get through on my own.
Update us when you find out what happened! I'm curious because I'm always worried about getting disqualified for something I don't even know I'm doing wrong.
budget carefully because unemployment income is unpredictable. some weeks you might not get paid if theres an issue with your claim or you mess up the job search requirements
The good news is once you know your weekly benefit amount, it stays the same for your entire benefit year unless your circumstances change. So at least you can plan your budget around a consistent amount.
Another option is to keep trying the online system too. Sometimes the errors are temporary and you might get lucky and have it work between phone attempts.
The phone agents are actually really knowledgeable about the system. When I applied they caught an error I would have made on the online form that could have delayed my claim. Sometimes the human touch is better.
Ava Williams
Just want to add that some people qualify for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) if their job loss was due to international trade. That can extend benefits significantly. Worth looking into if you think you might qualify.
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Raj Gupta
•TAA is pretty specific though - your employer has to be certified by the Department of Labor as being affected by trade. Not many people actually qualify for it.
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Ava Williams
•True, but if you do qualify it's substantial additional help including retraining funds.
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Lena Müller
Bottom line - most people get somewhere between 14-26 weeks depending on their work history. The exact number is calculated by a formula that takes your total base period wages and divides by your weekly benefit amount. If you need specifics about your situation, you'll need to check your ESD account or somehow get through to talk to them directly.
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Giovanni Rossi
•Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! I'll check my account once my claim finishes processing and see exactly how many weeks I qualified for.
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TechNinja
•Good luck with your job search! Hope you find something before you need all those weeks.
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