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I actually went through this exact situation about 8 months ago when I got laid off from my tech job. Washington ESD does allow you to start a business while collecting, but you absolutely have to be meticulous about reporting. I kept a spreadsheet tracking every hour I worked on business stuff and every penny of income, no matter how small. The biggest thing that helped me was treating my business activities as part of my overall career development - I made sure to still apply for regular jobs and network in my industry. One tip: when you do your weekly claims, always answer honestly about your availability for work. If you spent 30+ hours that week on business activities, you might need to answer "no" to being available, which could affect that week's benefits. But being honest protects you from fraud issues down the road. The peace of mind is worth more than trying to game the system.
This is incredibly helpful, thank you! The spreadsheet idea is brilliant - I was wondering how to keep track of everything systematically. Your point about the 30+ hours affecting the "available for work" answer is something I hadn't considered. That's exactly the kind of detail that could trip someone up if they're not thinking about it carefully. I really appreciate you sharing your real experience with this. It gives me confidence that it can be done properly if I'm just super organized and honest about everything from the start.
I'm in almost the exact same situation right now - got laid off from my job about 6 weeks ago and have been thinking about starting a freelance business. Reading through all these responses has been super educational! The consistent theme seems to be documentation and transparency. I'm definitely going to look into that Self-Employment Assistance Program that was mentioned, and if I can't get into that, I'll follow the advice about keeping detailed records and reporting everything. The Claimyr service sounds like it might be worth trying too since I've also been stuck in Washington ESD phone hell trying to get answers. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's really helpful to hear from people who have actually navigated this successfully.
I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago. "Benefits exhausted" essentially means you've reached the maximum amount of unemployment benefits you're entitled to receive during your current benefit year - typically 26 weeks in Washington state. It doesn't mean you did anything wrong or that you're permanently disqualified from unemployment. The confusing part is that Washington ESD doesn't automatically tell you what your options are when this happens. You might be able to file a new claim if you've worked enough hours since your original claim started, but you'll need to check your earnings history and benefit year dates. I'd recommend trying to get through to an ESD representative to discuss your specific situation, though I know that's easier said than done given how backed up their phone lines are.
This is really helpful to hear from someone who went through the same thing. I'm definitely going to look into whether I qualify for a new claim since I did work part-time while collecting benefits. It's frustrating that they don't automatically explain your options when the status changes - seems like basic customer service to me. Did you end up qualifying for a new claim when you went through this?
Yes, I was able to file a new claim after my benefits exhausted. I had worked part-time for about 3 months during my unemployment period, and those earnings were enough to qualify me for a new benefit year. The new weekly benefit amount was lower than my original claim since it was based on the part-time wages, but it was still better than nothing. The process took about 2 weeks to get approved once I finally got through to submit the new claim. The key is making sure you have enough qualifying wages in your base period - Washington ESD will calculate this based on your earnings from the past 15-18 months depending on when you file.
I'm in a similar situation - my benefits just showed "exhausted" status and I had no idea what it meant either. Reading through all these responses has been really eye-opening. It sounds like the key things to understand are: 1) You've used up your allotted benefits for this benefit year (usually 26 weeks), 2) You might be able to file a new claim if you've worked enough since your original claim started, and 3) Washington ESD unfortunately doesn't do a good job explaining your options when this happens. I'm going to check my benefit year dates and see if the part-time work I did while collecting might qualify me for a new claim. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's helpful to know I'm not alone in being confused by this whole process.
You've summed it up perfectly! I was in the exact same boat a few months ago - that "exhausted" status just appeared with zero explanation. It's really frustrating that Washington ESD makes people figure this out on their own when they're already stressed about their financial situation. The part-time work angle is definitely worth exploring - I had worked some gig jobs while collecting and didn't realize that could help me qualify for a new claim until I read about it in forums like this. One thing I learned is to keep detailed records of all your work and earnings during unemployment, even small amounts, because it might be the difference between qualifying for a new claim or not. Good luck with checking your eligibility!
This whole thread has been a lifesaver! I'm actually in the exact same situation right now - just saw "benefits exhausted" on my account yesterday and panicked thinking I'd done something wrong. It's such a relief to know this is normal and that there might be options available. I've been doing some freelance work while collecting benefits, so I'm hoping that might count toward qualifying for a new claim. The fact that Washington ESD doesn't proactively explain what "benefits exhausted" means or what your next steps should be is honestly shocking to me. When you're already stressed about money and job hunting, the last thing you need is cryptic status messages with no guidance. I'm definitely going to look into my benefit year dates and earnings history to see if I can file a new claim. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it makes such a difference knowing other people have navigated this successfully!
This exact same thing happened to me last month! The duplicate alert stayed up for almost a week even though my original claim went through fine. I was so tempted to resubmit because I was worried about missing my payment, but I'm glad I found this thread first. The advice about checking payment history is spot on - if it shows "processing" then your claim definitely went through. It's really frustrating that ESD's system has these glitches but doesn't give users any clear guidance about what to do when they happen. At least now I know to just wait it out if this happens again!
The waiting is definitely the hardest part. I kept checking my account multiple times a day hoping for an update. Try to distract yourself with job searching or other activities - obsessing over the pending status won't make it go faster.
I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it actually worked! Got connected to a Washington ESD agent within a few hours instead of days of trying on my own. They explained that my pending issue was just routine verification and should be resolved within the week. Worth every penny to finally get some real information about what's happening with my claim.
They called me back in about 3 hours with the Washington ESD agent on the line. So much better than spending entire days trying to get through myself.
KhalilStar
Thanks everyone for all the info. I'm bookmarking this thread in case I need to refer back to it if shutdown actually happens.
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Amelia Dietrich
•Good idea! Hopefully we won't need it but nice to have the peace of mind.
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Ava Harris
•Same here. This has been incredibly helpful and reassuring.
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Zainab Ibrahim
This has been such an informative discussion! As someone who just started receiving UI benefits last month, I was terrified when I heard about the potential shutdown. It's reassuring to learn that Washington ESD operates independently from federal funding for regular unemployment benefits. I'll definitely keep filing my weekly claims as usual and try not to stress about things beyond my control. Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences - this community is amazing for supporting each other through these uncertain times.
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