Are federal employees eligible for unemployment benefits in Washington state?

Thank you! Do you know if the benefit amount is calculated the same way as regular unemployment? I make about $65,000 annually.

Yes, same calculation. Washington ESD will use your federal wages to determine your weekly benefit amount, just like they do for private sector employees.

How long did it take you to get through to them? I've heard horror stories about people calling for weeks.

It took me about 3 weeks of calling every day before I could even speak to someone. Super frustrating when you're already stressed about losing your job.

Have you tried using Claimyr? I found them on claimyr.com and they got me through to Washington ESD in like 20 minutes. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much time and stress.

Good point. Should I contact HR about the wage reporting, or does that happen automatically?

It should happen automatically through the federal reporting system, but it doesn't hurt to mention it to your HR department when you're processing out.

Postal employees are actually covered under a different system called UCX (Unemployment Compensation for Ex-servicemembers), not UCFE. But yes, you can still get unemployment benefits through Washington ESD if you lose your job.

oh wow thanks for clarifying that! good to know i have some protection if something happens

That's helpful to know. Do you think the RIF documentation I get from my agency will be enough, or do I need additional paperwork?

The RIF notice should be sufficient to show you're unemployed through no fault of your own. Keep copies of everything though - your SF-50, SF-8, and the RIF notification.

Yes, same job search requirements apply. You'll need to log your job search activities in WorkSourceWA and meet the minimum requirements each week you claim benefits.

Got it, thanks! At least the USAJOBS searches should count toward that requirement.

Good distinction. In my case it's a permanent RIF, not a furlough, so I think I'm in the regular UCFE category.

Yeah, permanent RIF definitely qualifies you for regular unemployment benefits through UCFE. Just make sure you apply as soon as your employment ends.

That's exactly why I used Claimyr when I needed to reach Washington ESD. Instead of calling hundreds of times, they handled the waiting and got me through to an actual person who could help with my claim status.

I might have to look into that. This calling every day thing is exhausting.

How long did your claim take to get approved? I'm worried about the timing since I have a mortgage to pay.

Mine was approved within about 10 days, which seemed pretty standard. The key is making sure all your federal employment documentation is in order when you apply.

Washington eliminated the waiting week for all unemployment claims, including UCFE, so you should be eligible for benefits starting with your first week of unemployment.

That's great news! Thanks for the clarification.

Federal contractors file regular UI, not UCFE. UCFE is only for direct federal employees. Your contracting company would be your employer for unemployment purposes.

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for clearing that up!

Yes, you can collect unemployment while applying for other jobs, including federal positions. Just make sure you're available for work and continue meeting the job search requirements.

Perfect, that's what I was hoping to hear. The federal hiring process takes forever so I'll definitely need the unemployment bridge.

Oh no, I have about 200 hours of annual leave saved up. Will that delay my benefits significantly?

It might delay the start of your benefits by a few weeks depending on the payout amount. You'll need to report it when you file your claim and Washington ESD will calculate the impact.

I'm definitely going to look into that. Sounds like it could save me a lot of hassle.

Yeah, especially for UCFE questions. The regular Washington ESD agents don't deal with federal employee claims as often, so having someone who can get you to the right person helps.

Good point. Mine is definitely involuntary - I'm not eligible for retirement and they're eliminating my position entirely.

Then you should be all set for UCFE benefits. The involuntary nature of the separation makes it straightforward.

That's reassuring. I was worried that having FERS retirement contributions might somehow disqualify me.

Nope, FERS and unemployment are completely separate programs. Your retirement contributions don't affect your unemployment eligibility at all.

That's encouraging to hear. I've been stressing about this for weeks but it sounds like it's more straightforward than I thought.

Yeah, the hardest part is just getting through to Washington ESD to file the initial claim. After that, the weekly claims are pretty routine.

Good reminder. I should probably set that up before I even file the unemployment claim.

That's smart. Having your WorkSourceWA account ready can speed up the process when you file for benefits.

Thanks for joining the conversation and sharing your recent experience! That's really helpful advice about mentioning UCFE specifically when calling Washington ESD. I didn't realize they had specialists who handle federal employee claims differently. Starting online first sounds like a good strategy too - I've been dreading the phone calls based on what everyone's said about wait times. Did you find the online application pretty straightforward for federal employment information, or did you still need to call for clarification on anything?