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Glad you got your answer OP. For anyone else reading this thread later - the key takeaway is DON'T WAIT. File your unemployment claim immediately after job loss in Washington state. There's no benefit to waiting and you'll only lose money.
The frustration is real. I spent my entire morning calling and got nowhere. At least we're not alone in this struggle.
Update: I tried the Claimyr service and they got me through in 18 minutes. The agent was able to see that my former employer hadn't responded to their inquiry, which was causing the delay. She escalated it and said I should see movement within a week. Worth every penny after all the time I wasted calling myself.
That's great news! I'm definitely going to try Claimyr now. Thanks for the update.
Bottom line - unemployment benefits and Social Security are completely separate. File for your UI benefits with confidence, and don't let this worry keep you from getting the help you need while you're looking for work.
Had the same concern when I was 63 and got laid off. Talked to someone at Social Security directly and they confirmed zero interaction between the two programs. Your future SS benefits are safe!
Make sure you understand the waiting week too. First week you file you don't get paid, so really you're looking at 25 weeks of actual payments if you use the full 26 weeks.
Mikayla Brown
Quick question - if your employer eventually pays you the back wages, do you have to pay back the unemployment benefits?
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Evelyn Rivera
•Yes, you would need to report any back pay to Washington ESD. Depending on the timing and amounts, you might need to repay some benefits. Always report changes in your situation.
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Kolton Murphy
•Good question. I'll make sure to report it if my employer ever catches up on the missed payments.
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Sean Matthews
Thanks for sharing your experience OP. This is exactly the kind of real-world situation that the unemployment system should handle smoothly, but it's clearly not as straightforward as it should be.
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Kolton Murphy
•Yeah, it definitely wasn't straightforward. Without help from people here and that Claimyr service, I would have been stuck.
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Yara Campbell
•The system really needs to be more user-friendly. People shouldn't need special services just to talk to a government agency.
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