Can you claim unemployment while working in Washington ESD?
I'm confused about whether I can file for unemployment benefits while still working part-time. I lost my full-time job two weeks ago but picked up some part-time hours at a retail store. The pay is way less than what I was making before. Can I still file a claim with Washington ESD? Do I need to report the part-time work when I file my weekly claims? I don't want to mess anything up or get in trouble for doing something wrong.
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Sasha Ivanov
Yes, you can absolutely claim unemployment while working part-time in Washington state! This is called 'partial unemployment' and it's designed for exactly your situation. You'll need to report all earnings when you file your weekly claims, but Washington ESD has a formula that allows you to keep some of your benefits even while working reduced hours.
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Miguel Hernández
•That's such a relief! I was worried I couldn't file at all. Do you know how much I can earn before it affects my benefits?
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Sasha Ivanov
•The formula is a bit complex, but generally you can earn up to your weekly benefit amount plus $5 before your benefits are reduced. Anything over that gets deducted dollar-for-dollar from your weekly benefit.
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Liam Murphy
The key thing is ALWAYS report your earnings honestly on your weekly claim. Washington ESD will find out anyway through wage matching, and if you don't report it upfront, they'll consider it fraud. I've seen people get huge overpayment notices for not reporting part-time work.
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Amara Okafor
•This is so important! My friend didn't report some cash work and got hit with a $2,800 overpayment demand. Not worth the risk.
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Miguel Hernández
•Definitely reporting everything. Better safe than sorry with Washington ESD.
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CaptainAwesome
I was in a similar situation last year and had trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about partial unemployment. The phone lines were always busy. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an actual agent who explained everything about working while on benefits. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Yuki Tanaka
•Never heard of that service. Does it actually work for getting through to Washington ESD?
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CaptainAwesome
•Yeah, it worked for me. Saved me hours of trying to call on my own. The agent was able to explain the partial unemployment rules and how to report my earnings correctly.
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Miguel Hernández
•I might try that if I can't get through on my own. The Washington ESD phone system is brutal.
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Sasha Ivanov
When you file your initial claim, make sure to answer all questions about your work history accurately. Even though you're working part-time now, your benefit amount will be based on your previous full-time earnings. The part-time work you're doing now won't affect your weekly benefit amount calculation.
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Miguel Hernández
•Good to know! So my benefit amount is based on my old job, not the new part-time one?
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Sasha Ivanov
•Exactly. Your weekly benefit amount is calculated from your base year earnings, which would be from your full-time job. The part-time work just affects how much of that benefit you actually receive each week.
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Esmeralda Gómez
ugh the reporting is so confusing though. do you report gross or net pay? and what about tips if you get them?
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Liam Murphy
•Always report GROSS earnings - before taxes are taken out. And yes, you need to report tips too. Washington ESD wants to know about all income.
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Esmeralda Gómez
•ok thanks. this stuff is way more complicated than it should be
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Klaus Schmidt
I've been doing partial unemployment for three months now. The online weekly claim system makes it pretty easy to report earnings. Just make sure you keep track of your hours and pay stubs in case Washington ESD ever asks for verification.
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Miguel Hernández
•How often do they ask for verification? Should I be worried about that?
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Klaus Schmidt
•Not very often in my experience, but it's good to have records just in case. I keep a simple spreadsheet with dates, hours worked, and gross pay.
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Amara Okafor
•Smart idea. I do the same thing - better to have documentation and not need it than the other way around.
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Aisha Patel
One thing to watch out for - you still need to be actively seeking full-time work and available for full-time work even while working part-time. Don't let the part-time job interfere with your job search requirements.
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Miguel Hernández
•Oh I didn't think about that. Do I still need to do the 3 job search activities per week?
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Aisha Patel
•Yes, you still need to meet all the same job search requirements. The part-time work doesn't exempt you from looking for full-time employment.
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LilMama23
Just to add - if your part-time hours fluctuate week to week, that's totally normal and allowed. Some weeks you might work more hours, some less. Just report accurately each week when you file your claim.
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Miguel Hernández
•That's exactly my situation - sometimes I get 15 hours, sometimes 25. Good to know that's okay.
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LilMama23
•Yep, Washington ESD understands that part-time schedules can be unpredictable. Just be honest about your earnings each week.
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Dmitri Volkov
Make sure your part-time employer knows you're on unemployment too. Some employers try to schedule you for exactly 40 hours to mess with your benefits, but that's not legal if you were hired as part-time.
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Gabrielle Dubois
•Wait, is that really a thing employers do? That seems super shady.
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Dmitri Volkov
•Unfortunately yes, some do try to game the system. If you were hired for part-time work, they can't suddenly demand full-time availability just to mess with your unemployment.
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Tyrone Johnson
The Washington ESD website has a good calculator to estimate how much you'll get with partial unemployment. I think it's under the 'File Weekly Claim' section. Helped me understand the math better.
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Miguel Hernández
•I'll look for that calculator. Would be nice to know what to expect before I file my first claim.
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Ingrid Larsson
•Yeah that calculator is helpful. Just remember it's an estimate - your actual benefits might be slightly different.
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Carlos Mendoza
Been there! Lost my office job in March and took a part-time gig at a coffee shop while looking for something better. Washington ESD was actually really helpful once I got through to them. The partial unemployment kept me afloat while job hunting.
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Miguel Hernández
•How long did it take you to find something full-time again?
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Carlos Mendoza
•About 4 months, but the partial benefits made it less stressful. I could be pickier about job opportunities instead of taking the first thing that came along.
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Zainab Mahmoud
Quick tip - when you file your weekly claim online, there's a specific question about earnings for that week. Don't overthink it, just enter what you actually earned. The system will do the calculations automatically.
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Miguel Hernández
•That's reassuring. I was worried I'd have to do the math myself.
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Zainab Mahmoud
•Nope, Washington ESD's system handles all the benefit calculations. You just need to report your earnings accurately.
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Ava Williams
Also remember that if you get a second part-time job while on unemployment, you need to report earnings from BOTH jobs on your weekly claim. I made that mistake early on and had to sort it out later.
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Raj Gupta
•Good point! All earnings need to be reported, regardless of how many different jobs they come from.
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Miguel Hernández
•I'm just doing the one part-time job for now, but good to know for the future.
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Lena Müller
If you ever have issues with your claim or questions about reporting earnings, I had good luck using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Got connected to a Washington ESD agent who walked me through some complicated scenarios with my part-time work schedule.
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TechNinja
•I'm still skeptical about third-party services, but if it actually gets you through to Washington ESD agents, might be worth it.
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Lena Müller
•I was skeptical too at first, but it saved me so much time and frustration. Sometimes you just need to talk to an actual person who knows the rules.
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Keisha Thompson
Don't forget that your part-time work might actually help your job search! You're staying active in the workforce, building new skills, and networking. Washington ESD looks favorably on claimants who are actively working toward self-sufficiency.
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Miguel Hernández
•That's a great way to look at it. I was feeling bad about 'only' finding part-time work, but you're right - it's still progress.
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Paolo Bianchi
•Absolutely! Staying employed even part-time shows initiative and keeps your skills sharp.
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Yara Assad
Just file your claim and be honest about everything. The whole point of partial unemployment is to help people transition back to full-time work without losing their safety net. Washington ESD designed it this way on purpose.
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Miguel Hernández
•Thanks everyone for all the advice! I feel much better about filing my claim now.
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Olivia Clark
•Good luck! You've got this. The system is there to help you get back on your feet.
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Javier Morales
Update us on how your claim goes! Always curious to hear success stories, and it might help other people in similar situations.
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Miguel Hernández
•Will do! I'm going to file this weekend and hopefully get approved without any issues.
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Natasha Petrov
•Rooting for you! The partial unemployment program is really a lifesaver for people between jobs.
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