Unemployment Law Project wins fight to reform hours of availability rules
A new hours-of-availability rule that will help many Washington state unemployment benefits claimants became final July 26, 2021. Continue reading
Claimant Alert: Job search requirement reinstated starting July 4, 2021
June 10, 2021 Following a 15-month suspension of the requirement to search for jobs while receiving benefits, unemployment benefits claimants will once again need to conduct job searches starting July 4, the Employment Security Department (ESD) announced yesterday. (See https://esd.wa.gov/newsroom/job-search at ESD’s website.) In response to the pandemic, Governor Inslee… Continue reading
Important unemployment reform bill SB 5193 signed into law
May 12, 2021 Washington state workers will have better assurance of equitable and effective processing of unemployment claims and transparent metrics of the performance of the Employment Security Department following the enactment of SB 5193, signed today by Governor Jay Inslee. The bill, actively backed by ULP throughout the 2021 legislative… Continue reading
ALERT: Legislature to Vote Soon on Unemployment Claims Processing Reform!
[Sent via email on 3/27/21] Dear friend of ULP: The final hurdles have been crossed and SB 5193, an important bill, backed by ULP, which will improve many aspects of unemployment claims processing at the Employment Security Department (ESD), will be voted on at any time. Key committees in the House of… Continue reading
Concerned about identity theft after the SAO claimant data breach?
For more information from the Office of the Washington State Auditor (SAO), click here. For a list of Frequently Asked Questions regarding the data breach from the SAO, please click here. On February 1, the Washington state auditor announced that hackers had obtained more than a million unemployment benefit claimant… Continue reading
Frequently asked questions regarding a data breach at the Office of the Washington State Auditor’s third-party service provider
For more information from the Office of the Washington State Auditor (SAO), click here. To learn more about our recommended steps to protect yourself from fraud, click here. *Note: This FAQ comes from the Office of the Washington State Auditor* Frequently asked questions regarding a data breach at SAO’s third-party… Continue reading
Get caught up with the year that was with ULP’s 2020 Newsletter
Coming Together During Uncertain Times By Behnaz Mansouri, Senior Attorney, and Erin O’Brien, Legal Assistant Established in 1984, the Unemployment Law Project prides itself on being a fierce advocate for those struggling to secure unemployment benefits. 2020 has been a painful and trying time for all of us. Full of… Continue reading
[VIDEO & GUIDE] Answering the question: “Are you available for work?”
A question in the applications process has created confusion and kept some people from receiving unemployment insurance (UI) or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits. It has to do with a basic requirement of PUA and UI in general: You must be available to work. This document is not intended to… Continue reading
[VIDEO & GUIDE] How to file for PUA in Washington
Some questions in the application process have created confusion and kept some people from applying for (and receiving) Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits. Because of this issue, they are not being considered for benefits that they otherwise could be getting. So, we created this handy video and PDF guide to… Continue reading
Informational Webinar for Native American and Alaskan Natives: COVID-19 and Unemployment Benefits
Register here This webinar is for any Native American or Alaskan Native worker whose job has been impacted by COVID-19 and who seeks information about unemployment benefits. Join us if you work for tribal government, tribal enterprise, private business or you are an independent contractor and you have been laid… Continue reading
