Can I get Washington ESD unemployment after disability benefits end?

That's good to know! Do I need to wait a certain amount of time after my SDI ended, or can I apply right away?

You can apply right away as long as you meet the able and available requirements. Just make sure you have documentation from your doctor showing you're cleared to work.

Did they ask for a lot of medical documentation? I have the clearance letter from my doctor but wasn't sure if I needed more.

The clearance letter should be enough initially, but be prepared to provide more if they ask during adjudication. Keep all your medical records handy just in case.

Thanks for the tip! I was dreading having to call them. Did it actually work for getting answers about the disability to unemployment transition?

Yeah, I was able to get specific answers about my situation instead of just general info from their website. The agent walked me through exactly what I needed to do.

Good point! I worked for about 3 years steady before I got injured, so I think I should be ok on that front.

Yeah, 3 years of steady work should definitely meet the earnings requirement. You'll be fine there.

In this case, they were off work due to disability, not because they quit or were fired. Once they're able to work again and their disability benefits end, they can qualify for unemployment if they meet the other requirements.

Oh ok that makes sense. I didn't realize disability worked that way.

That's more complicated. Generally you can't receive both at the same time, but there might be exceptions depending on your specific situation. You'd need to check with both agencies.

I'd definitely call and ask about that one. The rules around partial benefits can be tricky.

That's a good reminder. I was wondering if I should mention the light duty restriction or if that would hurt my chances.

Definitely mention it. Being dishonest will cause way more problems later if they find out. They want to help you find suitable work, not set you up to fail.

That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr to get through to an actual Washington ESD agent. The website info is helpful but sometimes you need to talk to a real person about your specific situation.

I might have to try that. I'm so tired of getting the runaround.

Since you're coming off disability, they'll probably need to do some verification of your able and available status. Could take anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks depending on their workload.

Mine took about 10 days when I transitioned from disability. Just be patient and make sure you keep doing your work searches while you wait.

Yeah I already started applying to some light duty positions. How many job contacts do I need to document each week?

I think it's 3 per week minimum, but check your claim dashboard to be sure. They sometimes have different requirements for different situations.

Oh no, that's what I'm worried about. Did she eventually get approved?

Yeah, she did get approved after the appeal, but it took like 6 weeks total. Just make sure you have good documentation from your doctor.

Good point! My SDI officially ended last Friday and I applied today, so I think I'm ok on timing.

Yeah, that should be fine. They usually allow some reasonable time for people to apply after becoming eligible.

Workers comp to unemployment can be a bit more complicated than SDI to unemployment. You'll definitely want to talk to Washington ESD directly about your specific situation.

Another good case for using something like Claimyr to actually get through to talk to someone. These transitional situations really need individual attention.

Good luck! Feel free to update us on how it turns out.

You should be fine based on what you've described. Just stay on top of the work search requirements while you wait.

That makes sense. I was wondering how they would calculate it. Thanks for clarifying!

I tried calling last week and gave up after 2 hours on hold. Might have to look into that Claimyr thing people are mentioning.

It's worth it if you need to actually talk to someone. Way less frustrating than the regular phone line.

I'm looking at similar work but more desk-based roles since I can't do heavy lifting anymore. Hoping my experience will transfer over well.

That sounds like a good plan. Office work is pretty abundant right now so you should have decent options.

Same here. It's nice to see real people sharing their experiences instead of just reading the official government pages.

Thank you! I'm nervous but also excited to get back to working. Fingers crossed the claim gets approved quickly.