Can you collect unemployment and still work in Washington ESD system?

That's a relief! So I won't get in trouble for working the delivery job while collecting?

Not at all, as long as you report it honestly on your weekly claims. The key is transparency with Washington ESD.

wait thats not right... i thought they take out more than dollar for dollar?

No, in Washington it's dollar-for-dollar after the $5 disregard. Some states do more complex calculations but Washington keeps it simple.

I've been doing this for months and can confirm - it's exactly dollar for dollar minus $5. Very straightforward.

Good point. I'm definitely looking for another full-time position. The delivery work is just to help pay bills in the meantime.

Really? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for days with no luck. How much does that service cost?

It was worth it for me because I needed to clarify some stuff about my work schedule. Way less frustrating than the endless busy signals.

I used claimyr too when I had questions about my adjudication. Way better than trying to get through on your own.

Because the whole point is to help people transition back to full employment. If they cut off benefits completely when you work even one hour, people would be discouraged from taking part-time work.

i guess that makes sense when you put it that way

At $200-300 per week I should be fine then. My weekly benefit amount will probably be around $350-400 based on my previous salary.

Yeah you'll be good. I was making $450 a week part-time and still getting some unemployment benefits.

Thanks for reminding me! I need to make sure I'm documenting everything properly.

The job search log is super important. Washington ESD does audit these and you can get disqualified if you don't have proper documentation.

That's encouraging to hear! Any tips for reporting the earnings correctly?

Just report your gross earnings for the week you actually worked, not when you got paid. So if you worked Monday-Friday but got paid the following week, report it for the week you worked.

This is really important! I messed this up early on and had to do a bunch of paperwork to fix it.

Yeah, Washington's partial benefit system is designed to encourage people to take any work they can get rather than staying completely unemployed.

Good distinction. I'm definitely available for full-time work - the delivery job is flexible and I could quit if I got a good full-time offer.

Exactly! As long as you're not turning down suitable full-time work because of your part-time job, you should be fine.

That's a good point about them getting employer data. I definitely don't want to get caught in a lie or omission.

Yes! They cross-reference with tax records and employer reports. Better to over-report than under-report.

I might need to try that service. The Washington ESD website is pretty confusing about some of this stuff.

The website has the information but it's buried in different sections. Sometimes easier to just talk to a person who can explain it clearly.

Great advice! I'll start tracking everything from day one.

Smart! I wish I had done that from the beginning. Had to reconstruct my work history when Washington ESD asked for clarification.

Same here - keep everything organized from the start and you'll save yourself headaches later.

Thank you everyone! This thread has been incredibly helpful. I feel much more confident about filing my claim now.

Glad we could help! Just remember to report everything and keep looking for full-time work. You'll get through this.