Can you collect unemployment and retirement at the same time in Washington?
I'm 63 and just got laid off from my job at Boeing after 15 years. I was planning to start collecting my pension next year but now I'm wondering if I can file for Washington ESD unemployment benefits while also collecting retirement income? I've heard mixed things about this and want to make sure I don't mess up my claim. Has anyone been in this situation before?
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Ellie Perry
Yes, you can collect both in Washington state! The key thing is that your pension/retirement income WON'T reduce your weekly unemployment benefit amount as long as you're not working for the employer who's paying the pension. Since you got laid off from Boeing and they're the ones paying your pension, you should be fine to collect both.
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Mohamed Anderson
AuthorThat's a relief! So Boeing pension + Washington ESD unemployment is allowed? I was worried they'd count against each other.
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Ellie Perry
Exactly right. Washington doesn't offset unemployment benefits for retirement income unless it's from concurrent employment. Just make sure to report it accurately when you file your weekly claims.
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Landon Morgan
Wait I thought any income reduces your benefits? I'm confused about this rule
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Teresa Boyd
No, retirement/pension income is treated differently than work income. Only wages from working jobs get deducted from your weekly benefit amount.
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Landon Morgan
oh ok that makes sense, thanks for clarifying
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Lourdes Fox
I was in a similar spot last year - collecting my teacher's pension and unemployment after getting riffed. Had zero issues with Washington ESD. Just be honest about all income sources when you file your initial claim and weekly certifications.
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Mohamed Anderson
AuthorDid they ask you detailed questions about the pension during the application process?
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Lourdes Fox
Yeah they asked about it but it was straightforward. Just had to explain it was retirement income from previous employment, not current work.
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Bruno Simmons
Actually had trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about this exact question. Kept getting busy signals for weeks. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that calls for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Worth checking out their demo video: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ if you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD directly.
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Aileen Rodriguez
How much does something like that cost? Seems expensive just to make a phone call
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Bruno Simmons
It's not about the cost when you literally can't get through any other way. Saved me hours of redialing and actually got my questions answered.
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Mohamed Anderson
AuthorI might need to try that if I run into issues. The phone system is ridiculous.
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Teresa Boyd
The official rule is in WAC 192-110-015. Retirement benefits don't reduce UI benefits unless they're from the same employer AND you're still working for them. Since you're laid off, you're good to go with both.
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Zane Gray
Thanks for the actual regulation reference! Always better to have the official source.
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Teresa Boyd
Yep, people get confused about this rule a lot. It's pretty clear once you read the actual policy.
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Maggie Martinez
my dad did this when he got laid off at 64, no problems at all collecting both
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Mohamed Anderson
AuthorGood to hear! How long was he able to collect unemployment for?
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Maggie Martinez
full 26 weeks since he kept looking for work. didn't find anything tho and just retired fully
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Alejandro Castro
Just make sure you're actively looking for work if you want to keep collecting UI benefits. They still require job search activities even if you're also getting retirement income. Don't assume you can just coast on both without meeting the work search requirements.
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Mohamed Anderson
AuthorGood point. I am planning to look for work, at least part-time. Not ready to fully retire yet.
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Monique Byrd
Yeah the job search requirement is still there regardless of other income sources. Need to log your searches in WorkSourceWA.
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Mohamed Anderson
AuthorI remember WorkSourceWA from years ago. Guess I need to set up an account there again.
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Jackie Martinez
This is exactly why the unemployment system is broken!!! People collecting retirement AND unemployment while younger people can't find jobs. Makes me sick.
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Ellie Perry
That's not how it works. This person paid into unemployment insurance and is eligible for benefits after being laid off. Age has nothing to do with it.
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Lia Quinn
seriously, what a weird thing to be angry about. they lost their job and are entitled to benefits they paid for
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Jackie Martinez
Whatever. Still seems wrong to double dip like that.
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Haley Stokes
I tried to do this but Washington ESD kept giving me the runaround about my pension. Took forever to get it sorted out. Finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and got connected to an agent who cleared it up in 10 minutes. Wish I'd known about it sooner.
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Mohamed Anderson
AuthorWhat was the confusion about? Did they initially deny your claim?
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Haley Stokes
They kept asking for more documentation about my pension and I couldn't figure out what they wanted. The agent explained it clearly and told me exactly what forms to submit.
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Asher Levin
Just went through this myself at 62. Filed online and had no issues. The system automatically asks about retirement income during the application. As long as you're honest about everything, it's pretty straightforward.
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Mohamed Anderson
AuthorDid it delay your first payment at all while they reviewed the pension info?
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Asher Levin
Nope, got paid on the normal schedule. I think because it's such a common situation for older workers.
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Serene Snow
Make sure you understand the tax implications too. Both unemployment and pension income are taxable, so you might want to have taxes withheld from your UI payments to avoid a big bill next year.
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Mohamed Anderson
AuthorOh good point! I hadn't thought about the tax situation. Can I elect to have taxes taken out of the unemployment payments?
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Serene Snow
Yes, you can request 10% federal tax withholding when you file your weekly claims. There's a checkbox for it.
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Issac Nightingale
Definitely do this! I got hammered with taxes when I collected both types of benefits.
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Romeo Barrett
Boeing layoffs are rough. Know several people going through this right now. At least unemployment helps bridge the gap while you figure out what's next.
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Mohamed Anderson
AuthorYeah it's been a tough few months for a lot of us. The pension helps but unemployment will definitely make things easier.
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Marina Hendrix
Hang in there. The aerospace industry is cyclical, things will turn around eventually.
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Justin Trejo
One thing to watch out for - if you start Social Security early while collecting unemployment, that can get more complicated. But regular pension/401k shouldn't be an issue with UI benefits.
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Mohamed Anderson
AuthorNot planning to start Social Security until full retirement age, so should be fine there.
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Justin Trejo
Smart move. The Social Security rules are more complex when combined with unemployment.
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Alana Willis
Had a friend who tried to hide his pension income thinking it would reduce his benefits. Bad idea! Washington ESD found out during a routine audit and he had to pay back thousands in overpayments. Always be honest about all income sources.
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Mohamed Anderson
AuthorYikes! Definitely planning to be completely transparent about everything. Not worth the risk.
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Tyler Murphy
That's what happens when you try to game the system. They always find out eventually.
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Alana Willis
Exactly. Plus interest and penalties made it even worse for him.
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Sara Unger
Quick question - do you have to be looking for full-time work or can you search for part-time jobs to meet the work search requirement? I'm in a similar situation and not sure I want to go back to full-time at my age.
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Ellie Perry
You can search for part-time work as long as you're genuinely available and able to work. Just need to document your job search activities properly.
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Sara Unger
Perfect, thanks! That makes it much more manageable.
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Butch Sledgehammer
The whole system is confusing. I spent weeks trying to understand all the rules before I finally got help from Claimyr to talk to an actual person at Washington ESD. Sometimes you just need a real human to explain things clearly instead of trying to decode all the websites and automated messages.
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Mohamed Anderson
AuthorI'm definitely keeping that option in mind if I run into any snags during the application process.
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Freya Ross
The Washington ESD website is pretty confusing, especially for older workers who aren't used to all the online systems.
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Simon White
Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! This community has been incredibly valuable. Based on what I'm reading, it sounds like I should be able to collect both my Boeing pension and Washington unemployment benefits without any issues since I was laid off. I'm planning to file my claim this week and will make sure to be completely transparent about all income sources. The tip about electing tax withholding is really helpful too - definitely don't want to get hit with a big tax bill next year. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences!
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