Can you apply for unemployment if your self employed - Washington ESD eligibility question

That's what I was afraid of. Are there any other options for self-employed people during slow periods?

You might want to look into other assistance programs, but for unemployment specifically, you'd need to have been an employee with wages reported to Washington ESD.

The pandemic programs like PUA (Pandemic Unemployment Assistance) ended in 2021. Those were temporary federal programs that covered self-employed workers, but they're no longer available.

oh ok that makes sense, i remember hearing about that but didn't realize it was just temporary

Thanks for the info! I'll check that out instead of spending hours on hold trying to reach someone.

How much does that service cost? Seems like it might be worth it to get definitive answers instead of guessing.

It's worth it when you need real answers from Washington ESD directly. Much better than trying to interpret their website or sitting on hold for hours.

I understand the frustration. The unemployment system was designed around traditional employer-employee relationships. Self-employed individuals can set up their own safety nets through savings or other insurance products.

yeah it sucks but that's how the system works. we chose to be self employed so we have to deal with the ups and downs

That's interesting - I did work for a landscaping company for about 6 months last year before starting my own business. Would those wages count?

Potentially yes! If you earned enough in covered wages during your base period, you might qualify. You'd need to file a claim to find out for sure.

Wait, how do you know if your wages were in the 'base period'? I'm so confused by all these terms.

Thank you! That actually makes sense now. I need to figure out when exactly I worked for that company.

This is getting complicated. Maybe I should just try calling Washington ESD to see if my employee wages from last year would qualify me.

Have you tried calling right when they open? I heard that's the best time to get through.

tried that, tried lunch time, tried late afternoon. always busy signal or disconnected after being on hold forever

How much in W2 wages did you need to have to qualify? I'm trying to figure out if my 6 months of employee work would be enough.

You need at least $1,000 in covered wages during your base period, but the exact amount for weekly benefits depends on your total wages. Check the Washington ESD website for the benefit calculator.

What do you mean by that? If I'm looking for work, how would being self-employed be a problem?

Washington ESD might question whether you're truly available for employee work if you're still operating your business. It's something to consider when filing.

That's a good point. You'd need to be genuinely seeking and available for employee positions, not just waiting for your business to pick up.

I mean, that's how insurance works though. You pay in when you're working as an employee, you get benefits when you lose that employee job.

but what about all the taxes we pay as self employed people? none of that counts for anything when we need help

That sounds exactly like what I need. I'll definitely look into that service since I need clear answers about my specific situation.

Is it legit though? Seems too good to be true that they can get you through when nobody else can.

Yeah it's legit, they just have a system for getting through the phone queues more efficiently. Saved me tons of time and frustration.

That gives me hope! I definitely had legitimate W2 wages last year, so maybe I do qualify after all.

Just make sure you're honest about your self-employment when you file. Washington ESD will find out anyway and you don't want to get in trouble for not disclosing it.

I wouldn't recommend that approach. Filing a claim when you know you're not eligible could be considered fraud, even if unintentional. Better to get accurate information first.

ok fair point, probably not worth the risk

Yeah definitely don't do that. Washington ESD takes fraud seriously and it's not worth the potential consequences.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! Sounds like I need to look up my exact W2 wages from last year and possibly talk to Washington ESD directly to see if I qualify.

Good luck! Hope it works out for you. The unemployment system is confusing enough without trying to figure out the self-employment angle.

That makes sense. At this point any help would be better than nothing, so I'll take whatever I can get if I qualify.

Exactly. Something is better than nothing when work is slow.