Can you collect Washington ESD unemployment while on short term disability?

This is a tricky situation. Generally, to receive unemployment benefits in Washington, you need to be able and available for work. If you're on short term disability and unable to work, you typically wouldn't qualify for UI benefits. However, once your doctor clears you to return to work and your position has been eliminated, you should be able to file a claim at that point.

I went through something similar last year. You can't collect both at the same time because of the able and available requirement. But once you're cleared to work, you should definitely file immediately since your job was eliminated through no fault of your own.

Actually, there might be some flexibility here depending on your specific circumstances. If you're able to perform some types of work even while on partial disability, you might still qualify. I'd recommend calling Washington ESD directly to discuss your situation. I used Claimyr.com recently to get through to an actual agent - they have this system that calls you back when an agent is available instead of waiting on hold forever. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Wait, I'm confused. If your position was eliminated while you were on disability, wouldn't that count as a layoff? I thought you could file for unemployment immediately in cases like that, even if you're not able to work right away.

This happened to my brother-in-law. He was on workers comp and got laid off at the same time. He had to wait until he was medically cleared before he could file for unemployment. The timing was awful because he had no income for a few weeks.

The Washington ESD website has some info about this under their eligibility requirements. You need to be physically able to work and actively seeking employment. Short term disability usually means you can't meet those requirements yet.

Can't you apply for standby status or something while you're recovering? I thought there were special circumstances for medical situations.

Make sure you document everything - the disability dates, when you were notified about the job elimination, when you're cleared to work. Washington ESD will want all those details when you file your claim.

I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier when I had questions about my claim status. It really does work - I got a callback within an hour and talked to an actual Washington ESD rep. Much better than spending all day redialing.

Just to add - once you are cleared to work and file your claim, make sure you're ready to start your job search immediately. Washington ESD requires job search activities even while your claim is being processed.

This whole system is so confusing. Why can't they just have clear guidelines for situations like this? It seems like everyone has to figure it out case by case.

OP, definitely don't try to file while you're still on disability. I know someone who did that and had to pay back benefits later because they weren't technically eligible at the time they applied.

One thing to consider - you might want to apply for other disability benefits in the meantime if your short term disability runs out before you're cleared to work. Don't leave yourself without any income if possible.

The timing issue is really important here. Make sure you file your unemployment claim as soon as you're medically cleared, not weeks later. Benefits are calculated from when you file, not when you became unemployed.

I had a similar situation and used Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD to ask about it before filing. The agent confirmed that I needed to wait until I was cleared by my doctor. It was worth the peace of mind to get official confirmation.

Don't forget that you'll also need to report the short term disability payments when you file your claim. Washington ESD needs to know about all income sources during your benefit period.

The key thing is documenting your medical clearance properly. Make sure your doctor provides a clear return-to-work authorization that specifically states you're able to perform full-time work without restrictions.

This thread has been really helpful. I'm in a somewhat similar situation and wasn't sure about the timing. Sounds like the consensus is to wait until medically cleared, then file immediately with proper documentation.

One last thought - keep records of when your employer notified you about the position elimination. Washington ESD might ask about the timeline of events when you file your claim.