Can I collect disability and unemployment at the same time in Washington?

That makes sense. My situation is I can't do heavy lifting or standing for long periods, but I can do desk work or light duty jobs. Would that count as being 'able and available'?

Yes, as long as you're genuinely seeking and able to accept suitable work within your restrictions. You'd need to document your job search efforts and show you're not turning down appropriate opportunities.

Have you tried using Claimyr? I found out about it recently - it's a service that helps you get through to actual Washington ESD agents without the endless hold times. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Might be worth checking out for getting a definitive answer on your situation.

Never heard of that but honestly at this point I'm willing to try anything. The regular phone system is completely useless.

Thanks for mentioning that! I'll definitely look into it because I really need to talk to someone who knows the rules.

That's not entirely accurate. There are partial disability situations and temporary disability that might allow for unemployment benefits. It really depends on the specific circumstances and type of disability claim.

I've never seen a case where someone was approved for both simultaneously. Maybe there are rare exceptions but it's definitely not the norm.

Actually my cousin was getting both for a few months after a work injury. She had partial disability but was still looking for work she could do with her restrictions.

Workers comp is different from regular disability benefits though. You might want to talk to someone at Washington ESD about your specific situation.

yeah i know but i still dont know if i can file for unemployment while the workers comp claim is being processed

This is really helpful. So I would need to make sure my job search activities match what I'm telling both agencies about my abilities?

Exactly. Consistency is crucial. If you tell Social Security you can't work at all, but tell Washington ESD you can work with restrictions, that's going to create problems for both claims.

That sounds incredibly frustrating. Have you been able to get through to anyone at Washington ESD for clarification?

Barely. When I finally got through after weeks of calling, the person I talked to gave me different information than what I found on their website. It's like nobody knows the actual rules.

This is exactly why I started using Claimyr.com - you can actually get connected to knowledgeable agents who can give you accurate information about complex situations like yours. Way better than playing phone tag for weeks.

That's interesting. So timing might matter too - like you might be able to get unemployment while your disability claim is being processed?

Yeah, that's what it seemed like in his case. But once the disability was approved, he had to stop the unemployment claims.

Tell me about it. I spent more time researching benefit rules than I did looking for a job when I was unemployed.

It really shouldn't be this complicated to figure out what help is available when you're already dealing with injury or job loss.

That's a good idea. I didn't think about consulting with an attorney but you're right that they would know the rules better than anyone.

Yeah, and they deal with these overlapping benefit situations all the time. Much better than trying to get accurate info from overwhelmed agency phone lines.

Absolutely. I definitely want to make sure I'm doing everything correctly. That's why I'm asking all these questions upfront.

Good approach. I know someone who got in trouble for not reporting disability income on their unemployment claim. The penalties were brutal.

Yeah, I looked at their website too and came away more confused than when I started. That's why I posted here hoping someone had actual experience with this.

This is a perfect example of when you need to actually talk to a Washington ESD representative rather than trying to figure it out from their website. That's where something like Claimyr really helps - you can get to an actual person who can review your situation properly.

That makes sense. I think my next step is going to be calling Washington ESD to discuss my specific situation and see what they say.

Good luck getting through! Hope you have better luck with their phone system than most of us have had.

Thanks for pointing that out. I hadn't thought about the ongoing reporting requirements but that's definitely important to know.

Yeah, failing to report income from other sources is one of the quickest ways to get in trouble with unemployment benefits.

Glad this thread was useful! Definitely one of those situations where getting official guidance is worth the effort.

Agreed. I feel much more prepared to have that conversation now thanks to everyone's input.