This whole thread is making me realize how broken Washington ESD's overpayment system is. We shouldn't have to jump through hoops just to see our account balance.

I work in debt collection and deal with state agencies regularly. Washington ESD's overpayment system is notoriously difficult to navigate. Here's what I'd recommend: 1) Log into your SecureAccess account and look under "Account Information" or "Claims" - sometimes the balance is buried in subsections. 2) Check your bank statements for payment confirmations that might include balance info. 3) If all else fails, send a written request for an account statement to Washington ESD - they're required to provide this information. Keep records of everything, and don't rely solely on their online system since it's known to have delays and display issues.

That's excellent news! Getting through early in the morning is definitely the way to go. Glad to hear they were able to resolve it quickly without sending you to adjudication. Thanks for coming back to update us.

That's fantastic news, Amina! So glad you got through and they could fix it right away. This gives me hope for when I inevitably make a similar mistake on my weekly claim. It's reassuring to know that the agents understand these things happen and can add notes to prevent claims from going into adjudication. Thanks for updating us - it's really helpful to see how these situations actually get resolved!

Just to summarize for anyone skimming - in Washington, unemployment tax applies to most wages up to $68,500 per year in 2025. This includes regular pay, overtime, bonuses, commissions, and tips. Main exemptions are business expense reimbursements and certain benefits. If your employer made mistakes, Washington ESD can correct the records.

This is such an important topic! I went through something similar when I switched jobs last year. One thing I learned is that you should keep your own records of all your wages - pay stubs, direct deposit records, etc. Don't just rely on what your employer reports to Washington ESD. When I had to file a claim, having my own documentation made it much easier to spot discrepancies and get them corrected. Also, if you're part-time like the OP mentioned, make sure your employer is consistently reporting all your hours and wages, not just the regular ones.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! Sounds like I need to be really careful about tracking and reporting everything. Better to be safe than sorry with Washington ESD.

I was in a similar situation a few months ago and ended up doing DoorDash on weekends. Here's what I learned: 1) You absolutely must report ALL earnings as gross income before any fees or deductions, 2) Keep a spreadsheet with dates, hours worked, and earnings for each week - it makes reporting so much easier, 3) The partial benefit formula actually isn't too bad if you stay strategic about your hours. I found that working Friday and Saturday nights for about 4-5 hours each gave me around $80-90 per week, which kept me under my benefit threshold. Just make sure you're still doing your required job search activities - gig work doesn't count toward those requirements. The extra income really helped with groceries and gas money while I was looking for full-time work.

This has been super educational. I had no idea you could collect UI while getting severance. Definitely going to file my claim now instead of waiting.

Just wanted to add my experience - I was in a similar situation with 8 weeks of severance from a tech layoff. Filed for unemployment right away and it was the right call. Even though some weeks my UI benefit was reduced to almost nothing due to the severance amount, I still got partial benefits and stayed active in the system. The Washington ESD online portal makes it pretty straightforward to report your severance each week when you file your weekly claim. Don't overthink it - just be honest about what you're receiving and when you receive it. The system will calculate everything automatically.