Weekly claim questions

Questions we ask on your weekly claim

The questions we ask when you file your weekly claim vary slightly if you file online or by phone. Generally, these are the questions we ask.

In addition to the regular unemployment weekly claim questions below, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claimants must answer additional questions to certify eligibility for benefits. This is a federal law requirement. Go to the PUA eligibility questions and guidance page

• Were you physically able and available for work each day?
• Did you make an active search for work, as directed, during the week you are now claiming?
  • Unless your request for standby has been approved, receiving unemployment benefits requires you to actively look for work.  
    Here are some suggestions to aid in you filling your job search requirement:
    • Apply for jobs through WorkSourceWA.com.
    • Submit applications through search engines such as Indeed, CareerBuilder and Monster, to name a few.
    • Calling employers you know are hiring about potential jobs.
    • Completing available virtual workshops provided by WorkSource.
    • Note: The jobs you apply for must be ones you have prior experience, training, or education. This is defined as suitable work.
    • We will take into consideration any efforts made to complete the job search requirements when determining weekly unemployment eligibility.
    • Here is a list of expanded job search activities that fulfill the requirements.
  • If you answer "yes" to the question about an active search for work and you are not excused from your job-search requirements, you will be asked an additional question. You must certify that you made the appropriate number of employer contacts or in-person activities each week (at WorkSource or at an American Job Center in another state), and that you recorded this information on your job-search log.
  • Claimants must be prepared to record job-search contacts for each week claimed in the weekly claim.
  • For employer contacts, you will be required to provide the following items from your job-search log for each contact made: the date; the business name and complete address; business phone number or email; how the contact was made; the person you contacted; and the type of work you were seeking.
  • For in-person activities (at WorkSource or at an American Job Center in another state), you will be required to provide the following from your job-search log for each activity: the date, the office and a description of the activity.
• Did you refuse any offer of work or fail to go for a scheduled job interview?
• Have you applied for or received workers’ or crime victim’s compensation?
• Have you applied for or did you have a change in pension?
• Did you or will you receive holiday pay from your regular employer for any day of the week you are claiming?*
• Did you or will you receive vacation pay for any day of the week you are claiming?*
• Did you or will you receive sick pay for any day of the week you are claiming?*
• Did you or will you receive pay in lieu of notice or termination pay for any day of the week you are claiming?*
• Did you serve on a jury?*
• Did you perform duty in the Military Reserve or National Guard for more than 72 consecutive hours?*
• Did you work in self-employment?*
• Did you work for any employer last week?*

*Report earnings for the week in which you earned them, not in the week you received them. Report the total amount before deductions. For self-employment, report your net earnings. You also will be asked for the total hours or days for which you had earnings.

Earnings Deduction Chart

To help you determine how much will be deducted from your weekly claim, you can download the current Earnings Deduction chart.

If you worked during the week be ready to provide:

• The amount you earned that week, even if you haven’t actually been paid yet. (Earnings include all compensation you earned for personal services, including wages, commissions and bonuses, the cash value of compensation paid in any medium other than cash, and the reasonable value of tips.)
• How many hours you worked in the week.
• Your employer’s business name.
• Your employer’s complete business address.
• The date you started work this week if you are starting a new job and not continuing work from a prior week.

 
After entering your earnings

You will be asked, "Do you expect to be working for the same employer next week?" If you answer no, you must provide the last day you physically worked and indicate the reason:

1. Lack of work

   • For example, that employer closed or reduced staff due to loss of business or public health directive during the COVID-19 outbreak.

2. Your hours were reduced due to a lack of work.
3. You were fired.
4. You quit.
5. Some other reason.

Did you have any other reportable earnings?

If you are not sure your earnings are reportable, see the list below from pages 27-28 in the Handbook for Unemployed Workers (PDF, 2.9MB).

When you complete your answers, the system will speak or display the message, "Your claim has been accepted."

Reportable earnings include:

1. Net income from your own business.
2. In-kind payments that substitute for money, such as rent or room and board.
3. Bonuses attributed to work performed in that week.
4. Tips in any form.
5. Paid vacation, holidays and sick leave.
6. Military Reserve and National Guard pay if you worked more than three days in a row.
7. Pay for jury duty service.
8. Earnings from state work study (does not include Title IV funds).
9. Pay from an employer, such as back pay (including back pay from a time-loss or workers’ compensation claim) for weeks you claimed.

If you make a mistake on your weekly claim

If you make a mistake while filing your weekly claim, you may start over any time before you hear or see, "Your claim has been accepted." In most cases, you will have the opportunity to correct mistakes while submitting your claim.

If you discover your mistake after submitting your weekly claim, you’ll need to call and speak to a claims agent. Call 800-318-6022 to correct the error. For current claims center contact information and hours go to: esd.wa.gov/unemployment/unemployed-workers-contact 

Failing to call the claims center to correct your error could result in an overpayment and your benefits being denied.