When to apply or restart your claim for unemployment benefits

  • Benefit programs
  • ESD

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Losing your job can make your future feel uncertain. We’re here to help. If you lost your job through no fault of your own, unemployment benefits can help support you while you look for work or are in approved training.

Knowing when and how to apply or restart your claim can help you avoid potential problems.

When to apply for benefits or restart a claim

If you want to see if you might qualify, answer a few questions at the bottom of this webpage about benefits. But the only way to know for sure if you qualify is to apply and start filing weekly claims.

If you want unemployment benefits and do not have an active claim, you need to apply for benefits. If you have a claim that started within the last 12 months, but you have not filed a weekly claim within the last 5 weeks, you need to restart your claim.

Apply for benefits or restart your claim so that it starts the Sunday of the first week you want to claim benefits. For unemployment purposes, a week starts on Sunday and ends on Saturday. After the first week has ended, be sure to file your weekly claim.

When to file weekly claims

A representation of a calendar showing when to apply for benefits or restart a claim, and when to file for a weekly claim. The image is a representation of the article's text.

You need to file a weekly claim for each week you want to receive unemployment benefits.  Continue filing weekly claims until you return to work, no longer need benefits, or use up all your benefits.

Keep in mind that the first week you claim and are eligible is your “waiting week.” You will not get benefits for this week. You have only 1 waiting week each benefit year. Restarting a claim does not require a second waiting week. 

How to apply for benefits

The fastest way to apply or restart a claim is to log into eServices.

Agents at the Unemployment Claims Center can help you apply for benefits or restart a claim by phone. Call us the first week you want to claim benefits. You might need to call several times to get through.

You can also restart a claim using our automated phone system. Call 800-318-6022 (Washington Relay 711) from 12:01 a.m. Sunday until 4 p.m. Friday, or the last business day of the week.