State to ease processing of unemployment insurance claims

OLYMPIA — The state Employment Security Department will expedite the unemployment insurance claims application process and expand benefits and eligibility for unemployed workers who were previously deemed ineligible, according to Suzi LeVine, commissioner of the department.

With Washingtonians told to stay at home to avoid contracting or spreading the COVID-19 virus, hundreds of thousands of people are out of work and looking for help from the Employment Security Department. State officials spoke on the subject Thursday.

Gov. Jay Inslee said half a million unemployment insurance claims have been filed statewide since March.

LeVine said the Employment Security Department website and hotlines will be unavailable Saturday in preparation for an update of the website and an expansion of the benefits and aid they will offer by this Sunday. The expansion will do several significant things, paid for by federal funding from the passage of the CARES Act.

First, hundreds of thousands of applicants who were previously deemed ineligible will be accepted upon reapplication. Self-employed workers, new employees who did not originally meet the minimum required hours for eligibility and part-time employees will be invited to reapply on the ESD website with their new eligibility.

LeVine also said weekly unemployment benefits will increase by $600 and will be available until the end of July. The maximum number of weeks that people can be provided with unemployment insurance benefits will expand from 26 to 39.

The website, LeVine said, will be stripped and streamlined to make applications easier to process. To expedite the processing and approval of a high volume of applications, the department will also add to its workforce.

She said those who are eligible and accepted will receive their money in 5 to 7 days by mail, or 48 to 72 hours if they have direct deposit set up. Applicants will need to have recent wage documentation, such as a tax return or a 1099 form.

Those who cannot immediately produce wage documentation will receive the minimum benefits initially. Upon providing the proper documentation, individuals will be paid retroactively for the difference, LeVine said.