Can they garnish unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?

Generally speaking, unemployment benefits have some protections from garnishment, but it depends on what type of debt we're talking about. Federal debts like taxes, student loans, and child support can usually garnish unemployment. Private creditors like credit cards typically can't, but there are exceptions.

I had a similar situation last year and was stressed about it too. From what I learned, Washington state protects unemployment benefits from most garnishments except for things like child support, taxes, and student loans.

If you're having trouble getting specific information about your situation, I found a service called Claimyr that helps people reach Washington ESD agents by phone. They have a demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ and their site is claimyr.com. Might be worth asking an ESD agent directly about garnishment protections.

RCW 50.40.020 specifically protects unemployment benefits from garnishment by private creditors in Washington. The only exceptions are for child support, spousal support, taxes, and overpayments to the unemployment system itself.

ugh dealing with debt collectors is the worst especially when youre already struggling on unemployment. glad there are some protections in place

Just want to add that while your UI benefits are protected, you should still respond to any court papers if you get them. Ignoring garnishment notices could lead to other problems even if they can't actually garnish your unemployment.

I work in bankruptcy law and can confirm that Washington unemployment benefits are exempt from garnishment by most creditors. However, if you're really struggling with debt, you might want to consider talking to a bankruptcy attorney about your options.

Wait, so if I have student loans can they garnish my unemployment? I thought student loans were different from other debts.

This thread is really helpful! I've been getting scary letters from a collection agency and wasn't sure what to do. Sounds like I can ignore them if it's just credit card debt?

If anyone needs to verify this information directly with Washington ESD, I really recommend checking out Claimyr. It's so much easier than trying to get through on your own. The phone system is impossible otherwise.

I had child support garnish my unemployment benefits last year. They took like 25% of each payment. Really sucked but I guess that's one of the things they can legally do.

Does anyone know if this protection applies to PUA or just regular unemployment? I was on pandemic unemployment assistance last year and wondering if that has the same protections.

The whole system is so confusing. I wish there was better information available about what creditors can and can't do. Most people don't know their rights.

One thing I learned is to keep your unemployment benefits in a separate account from other money if possible. Makes it easier to show the funds are protected if anyone tries to garnish.

I tried calling Washington ESD about this exact question last month and could never get through. Spent literally hours on hold just to get hung up on. So frustrating.

What about tax debt? I owe the IRS from a few years ago and worried they might go after my unemployment.

This is all really helpful information. I had no idea unemployment benefits had these protections. Makes me feel a lot better about my situation.

Just remember that laws can change and every situation is different. If you're really worried, talking to a lawyer who specializes in debt collection or consumer law might be worth it.

Does the garnishment protection apply to back unemployment benefits too? Like if I get a big retroactive payment?

I'm dealing with medical debt collectors right now and this thread is giving me hope. They've been calling constantly and threatening garnishment but sounds like they're just bluffing.

I went through something similar about 6 months ago. Had collectors calling non-stop about old credit card debt while I was on unemployment. It was terrifying because I really needed every penny of those benefits just to keep my apartment and buy food. After doing research and talking to a legal aid attorney, I learned that Washington state has really strong protections for unemployment benefits against private debt collection. The key thing is that RCW 50.40.020 specifically exempts unemployment compensation from garnishment by creditors - with only a few exceptions like child support, taxes, and student loans. So for your credit card and medical debt, you should be safe. The collectors might keep sending scary letters and making threats, but they legally can't touch your UI payments. Just make sure to keep those benefits in a separate account if possible so you can easily prove the money came from unemployment if needed. Don't let them intimidate you - know your rights!

I was in almost the exact same situation a few months back - credit card debt from before I lost my job and then panicking that they'd take my unemployment money. The stress was unreal because like you said, you need every dollar just to survive. But I can confirm what others have said here - Washington's protections for UI benefits are solid. The collectors sent me threatening letters for weeks talking about garnishment and legal action, but they never actually did anything because they can't. Once I realized my unemployment was legally protected, I stopped answering their calls and just focused on finding work instead of worrying about debt I couldn't pay anyway. The peace of mind made a huge difference in my job search too. Hang in there - you're going to get through this!