Can Washington ESD unemployment benefits be garnished for child support?

Seriously? That sucks. Do they take the full amount or just a percentage?

They can take up to 50% of your weekly benefit amount for child support garnishment.

Is there any way to fight this or reduce the amount they take?

You'd need to work with DCS or go back to court to modify your child support order if your income has changed significantly.

I tried this and it took months to get a hearing. In the meantime they kept taking half my benefits.

Did you get any notice before they started taking the money?

I got a letter from DCS but Washington ESD didn't notify me separately. The first time I knew was when my payment was short.

Thanks, I might need that. The regular phone number just hangs up on me after being on hold forever.

Is that service legit? Sounds too good to be true with how impossible it is to reach Washington ESD.

Yeah it's real. I was skeptical too but it actually worked. Got connected to an agent in like 20 minutes instead of calling all day.

That's exactly what I'm worried about. Did he find any way to get help with the reduced income?

he applied for food stamps and got help with utilities through some local program. had to swallow his pride but it helped

Good to know. My claim is still in adjudication so this might affect me.

Yeah they got me for like $2000 when my adjudication finally cleared and I got 6 weeks of back pay.

I get it but child support is for the kids. The system assumes you should have been paying all along.

I know but when you lose your job it's not like you chose to stop paying. The amounts should adjust automatically.

That's why it's important to petition for a modification as soon as your income changes.

There's no federal supplement right now. That ended after COVID. But when there was, yes they could garnish that too.

Oh right, I forgot those programs ended. Thanks for clarifying.

Is there any legal way to delay or stop this while looking for work?

Not really. Child support is considered a priority debt. Your best bet is to try to modify the support order if your income has dropped significantly.

Yes, there are interstate agreements for child support enforcement. They can garnish unemployment benefits regardless of which state you're in.

Damn, I was hoping moving to Washington would help me get back on my feet first.

How much back support do you have to owe before they start garnishing?

Any amount. They can start garnishing as soon as you miss one payment and they get an order.

That's actually helpful advice. I'll try calling them before the garnishment starts.

Good luck getting through to DCS. Their phone system is almost as bad as Washington ESD.

Yeah I think I'm going to try that service. Need to know what to expect with my payments.

It stops when unemployment ends but the order stays in place. As soon as you get new income they can garnish again.

So basically there's no escape until you pay everything off or get the order modified.

How do you manage on half benefits? Any tips for stretching the money?

Food banks, utility assistance programs, and I had to move to a cheaper place. It's rough but doable if you know where to get help.

211 is a good resource for finding local assistance programs. Just dial 2-1-1.

Yes, standby is still unemployment insurance. Any UI benefits can be garnished for child support.

Ugh, I was hoping standby might be different since it's temporary.

Do they send you any paperwork about the garnishment or just start taking the money?

I got a notice from DCS but Washington ESD doesn't really explain it. The deduction just appears on your payment.

Same here. Better to know now than be surprised when the first payment is short.

Smart approach. Even if you can't stop it, at least you can budget for it.