Can you claim disability and unemployment benefits at same time in Washington?

But what if I can do some types of work but not others? Like I can't do physical labor but could do office work?

That's where it gets tricky. If you can perform certain types of work, Washington ESD might consider you able and available, but the Social Security Administration might still approve disability if your condition significantly limits your work options. You'd need to be very careful about how you represent your abilities to each agency.

Oh no, that's exactly what I'm worried about! Did you appeal or just give up on the unemployment?

I appealed but lost. The hearing officer said the two applications were contradictory. I ended up just focusing on the disability claim.

How much does that cost though? I'm already struggling financially.

It's worth checking out their pricing. When you're dealing with something this important that could affect thousands of dollars in benefits, getting the right information upfront can save you a lot of hassle later.

Good point about the timing. I haven't applied for either yet so I need to figure out the best approach.

definitely talk to a lawyer first, these agencies dont care about your situation they just follow their rules

Exactly. And make sure any attorney you consult with understands Washington state rules specifically, not just federal disability rules.

I was thinking Social Security Disability, but Washington has its own disability program too?

Washington has Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) but that's different from long-term disability. For most people asking about disability benefits, they mean Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Right, PFML is temporary and you can work part-time while receiving it. That might actually be more compatible with unemployment than SSDI would be.

So if you're on disability, you can still work part time? That sounds like it might conflict with unemployment requirements too.

Yeah there are work incentives for disability recipients but it's super complicated. And if you're working part time you probably wouldn't qualify for unemployment anyway since you have to be unemployed or underemployed.

This is making me think I should just pick one or the other instead of trying to do both.

That's probably the safest approach unless you have a very specific situation where you can clearly demonstrate you're able to do some work but disabled for other types of work.

I keep hearing about Claimyr, maybe I should try it. Did you have to wait long once you got connected?

Once I got through to an actual ESD agent, they were able to answer my questions pretty quickly. The hard part is just getting connected in the first place, which is what Claimyr helps with.

How long did her disability application take? I need income soon and unemployment might be faster.

disability took like 8 months but unemployment would have been denied anyway because of her medical condition. depends on how bad your injury is

That makes sense. I think I need to be more strategic about which one to apply for first.

Definitely. And keep in mind that if you apply for unemployment and get denied, that denial could potentially hurt your disability application later if they see it as evidence you were trying to work.

Yeah I looked at their website but it wasn't very helpful for my specific situation.

Government websites are terrible for explaining complex situations like this. That's why services like Claimyr exist - sometimes you just need to talk to a human who can give you real answers.

Good point. I definitely don't want to get in legal trouble over this.

Yeah, be very careful about how you word things on applications. What you say to one agency can and will be used against you by another.

That's probably the smart move. I'll look for attorneys who specialize in disability law in Washington.

Make sure they understand unemployment law too, not just disability. You want someone who knows how both systems work together.

Thanks everyone, this has been really helpful. I think I'm going to consult with an attorney before doing anything.

Smart choice. Better to get it right the first time than to have to deal with appeals and overpayments later.