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One more thing - make sure you're still filing your weekly claims with Washington ESD even if most of the money is going to child support. If you stop claiming, you'll lose benefits entirely and then you'll have zero income instead of partial income.
Try calling DCS early in the morning right when they open. I finally got through at 8:02 AM after weeks of trying. Sometimes timing is everything with these government phone systems.
It is overwhelming but you'll get through it. Just make sure to file your weekly claims on time and keep looking for work. The money will help bridge the gap until you find something new.
I would also suggest keeping detailed records of all your unemployment payments and child support deductions. It helps if you ever need to dispute anything or apply for a modification later.
One last tip - if you do get a job offer while collecting unemployment, make sure to factor in the child support garnishment when deciding if the job pays enough to make it worth taking. Sometimes a low-paying job isn't much better than unemployment after child support is taken out.
When I couldn't get through to change my withholding election, someone suggested trying Claimyr to reach an Washington ESD agent. Worked great - got connected in about 20 minutes instead of spending all day redialing.
Multiple people have mentioned Claimyr now. Might be worth knowing about if I need to make changes later.
Bottom line - unemployment is taxable income, elect to have 10% withheld for federal taxes, and Washington has no state income tax so you don't worry about that part. Pretty straightforward once you know.
Lucas Notre-Dame
Just remember that even if there's a delay in processing, you'll get backpay for all eligible weeks once approved. So don't stress too much about the timing as long as you file promptly.
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Zara Ahmed
•That's really good to know. I was worried about missing out on weeks of benefits.
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Aria Park
•Yep, as long as you keep filing those weekly claims during adjudication, you won't lose anything.
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Noah Ali
Last thought - if you do get approved and this was your first job loss, make sure you understand all the requirements. Missing job search activities or weekly claim deadlines can cause problems later.
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Zara Ahmed
•I'll definitely read through everything carefully. Don't want to mess this up!
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Noah Ali
•Smart approach. The rules seem complicated at first but you'll get the hang of it.
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