Can I get Washington ESD unemployment if my spouse works?

Yes, you can absolutely file for unemployment benefits even if your spouse works! Washington ESD determines eligibility based on YOUR individual work history and the reason you lost your job, not your household income or your spouse's employment status. As long as you worked enough hours and earned enough wages in your base period, you should qualify.

Your spouse's income has zero impact on your UI eligibility. The only thing that matters is your own work history and whether you meet the monetary requirements. You need to have earned at least $1,100 in your base period and worked at least 680 hours, or earned at least $2,200 total in your base period.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I needed to verify my eligibility last year. The phone lines are always busy. If you need to talk to someone directly about your specific situation, I recently discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get connected to actual Washington ESD agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made my life so much easier!

just file online its not that hard, spouse income doesnt matter at all for UI benefits

To be completely clear - Washington ESD will ask about your spouse's employment status on the application, but this is only for statistical purposes. It won't affect your benefit amount or eligibility. Your weekly benefit amount is calculated based solely on your own earnings history during the base period.

My situation was similar - I got laid off while my partner was working. No issues with my claim at all. The only time spouse income might matter is if you're applying for certain state assistance programs, but that's completely separate from unemployment insurance.

I think there might be some confusion here. Doesn't the government look at total household resources when determining benefits? I could be wrong but I thought they considered everything.

File ASAP! There's a waiting period and you want to get your claim started as soon as possible. Your spouse's job has nothing to do with your eligibility - you paid into the unemployment system through your payroll taxes, so you're entitled to benefits when you lose your job through no fault of your own.

Just to add another perspective - I was in the same boat and got my benefits without any problems. The whole process was straightforward online. The only time I needed to call was when I had questions about my job search requirements, and that's when someone told me about Claimyr. Saved me hours of trying to get through on the phone.

The system is set up to replace YOUR lost wages, not to supplement household income. Your husband's job is completely irrelevant to your claim. Focus on gathering your employment history and wage information for the application.

One thing to keep in mind - even though your spouse's income doesn't affect eligibility, you'll still need to report any work you do while collecting benefits. If you pick up part-time work, that could affect your weekly benefit amount.

I was in a similar situation two years ago - husband working, I got laid off from my office job. Washington ESD approved my claim no problem. The weekly benefit amount was based on what I had been earning, not what our household income was. Don't let the fear of being denied stop you from filing.

JUST FILE ALREADY! Sorry for caps but seriously, you're overthinking this way too much. Spouse income = irrelevant for UI. Your work history = relevant. End of story.

I had to call Washington ESD multiple times during my claim process for various issues. If you run into problems reaching them, there's this service that helps you get through - Claimyr. Found it super helpful when I needed to resolve some adjudication issues that were holding up my payments.

Update us after you file! I'm curious how it goes since I might be in a similar situation soon. My company has been talking about more layoffs.

The bottom line is unemployment insurance is exactly that - insurance that you paid into while working. Your spouse didn't pay into YOUR unemployment insurance account, so their income is irrelevant to your benefits. File with confidence!

As someone who recently went through this process, I can confirm what everyone else is saying - your spouse's employment status absolutely does not affect your unemployment eligibility! I was worried about the same thing when I got laid off from my marketing job while my partner was still working. Washington ESD only looks at your individual work history and earnings. The application process was actually pretty straightforward online, and I got my first payment within about 2 weeks. Don't let unnecessary worry delay your filing - you've earned these benefits through your own payroll contributions!