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One more thing - if you're married and filing jointly, your unemployment benefits are still unearned income even if your spouse has earned income from working. Just in case anyone was wondering about that scenario.
Final summary for anyone scrolling through: Washington ESD unemployment benefits = unearned taxable income. Not earned income. This affects various programs and tax credits but you still need to report it as income where required.
One more thing - if you're on standby status, does that affect how the base period is calculated? I'm temporarily laid off but expecting to be called back.
I wish I had known about the base period thing before I filed. I would have waited a few more weeks to file so I could include higher wages from a more recent quarter.
One last tip - keep detailed records of all your earnings and hours worked. If Washington ESD ever questions your reported earnings, you'll want to have documentation to back up what you reported.
Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I feel much more confident about how partial benefits work now. Going to make sure I report my earnings correctly going forward.
One more thing - if you have any questions about your claim status or run into problems, don't just wait and hope it resolves itself. Contact Washington ESD right away because some issues have time limits for appeals.
And remember claimyr.com is there if you need help getting through to Washington ESD later on. Really saved me a lot of headaches.
Ryan Young
One last piece of advice - if you do apply and get approved, make sure you understand the weekly claim requirements. You'll need to file every week and report any work or earnings. Missing a week can cause delays in your benefits.
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Ryan Young
•You can file your weekly claim starting Sunday for the previous week, and you have until the following Saturday to file it. Most people file on Sunday to stay on schedule.
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Sophia Clark
•And don't forget about the job search requirements. You'll need to keep a log of your job search activities.
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Katherine Harris
This has been a really helpful thread. I was in a similar situation and wasn't sure about applying. Now I feel confident enough to give it a try. Thanks everyone!
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Emma Johnson
•Same here! This community is so helpful. Good luck with your application!
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Madison Allen
•Love seeing people help each other out with this confusing system. We're all in this together.
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