Can I claim unemployment if I am self employed in Washington state?

That's what I was afraid of. So there's literally no help for people like me who are self-employed?

There used to be Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) for self-employed but that ended in 2021. Now you're pretty much out of luck unless you had some W-2 income in the past 18 months.

I did some contract work through a staffing agency last summer for about 3 months. They treated me as an employee and took out taxes. Would that count?

Yes! That W-2 income could make you eligible. You need to have earned at least $1,019 in your base year to qualify for minimum benefits. File a claim and see what happens - worst case they deny it but you won't know until you try.

How long did it take to get approved? And did you have any issues with the application process?

Took about 3 weeks to get my first payment. The tricky part was reaching someone at Washington ESD to verify my work history. I actually used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

It's based on the insurance model - you pay in through payroll taxes, then you can draw benefits when unemployed. Self-employed people don't pay into the UI system, so they can't draw from it.

Yeah it's frustrating but that's how the system works. During COVID they created special programs for self-employed but those are gone now.

Marketing consulting, mostly for small businesses. I worked from home using my own equipment and set my own schedule. Definitely independent contractor stuff.

Yeah that sounds like true self-employment. Your best bet is definitely that staffing agency work you mentioned.

That's smart. I wish I had thought of that before my business tanked.

Same here. I drive for a delivery company one day a week just to maintain W-2 status. The extra income is nice too.

I haven't really looked into those. Do you know if there are income requirements?

Yeah there are income limits but if your business income has dropped to zero you might qualify. Worth checking out at least.

I mean, self-employed people choose to be independent contractors. Part of that choice is not having the same benefits as employees.

That's a pretty harsh way to look at it. Sometimes self-employment isn't really a choice, it's just the only work available.

How do I file the appeal if they deny me? Is there a time limit?

You have 30 days from the date of the denial notice to file an appeal. You can do it online through your SecureAccess Washington account.

That's frustrating. I really want to get my business back on track, not find a regular job.

You can request to be on standby status if you have a definite return-to-work date with a previous employer, but for self-employment that usually doesn't apply.

Was it that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier? I'm getting desperate to talk to someone who can give me real answers.

Yeah I think that was it. She said it was worth it because she wasted so much time trying to call on her own.

I saved all my documents from that staffing agency job. Should I include my 1099s from my consulting work too?

The 1099s won't help with UI eligibility but having them shows your complete work history. Focus on the W-2 income.

It's definitely a gap in the system. Some states have started programs for self-employed but Washington isn't one of them.

There are other safety nets though - SNAP, Medicaid, housing assistance. Not perfect but better than nothing.

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I'm going to file a claim tomorrow and see what happens. Fingers crossed!

Keep us posted! I'm curious to see how it works out for you.

Good point. I wasn't sure about that. What if I just get a small project for like $200?

You still have to report it. They'll reduce your weekly benefit by a portion of what you earned, but you won't lose the entire week's benefit unless you earn more than your weekly benefit amount plus $5.