Can you collect unemployment and short term disability at the same time in Washington?

That makes sense but it's so frustrating. I was actively job searching and then this accident happened. Do I need to stop filing my weekly claims immediately or can I finish out this week?

You should stop filing weekly claims as soon as you know you're unable to work. Don't risk an overpayment situation by continuing to claim when you're not available for work.

You're thinking of situations where someone might be sick for just a few days but still actively looking for work. A 6-8 week recovery period where you can't work definitely wouldn't qualify.

Ah okay, that makes more sense. Thanks for clarifying!

That sounds really useful! I've been dreading trying to call Washington ESD because I know how impossible it is to get through. How quickly were you able to talk to someone?

It was pretty quick actually. Much better than spending hours on hold or getting disconnected. They handled all the calling hassle for me.

I've never heard of that service but honestly anything is better than trying to call Washington ESD directly. Those phone lines are impossible.

The STD benefit is actually higher than my unemployment, so that does make financial sense. I just hate losing my unemployment claim when I was finally getting somewhere with my job search.

I understand the frustration, but think of it this way - once you recover and are able to work again, you can potentially reopen your unemployment claim if you haven't found a job yet.

Yes, you can request to reopen your claim, but there are specific procedures and you might need to serve a waiting week again. It's not automatic.

Good to know! The unemployment system is so complicated.

I get the frustration, but the logic is that unemployment is for people who are ready and able to work but can't find a job. If you can't work due to injury, that's a different situation that disability benefits are designed to cover.

I guess that makes sense legally, but it still sucks for people in tough situations like this.

That would be considered fraud and could result in serious penalties including having to pay back all benefits plus fines and potentially criminal charges. Washington ESD does cross-check with other agencies and insurance companies.

Yikes, definitely not worth the risk then.

Yeah, I definitely don't want to risk fraud charges. I'll play by the rules even though it's frustrating.

That's good advice. I'll make sure to keep all my medical documentation and correspondence organized.

Good point! I'll need to check the exact dates when my STD kicks in versus when I should stop my unemployment claims.

Yes, timing is crucial. You don't want any gaps but you also don't want any overlap that could cause problems later.

Workers comp has its own set of rules, but you're right that the able and available requirement would still apply for unemployment benefits.

You can always look for future employment, but for unemployment benefits you need to be available for immediate work. If you tell an employer you can't start for 6-8 weeks, that wouldn't meet the availability requirement.

That makes sense. So really you have to choose between the benefits based on your current work capability, not future plans.

I've been trying to call but you know how impossible it is to get through. Someone mentioned that Claimyr service earlier - I might try that.

I used Claimyr too when I had questions about my claim. It's definitely worth it to get official guidance rather than just guessing based on what you read online.

I feel you. The bureaucracy can be really frustrating when you're dealing with multiple issues at once.

STD benefits typically aren't considered wages for unemployment purposes, but you should definitely ask about this when you speak with Washington ESD about reopening your claim.

Absolutely. I'm already starting a file with all my paperwork. Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice!

Thank you! Yeah, I'm grateful to have some income during recovery even if it means losing my unemployment benefits temporarily.

This is exactly the kind of professional guidance I was hoping to find! Thank you so much for taking the time to explain this. The "paper trail" aspect is something I hadn't considered but makes total sense. I definitely want to do everything properly so I can potentially reopen my claim later without issues. I'll make sure to officially report the status change rather than just stopping my claims without notice.