For what it's worth, I had a situation where I needed to speak with someone at Washington ESD about documentation they requested, and I couldn't get through on the phone for weeks. Finally used a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual person at ESD right away. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Made dealing with the whole process so much easier when I could actually talk to someone who could answer my questions.

Thanks everyone for all the detailed responses! This has been incredibly helpful in understanding how the audit process actually works. It sounds like as long as I keep being honest with my reporting and maintain good documentation of my job search activities, I should be fine. The consensus seems to be that audits are targeted rather than random, which makes me feel much less paranoid about the whole thing. I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing and try not to stress about it unnecessarily.

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'll definitely be reporting all my Instacart earnings each week when I do my UI claim. Better safe than sorry, especially after hearing about that overpayment nightmare. I appreciate all the advice!

Smart move asking this question upfront! I've been doing gig work (Uber Eats) while on UI for a few months now and learned this the hard way. Definitely report everything - gross earnings and hours worked. One tip that's helped me: I created a simple spreadsheet to track my daily earnings and hours from each platform, then I just add it up when filing my weekly claim. Makes it much easier than trying to remember or dig through payment emails later. Also, keep screenshots of your earnings summaries from Instacart's app as backup documentation in case ESD ever asks for proof. Good luck with the deliveries!

Just want to confirm what everyone else said - been on unemployment multiple times over the years and never paid social security taxes on the benefits. Only regular income tax. The 1099-G form makes it easy to report at tax time too.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I was in the exact same situation as Ethan - getting my weekly benefits and having no clue about the tax implications. It's such a relief to learn that there's no social security tax to worry about, just regular federal income tax. I think I'll start having the 10% withheld on my next weekly claim filing just to be safe. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences here!

does anyone know if u get backpay for all the weeks during the appeal if u win? i'm in the same boat waiting for my appeal hearing and running out of money fast :/

I went through a very similar situation about 8 months ago - fired for allegedly being "insubordinate" when I actually questioned unsafe working conditions at my warehouse job. Here's what I wish someone had told me from the start: 1. File your appeal TODAY, not tomorrow. The 15-day deadline is firm and ESD won't accept late appeals except in very rare circumstances. 2. Since you mentioned the Nevada statute in your denial letter, you need to immediately clarify which state you should be filing in. If you worked in Nevada but moved to Washington, this could complicate things significantly. 3. Your coworker's text messages are excellent evidence, but get them to write a formal witness statement too. Include their contact info in case the judge wants to question them directly. 4. Document EVERYTHING about your work history - any training you received on food safety, employee handbook policies, performance reviews, etc. This shows you were a conscientious employee, not someone prone to misconduct. 5. Most importantly: frame this as you being terminated for doing your JOB correctly (following food safety protocols) rather than committing misconduct. The burden is on your employer to prove misconduct occurred. A single incident where you were actually trying to protect public health and the company's interests is NOT misconduct under unemployment law. Stay strong - you've got good evidence and a solid case!

Thanks for posting this question! I've been wondering about the same thing with a potential settlement from a workplace accident (not workers comp related). Good to know these types of settlements generally don't affect unemployment benefits.

I went through something similar last year with a personal injury settlement from a slip and fall. Washington ESD didn't reduce my benefits at all since it wasn't work-related income. The key is being upfront about it when you file your weekly claim. I reported it under "other income" with a brief explanation that it was a personal injury settlement unrelated to employment. They reviewed it for about 10 days and then confirmed it wouldn't affect my benefits. Just make sure you keep all your settlement paperwork in case they ask for documentation later. The transparency really helps avoid any issues down the road.