I have a small rental property. Does that automatically disqualify me or just reduce benefits?

It might reduce your weekly benefit amount depending on how much income it generates, but it shouldn't disqualify you entirely. You'll need to report it though.

Thanks for the encouragement. I think I'm going to file the claim tomorrow and see what happens. All this information has been really helpful.

Good luck with your claim! Remember to be honest about everything, including the attendance issues if they ask directly. Since they classified it as a layoff due to restructuring, you should be in good shape. Just make sure to start your job search log right away and keep detailed records of every application you submit.

Thanks, that means a lot. This community has been really helpful.

This is incredibly helpful information! I had no idea that I should be guiding my therapist on what to include. I was just planning to ask for a general letter saying I can't work. The specific functional limitations you mentioned - like how panic attacks interrupt work tasks - that's exactly what I'm experiencing but I wasn't sure how to articulate it in a way that would make sense to ESD. I'm definitely going to research the documentation requirements before my next therapy appointment and bring some examples. Thanks for sharing your experience - it gives me a much clearer roadmap for getting the right kind of medical support for my claim.

This is incredibly helpful information! I had no idea you could guide your healthcare provider on what to include. I'm definitely going to research the specific language ESD looks for and have that conversation with my therapist before we write anything. The functional limitations piece makes so much sense - it's not just about having a diagnosis, but explaining exactly how it prevents you from doing your job. Really appreciate you sharing your experience with the process.

This is extremely risky advice that could result in significant overpayment penalties. ESD can investigate up to 6 years back and often does when self-employment is involved. They may request business formation documents, website creation dates, and other evidence to determine when you actually started working. To answer the OP's question about benefit reduction: Yes, it's proportional. ESD uses your weekly benefit amount and reduces it based on hours worked. If your WBA is $844 and you work 10 hours at $20/hr (or equivalent), they'll deduct approximately $200 from your benefit for that week. The exact formula is available on their website.

That sounds like a solid plan. One more tip: keep a detailed log of all your business activities with dates, times, and descriptions. If ESD ever questions you about it, having documentation will be incredibly helpful. Best of luck with both your job search and your new business venture!

Smart approach! I'm in a similar situation - laid off from my marketing job 3 months ago and thinking about freelance consulting. Your plan to limit hours and document everything makes sense. Definitely let us know what the ESD agent says about the hourly reporting requirements. The conflicting advice in this thread shows how confusing their rules really are. Good luck with both the job hunt and the web design business!

Hey Jamal! Welcome to the community - your situation sounds really relatable. I'm also relatively new to the unemployment system and this thread has been a goldmine of information. At $75k annually, you should definitely qualify for a decent benefit amount. I was in a similar salary range and ended up getting around $680 per week, so you're probably right about that $700-800 estimate. Just wanted to add one thing others haven't mentioned - when you get your monetary determination letter, really look it over carefully. I almost missed that they had used an older quarter with lower earnings when a more recent quarter would have qualified me for a higher amount. You can request a redetermination if you think there's an error. Also, totally agree about keeping Claimyr in your back pocket. I haven't used it yet but based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like a lifesaver if you need to actually speak with someone at Washington ESD. The regular phone system seems to be pretty much unusable. Good luck with your claim and your job search! The marketing field can be tough right now but the benefits should help take some of the financial pressure off while you find the right opportunity.

Welcome to the community, Jamal! Your $75k salary should definitely put you in a good position for benefits - you're right that you'll probably land somewhere in that $700-800 range rather than the full maximum. Just to add to what others have said about the 1099 work - it won't help your benefit calculation, but make sure you understand the reporting requirements if you continue doing any freelance work while collecting. You'll need to report all earnings on your weekly claims, and there's a specific formula they use to reduce your benefits based on what you earn. One thing I'd suggest is creating an account on the Washington ESD website before you actually need to file - it can save time later and you can access tools like the wage history lookup to double-check what earnings they have on file for you. Sometimes employers make reporting errors that can affect your benefit amount. The Claimyr recommendation is solid - I used it myself when I had questions about my base period calculation and it was worth every penny to actually talk to someone who could explain the specifics of my situation. Way better than the endless busy signals! Best of luck with both the claim process and your job search in marketing. The benefits should definitely help take some pressure off while you find your next role.

Hey Muhammad! Welcome to the community! Your $92k salary should definitely put you in excellent position for close to the maximum benefit. The great news about your October raise is that Washington ESD automatically evaluates both the standard and alternate base periods and uses whichever gives you the higher amount - you don't need to request it separately. Since your raise was so recent, they'll very likely use the alternate base period to capture those higher quarterly earnings. I went through something similar with a mid-year promotion and ended up getting much more than expected because they used the more recent quarters. Just make sure to carefully review your monetary determination letter when it arrives to confirm the quarterly wages match your actual pay history. If anything seems off, that's when Claimyr becomes really valuable for getting through to discuss your specific wage calculation. The tech market is definitely challenging right now, but having solid benefits should give you breathing room to be selective about your next opportunity rather than feeling rushed. Good luck with your claim!

Hey Muhammad! Welcome to the community! Your $92k salary should definitely put you very close to that maximum $999 weekly benefit. The timing of your October raise is actually great news - Washington ESD automatically evaluates both the standard and alternate base periods and uses whichever gives you the higher benefit amount, so you don't need to worry about requesting anything special. Since your raise was so recent, there's an excellent chance they'll use the alternate base period to capture those higher quarterly earnings. I've seen several people in similar situations end up with much higher benefits than they initially expected because the system automatically picked up their more recent higher wages. When you get your monetary determination letter, just double-check that the quarterly earnings they show match your actual pay stubs. If something looks off or if they somehow missed your higher recent earnings, that's definitely when Claimyr becomes worth it to get through and talk to someone who can review your specific wage history. The job search requirements really are manageable - networking events, LinkedIn updates, and informational interviews all count toward your three weekly activities, so it's mostly stuff you'd be doing anyway while actively job hunting. Tech layoffs have been brutal lately, but having solid unemployment benefits should give you the financial breathing room to be strategic about your next move rather than feeling pressured to take the first offer. Good luck with your claim and your search!

Good to know - hopefully it won't come to that but I'll keep that in mind.

And if you need to talk to someone during adjudication, that's another time when Claimyr could be helpful for actually reaching an agent.