Can child support be taken from unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?

Yes, child support can definitely be garnished from unemployment benefits in Washington. The Division of Child Support (DCS) can intercept your UI payments just like they would with regular wages. It's automatic once they set it up in the system.

this happened to me too, they started taking money right away once my benefits kicked in. you should contact DCS directly to see what your garnishment amount will be

Washington State follows federal guidelines for child support garnishment from unemployment benefits. Under federal law, up to 50% of disposable income can be garnished for child support if you're not supporting another spouse or child, or up to 60% if you are more than 12 weeks behind. Since you're getting unemployment, this would apply to your weekly benefit amount.

If you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about this or get clarification on how the garnishment will work with your specific case, I'd recommend checking out Claimyr at claimyr.com. They help people get through to actual ESD agents instead of waiting on hold forever. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. I used it when I had questions about my benefits and it saved me hours of frustration.

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST US! They'll take money from your unemployment but won't help you find a decent job that pays enough to actually support your kids. It's all backwards!

You might want to contact your child support caseworker to discuss a payment plan or modification if your income has changed significantly. Sometimes they can work with you, especially if you're actively looking for work.

i went through this exact situation last year. they took about $180 from my $380 weekly benefit. it was tough but at least i knew what to expect each week

One thing to remember is that you'll still need to file your weekly claims on time and meet all the job search requirements even with the garnishment happening. The child support deduction doesn't affect your eligibility for benefits.

Just wanted to mention that if you have other debts too, child support gets priority over most other garnishments. So if you owe student loans or credit cards, the child support will be taken first.

Make sure you understand exactly how much you owe in back support. Sometimes the calculation includes interest and penalties that make the total higher than you expect. You should be able to get a statement from DCS.

If you're having trouble reaching ESD about this or any other unemployment questions, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier really does work. I was skeptical at first but it got me through to an actual person in about 20 minutes when I normally would have spent all day trying to call.

One more thing - make sure your address is updated with both ESD and DCS so you get all the important notices about your benefits and child support. Missing paperwork can cause bigger problems down the road.

this whole situation sucks but at least unemployment is temporary. hopefully you can find a good job soon and get back on your feet financially

Just to clarify something from earlier - the garnishment percentage is based on your net benefit amount (after taxes), not the gross amount. So if taxes are taken out first, then child support is calculated from what's left.

I would also suggest keeping detailed records of all your unemployment payments and child support deductions. It helps if you ever need to dispute anything or apply for a modification later.

One last tip - if you do get a job offer while collecting unemployment, make sure to factor in the child support garnishment when deciding if the job pays enough to make it worth taking. Sometimes a low-paying job isn't much better than unemployment after child support is taken out.