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Thanks for this thread! I bookmarked it because I'm sure I'll need this information eventually. Job market is still pretty uncertain.
Final update: I used Claimyr yesterday and got through to Washington ESD in about 15 minutes. The agent confirmed that filing a final weekly claim with employment information is definitely the correct way to close out a claim. She said it prevents 90% of the overpayment issues they see. Worth the peace of mind!
Make sure you understand the difference between benefit year end and benefit exhaustion. Your benefit year lasts 52 weeks from when you first filed, but you only get up to 26 weeks of payments (plus extensions if available) within that year.
Just went through this process myself. No Extended Benefits were available when I exhausted my regular benefits in December. I did end up qualifying for Training Benefits through a coding bootcamp program, which has been a lifesaver. Definitely look into that option if you're interested in learning new skills.
For what it's worth, I had a similar situation with multiple jobs and Washington ESD was able to sort it out. They look at all your covered employment in the base period, so even if one job was complicated, the other clear employment helped establish eligibility.
Bottom line - if you're unemployed through no fault of your own and have recent work history, you probably qualify. The application will determine for sure and it's free to apply. Don't stress too much about it.
Bottom line: $999 is the max, but most people won't get that much. The average in Washington is probably closer to $400-500 per week. Still better than nothing though!
Natasha Orlova
I was worried about the same thing when I first applied. The SNAP worker explained that they look at all sources of income, including unemployment, Social Security, part-time work, everything. It's better to report it all accurately.
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Javier Cruz
•Exactly, transparency is key with these benefit programs.
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Emma Thompson
Just want to echo what others have said - yes, report your Washington ESD unemployment income on your SNAP application. The income verification process will catch it anyway, so being upfront from the start makes everything smoother.
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Amara Eze
•Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! I feel much more confident about filling out my SNAP application now.
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