COVID-19 information for workers

All federal programs that expanded and extended unemployment benefits expired the week ending Sept. 4, 2021. 

1. Continue filing weekly claims for weeks you want to get benefits.
2. Watch for updates via mail, email, social media and messages in eServices.
3. Respond to any of our requests for information. Even if you have stopped claiming or found a job, we still might need to contact you.
4. Please try not to call our Unemployment Claims Center with general questions. Call volume remains very high. Find the latest information on this page and the COVID-19 page.

If you have used up your benefits and your benefit year has ended, you might be eligible for a new claim. The easiest way to apply is online via eServices. If you can’t apply online, you can call the Unemployment Claims Center.

Get help with your job search
WorkSource can help you find your next job or career. Go to WorkSourceWA.com to get started. Under Resources, use the WorkSource locator to find an office near you and see what services are available virtually and in-person.

With the passing of the Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act of 2020, PUA overpayments are now eligible for waiver consideration. You do not need to request a waiver. Those who are potentially eligible for a waiver will be sent a questionnaire that we will use to determine waiver eligibility. There is a large number of PUA overpayments we need to review before sending the questionnaire and it may take us most of 2021 to do this.

The PUA program expired on the week ending Sept. 4, 2021. You can’t submit any more PUA weekly claims for weeks after that. However, you might be eligible for a new unemployment claim if your benefit year has ended.

You need to submit more only if you received a notice from us asking for more information. If we ask you for more documents, it means that the ones you submitted before were not adequate. You must submit them even though the PUA program ended. 

The federal CARES Act asked PUA applicants to submit documents that verified their 2019 wages. We used that information to potentially increase your weekly benefit amount. Then, the Continued Assistance Act updated the eligibility rules about PUA. It requires those who received PUA payments on Dec. 27, 2020, or after, to prove their work history in 2019 or 2020.

In some cases, the documents people submitted to verify their wages was enough to prove their work history. In other cases, we might need more proof. If so, we’ll ask for it. See the list of required documents on the PUA documents required web page.

If you don’t submit the required documents, federal law says that you will have to repay all PUA benefits you received for weeks you claimed Jan. 2, 2021, and later. We don’t want that to happen! Please follow all instructions you receive by letter or in your eServices account. Submit your documents by the deadline!

If you didn’t receive a notice from us, you don’t need to do anything.

If we had known about this requirement when we first launched PUA benefits, we would have notified you then. The U.S. Department of Labor updated the requirements later in the federal Continued Assistance Act. We must comply with federal law.

We started telling affected PUA claimants about the new requirement as soon as our computer system was programmed for the change.

The notice we send you will include the due date. Those who applied for PUA before Jan. 31, 2021, have 90 days to submit the required documents. Those who applied for PUA on or after that date have 21 days to submit the documents.

In both situations, you can request an extra 14 days. You can request the extension in eServices or by mail. You will need to tell us why you need more time. We will decide if you have a good reason as defined by law for extending your due date.

Maybe. You can request an extra 14 days. You will need to tell us why you need more time. We will decide if you have a good reason as defined by law for extending your due date. You can request the extension in eServices or by mail, if you received a paper questionnaire. You can request it only once.

If we approve your benefits, you won’t hear from us.  If we deny your benefits, we will send you a letter. You can appeal our decision if you disagree with it.

Yes. Keep filing your weekly claims on time for all weeks you want to receive benefits. We will pay you for weeks you claim and are eligible. We may deny benefits for weeks you claim late or if you don’t provide adequate documentation. 

Yes! If you received the notice saying you need to submit required documents, then you must respond! If you don’t submit the required documents, federal law says that you will have to repay all PUA benefits you received for weeks you claimed Jan. 2, 2021, and later.

Yes. Your weekly benefits no longer includes the extra $300 per week from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program.

Not necessarily. Go to our benefit year end page for more information.

After following the instructions from the potential new claim (PNC) alert you received, you filed a new claim in our benefit system. We used this new claim information and checked it against the number of hours you worked in the base year used for calculating benefits.

When we reviewed the new claim, we looked to see:

1. If you worked 680 hours in the new base year; AND
2. If since the separation date from your employer on your prior claim, you returned to work and earned six times the new weekly benefit with bona fide employment.

At that point, if you didn’t meet these two qualifications, you received a statement stating you had a zero-benefit amount.

Then the system moved you back to your previous claim and continued your PEUC benefits. You received a second statement a short time later stating the weekly benefit amount on your previous claim.

All of this is necessary because federal law required us to check, and you to attest, when we received new information about wages earned which may have made you eligible for standard Unemployment Insurance benefits.

And as an important reminder, please keep filing your weekly claims.

Note: This answer refers to weeks you might have claimed before PEUC expired the week ending Sept. 4, 2021. Although we might still pay you PEUC benefits for weeks in the past, the last payable week for PEUC is the week ending Sept. 4, 2021.

Federal law requires us to make sure we’re paying you unemployment benefits from the right program. Depending on the law, we might need to move you from one program to another.   

You should keep submitting weekly claims on whichever claim shows as Active in eServices. 
 
If we move you to your new unemployment claim, we will send you a letter called “PEUC Claim Continuation Determination Letter.”  

Specifically, federal law says we must continue to pay you PEUC benefits from your active claim if:    

• We decide you are eligible.   
• Your benefit year expired after Dec. 27, 2020.  
• You have PEUC benefits remaining on that benefit year.  
• You qualify for a new unemployment claim in Washington or another state, and the weekly benefit amount on that new claim is at least $25 lower than the weekly benefit on your active claim. 

Federal law requires us to make sure we’re paying you unemployment benefits from the right program. Depending on the law, we might need to move you from one program to another. 

Because of this change, you could start receiving a different weekly benefit amount. It could be higher or lower than before.

No. You don’t need to repay the amount we overpaid you. We’ll send you a letter called an “Overpayment waiver.” Important note: You still might have an overpayment from a previous or future issue. The overpayment waiver we’re talking about here applies only to when we moved your PEUC benefits from one claim to another.

All eligibility decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis. If you are following guidance issued by a medical professional or public health official to isolate or quarantine yourself as a result of exposure to COVID-19 and you are not receiving paid sick leave from your employer, you may be eligible to receive regular unemployment benefits. 

See information from the Dept. of Labor and Industries information on Workers’ Compensation. If you plan to apply for unemployment benefits, review COVID-19 information on our website.

A request to isolate or quarantine is:

• A letter documenting a voluntary request or involuntary order to isolate or quarantine from a medical professional, local health official, or the Secretary of Health.
• A note from your medical provider or medical records office recommending isolation or quarantine.
• A self-determination that Department of Health’s quarantine guidance applies to you.
• An order from Gov. Inslee to "Stay Home, Stay Healthy."

If you are too ill to be able and available for work or to work remotely, you do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits. As with any illness, you could be eligible for Paid Family and Medical Leave if your healthcare provider certifies your illness meets the definition of “serious health condition” and you have the qualifying hours. You can learn more in this Q&A. Once you recover and are again able and available for work, you may qualify for unemployment benefits.  

You might be eligible for either, but you can’t receive both unemployment and paid leave benefits during the same week. Both programs pay benefits on a weekly basis.

Applying is the best way to find out. We make decisions about your eligibility on a case-by-case basis.

Here are some things to consider to help you decide how to proceed.

To qualify for paid leave benefits, you must:

• Provide proof of a qualifying event. We generally don’t consider being in quarantine for COVID-19 a qualifying event.
• Have worked at least 820 hours in your qualifying period. New legislation expanded the qualifying period for those who worked fewer hours due to the pandemic, so you may still be eligible.

Learn more about COVID-19 and paid leave.

To qualify for unemployment benefits, you must:

• Have worked at least 680 hours in your base year. See an explanation of your base year under the How can I estimate my weekly benefit amount? section.
• Have earned at least some wages in Washington state, unless you recently left the military and are currently located in Washington.
• Look for work and document your job search each week.

Learn more about applying for unemployment benefits.

It depends. Eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. If your employer is paying you sick leave or paid time off (PTO) for full-time work, you will not be eligible for unemployment benefits. If you receive paid sick leave or paid time off for fewer than your normal hours worked, you may qualify for partial benefits. Apply for benefits to find out if you're eligible. 

If your employer goes out of business and you are out of work due to a lack of work, you may be eligible for regular unemployment benefits. Apply for benefits to find out if you're eligible. 

Eligibility decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. If you are laid off work temporarily or your hours are reduced due to a business slowdown or a lack of demand as a result of COVID-19, you may be able to receive unemployment benefits.

• Standbyis a job search waiver. When it is requested by you or your employer, and approved by the department, it allows workers to collect unemployment benefits without needing to search for work. You can learn more about job search requirements on our job search requirements page.

Maybe! Coverage under Washington's unemployment insurance law is broader than under most other laws. This means that just because you are classified as an independent contractor under some laws does not mean that you are an independent contractor under Washington's unemployment laws. If you are an independent contractor who has been laid off or lost work, we encourage you to apply for benefits. We will evaluate each application for eligibility on a case by case basis. 

If you decide to apply for benefits, to help speed the process for determining your eligibility and potential benefit amount, please be prepared to gather your payment records from the last tax year to provide to the claims staff.

Yes. As of Jan. 11, 2021, you must schedule and attend a virtual online or phone appointment if you receive the letter. The only exception:

• If you have returned to work full time, you don’t need to schedule the appointment. Before the deadline, you must call or email the WorkSource office listed in your letter. Give us your employer’s name, address, phone number and the date you started work.

If you have returned to work part time, you still need to schedule and attend the virtual online or phone appointment.

Carefully follow instructions in the letter. If you don’t schedule and attend the virtual online or phone appointment, we may deny your unemployment benefits and you may have to repay some or all of the benefits you received.

During your appointment, we will help you with your resume, retraining information, referrals to in-demand jobs, and more. We will make your time worthwhile! Research shows that people who use WorkSource get back to work sooner and earn higher wages than people who don’t.

Under the emergency rules we put into place as a result of COVID-19, we are providing more leniency for many unemployment deadlines. Submit your documents as soon as you are able and provide as much information as you can. When we receive them, we will decide if we need to change any previous decisions we made about your benefits.

Progress reports for training programs can be submitted with whatever information you have available. For example, if your school has closed, return your paperwork and tell us.  

You do not get paid for the first week you are eligible for unemployment benefits. This is called the waiting week. If you remain eligible, we will pay you the following week.

If you have been receiving unemployment benefits and are now sick with COVID-19 or need to take care of a loved one who is sick with COVID-19, you may not be considered able and available for work. However, you can also apply for benefits with Paid Family and Medical Leave. To be eligible, a health care provider must certify that you or your family member have a "serious health condition."

You cannot receive both unemployment benefits and Paid Family or Medical Leave during the same week. You need to stop claiming unemployment benefits when you start claiming Paid Family or Medical Leave. You don't need to cancel your unemployment claim. Please visit Paid Family and Medical Leave's website for more information. Eligibility decisions for both unemployment and Paid Family and Medical Leave are made on a case-by-case basis. 

Eligibility decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. If you are being paid while your school is closed, you can apply for benefits, but you may be considered fully employed and not eligible. If your school is not paying you while it is closed, you may be eligible for benefits. You will not be able to use your school wages to establish your weekly benefit amount during a scheduled break if it’s determined you have reasonable assurance to return to work following the break. You must be able and available for work that can be done while following the recommendations from the state Department of Health during each week you claim.

It depends. Your first and best option is employer-paid time off because it will pay 100% of your wages. However, if you cannot go to work because you don’t have childcare for your child while school is closed, and you do not have the ability to telework, you should call your employer and let them know why you are absent. If your employer fires you or lays you off while you are absent, you may qualify for benefits. However, you are required to be able and available for work. If you can't do your job remotely and you don't have childcare to enable you to return to your job or accept a work offer, you will not be eligible for regular unemployment benefits.

If your child’s school is using a full-time remote learning model or a hybrid of remote learning and in-person classes, the school is considered closed. If the school is open, but you choose to keep your child home for remote learning, the school is considered open.

Eligibility decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. You may be eligible for unemployment. Factors we consider include whether your school is open and, during a scheduled break, whether you have reasonable assurance to return to work with a school employer after the break. You must be able and available for work that can be performed while following the recommendations from the state Department of Health during each week you claim. 

It depends. Eligibility decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. The best thing you can do to find out if you’re eligible for benefits is apply.