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One thing nobody mentioned - if you have a pension or retirement income, that can reduce your weekly benefit amount. Not sure if that applies to you but worth knowing.
Final tip - if you end up needing to talk to Washington ESD about your benefit calculation or any other issues, seriously consider using claimyr.com. Saved me hours of frustration trying to get through their phone system. The peace of mind was worth it.
Bottom line: Washington state eliminated the waiting week permanently. File your weekly claims and you should get paid for your first eligible week. If you need to talk to Washington ESD and can't get through, there are services like Claimyr that can help.
Quick update - I actually just got off the phone with Washington ESD (used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it worked great). The rep confirmed that I should file a claim and they'll investigate the work classification. She said to be thorough in describing how my work was structured and provide as much documentation as possible.
One last tip - when you're filling out your claim, there should be a section where you can explain your work situation in detail. Use that space to describe how your client controlled your work, provided equipment, set schedules, etc. Don't just rely on the basic form fields.
Pro tip: if you're setting up a payment plan, make sure you get the agreement in writing. I had issues later when they claimed my payment amount was different than what we discussed over the phone.
One more plug for using Claimyr if you need to call Washington ESD about this - I've recommended it to several people dealing with overpayments and everyone has had success getting through to the right department. The overpayment unit is actually pretty helpful once you reach them, it's just getting through that's the challenge.
Cynthia Love
Thanks for sharing your experience OP. I'm in a similar situation with my photography business being slow this winter. Going to look into whether my summer job at a wedding venue would qualify me.
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Dominique Adams
•Definitely worth checking! The seasonal nature of both our businesses makes it even more important to know all your options.
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Darren Brooks
•Wedding industry is tough in winter. Hope you can get some benefits to help tide you over until spring.
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Rosie Harper
This has been really educational. I always thought UI was only for people who got laid off from regular jobs. The mixed employment situation is way more common than I realized.
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TommyKapitz
•A lot of people have multiple income streams these days - gig work, part-time jobs, small businesses. The unemployment system tries to account for that complexity, but it's not always clear how it works.
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Dominique Adams
•The key is talking to someone at ESD who can look at your specific situation. Every case is different based on your work history and wages.
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