If you're still having trouble reaching someone at Washington ESD about how your benefits might affect your school enrollment, you might want to check out claimyr.com. I used their service to actually get through to a real person at Washington ESD when I couldn't get through on my own. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really helped me get the answers I needed about my specific situation.

I went through this exact situation two years ago when I was laid off from my job at Boeing and had to navigate both Washington ESD benefits and FAFSA applications. Here's what I learned: Yes, your unemployment benefits absolutely count as income on the FAFSA, but don't let that discourage you from applying for aid. The key things to remember are: 1) Get your 1099-G form from Washington ESD as soon as it's available (usually in January), 2) File your taxes early so you can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool on your FAFSA, and 3) Be completely honest about all income sources. I ended up qualifying for both federal and state aid even with my UI benefits reported. Also, once you start school, make sure to update Washington ESD about your class schedule - they have specific rules about students collecting benefits. The financial aid office at your school will be your best resource for navigating any complications. Don't give up on your education goals because of this temporary income situation!

Update us on how this goes! I'm sure other people reading this thread will want to know how overpayment situations typically get resolved.

I went through a similar overpayment situation last year and want to share what worked for me. First, gather all your documentation - weekly claim forms, pay stubs, and any correspondence with Washington ESD. Then log into your online account and review the "determination" section carefully - it should show exactly what weeks they think you were overpaid and why. In my case, there was a discrepancy between what I reported for part-time work and what my employer reported to them. The key is to act quickly within that 30-day appeal window if you disagree with their finding. Don't let the $2,800 amount scare you - focus on understanding whether their calculation is actually correct first. If you do end up owing something, they're usually reasonable about payment plans as long as you communicate proactively with them.

Just wanted to update that I managed to get through to ESD this morning! The agent was able to remove the duplicate employer from my account in less than 5 minutes. She said it might take 24-48 hours to update in the system, but my next weekly claim should only show my employer once. For anyone else with this issue - she mentioned this happens frequently and confirmed that as long as you enter identical hours for both entries, it won't affect your benefits. Thanks everyone for your help!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Created a duplicate employer entry when I reactivated my claim after being furloughed. It's so frustrating that such a simple mistake requires calling ESD to fix. I've been entering the same hours twice for the past two weeks and it's working fine for receiving benefits, but I'm paranoid about potential issues down the road. Going to try the 8am calling strategy tomorrow - fingers crossed I can get through like Grace did!

Just wanted to add that the $999 maximum is actually quite generous compared to most states. I moved here from Texas where the max was only around $500. The higher cost of living in Washington definitely justifies the higher benefit amounts. Also, for anyone struggling to get through to Washington ESD by phone, I've found that calling right at 8am on weekdays gives you the best chance of actually reaching someone, though you'll still probably be on hold for a while.

I've been dealing with Washington ESD for months now and can confirm that the $999 maximum is accurate for 2025. One thing I learned the hard way is that even if you think you should qualify for the max based on your salary, the quarterly calculation can be tricky. I was making $85k annually but since my pay was distributed evenly throughout the year, my highest quarter was only around $21k, which put me at about $750/week instead of the maximum. The system really favors people who had concentrated high earnings in a single quarter, like those with big bonuses or seasonal work patterns.

This whole conversation makes me think about Universal Basic Income differently. Like if we had UBI, maybe people could afford to be more selective about work without suffering, which could actually improve job matching and reduce the pressure to accept terrible jobs.

This discussion is fascinating and really eye-opening! As someone who's been through the Washington ESD system recently, I never thought about unemployment from this macro perspective before. The point about needing some "slack" in the labor market for people to have bargaining power really resonates - when I was job hunting, having that buffer time (even though it was stressful) did let me be more selective and ultimately find a better fit. It's wild to think that zero unemployment could actually trap workers in bad situations. Makes me appreciate that unemployment benefits, despite all the bureaucratic headaches, serve a real economic function beyond just helping individuals.