Welcome to this instructional post on restarting your unemployment insurance claim.
The information and screens that I will be sharing with you cover the most common scenarios. However, depending on how you answer the questions, you may be presented with additional screens or questions.
What you’ll need to restart your claim
To restart your claim, you’ll need:
- To be logged in on the internet at the website at esd.wa.gov
- Your social security number, address, and date of birth
- Your employer’s names, addresses, and dates of employment since you last claimed unemployment benefits
- Your bank routing and account numbers if you want to sign up for direct deposit
Now let’s jump right into the process of restarting your claim.
Restarting your claim on the website
- Log in on our website at esd.wa.gov
- Look for a link for restarting your claim
- Click on the link to learn more about that process
- Find the link that says “restart your claim online in e-services” and click on it
- Access your SAW account and get into e-services to restart your claim online
If you don’t have a SAW account, you can find more information on setting up one successfully at the top of the page.
If you have a SAW account but don’t recall your username, you can check if you have an account by entering your email address. If you have trouble signing in, you can follow the process to reset your password or get additional information.
Once you have your username and password, enter it on the login page and click the “sign in” button. This will take you to the e-services landing page.
On the e-services landing page, click on the link that says “apply for unemployment benefits or manage your current and past claims”.
In your e-services account, you’ll be able to manage your active claim and restart it.
Restarting your claim
In your e-services account, click on the link that says “manage my active ui claim”.
Before we go into the process, I want to talk about when to restart your claim.
Don’t delay. Restart your claim as soon as you are no longer working or when your hours have been reduced. The start date of your claim must always be on a Sunday.
There are a couple of options available to you:
If your last day of work was near the end of the week, restart your claim effective on the next Sunday.
If your last day of work is early in the week, restart your claim during that same week, on Sunday.
When you restart your claim, you can backdate the start date. However, if you do backdate the start date, you will get a questionnaire that you’ll need to fill out to explain why you’re requesting the backdating.
On the right-hand side of your e-services account, under the “I want to” section, you should see a link that says “restart my claim to begin filing again”. Click on that link if it has been five or more weeks since you last claimed unemployment benefits.
When reopening your claim, the questions you get could be different depending on your situation and how you answer them. Read each question carefully.
First, we’ll ask for the claim restart date. If the presented date is the one you want to start your claim with, click “yes”. If you need to change the date, click “no” and select the desired Sunday start date.
Next, you’ll be asked if you have worked since you last claimed benefits. Answer “yes” or “no” depending on your situation.
If you’ve worked, a list of employers will be shown. Select the employer(s) you worked for from the list. If your employer is not shown or if it’s a new employer, you’ll need to provide their information.
Once you’ve identified your employer(s), you’ll be asked for their details, including start dates, last day physically worked, and the reason for separation.
After providing this information, you’ll be asked about your ability and availability for work. Answer “yes” if you’re physically able and available for work, or “no” if you’re not.
If you need to request standby (which means you don’t have to look for work because you expect to go back to work for the same employer), click “yes” and provide the date you expect to go back to work and the employer name. If you don’t need standby, click “no”.
Verify your contact information and update it if necessary.
Review the information you’ve provided and, once you’re ready, click “submit” to restart your claim.
After submitting, go back to your home page and open the notice titled “your benefit rights and responsibilities”. Read through this notice to understand your requirements as an individual receiving unemployment benefits.
Now that you’ve successfully restarted your claim, remember to file your weekly claims. To file, click on the link that says “you have a weekly claim to file” under alerts or in the lower left-hand corner under “manage my active claim”.
If you have any questions or need assistance, refer to the website esd.wa.gov or contact the claim centers.
Thank you for watching this webinar and have a wonderful day!