Can you collect unemployment if you retire from your job in Washington?

That's what I was afraid of. So even if I'm not really ready to stop working completely, the fact that I took the retirement package would disqualify me?

Exactly. Washington ESD looks at the circumstances of your separation. If you accepted a retirement package, that's considered voluntary regardless of your future work intentions.

Your neighbor might have been laid off or had their position eliminated, which is different from voluntary retirement. The key is whether you left voluntarily or were separated involuntarily.

Oh that makes sense. Yeah I think his department got restructured and they offered buyouts to some people.

This is so confusing! I'm in a similar spot and keep getting different answers when I try to call Washington ESD. The phone lines are impossible to get through on.

I had the same problem trying to reach someone at Washington ESD about my claim status. Spent hours on hold and kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone about your specific retirement situation.

The package helps but I'm not old enough for Social Security yet and wasn't planning to completely stop working. Just wanted to explore other options before committing to full retirement.

oh ok that makes more sense

I hadn't thought about voluntary layoffs. Is there a difference between that and retirement for Washington ESD purposes?

Yes, voluntary layoffs are typically considered involuntary separations for unemployment purposes, while retirement is voluntary. But you'd need to check the specific terms of any layoff program.

Restructuring situations can be complex for adjudication. Did you eventually get approved after the appeals process?

Yeah but it was a nightmare. Had to prove I didn't quit voluntarily even though they basically forced me out through the restructure.

Being available for work is one requirement, but you also have to meet the separation requirements. Voluntary retirement typically fails the separation test regardless of your job search efforts.

This is exactly why I'm scared to make any moves with my job. The rules seem so complicated and one wrong decision could cost you benefits.

How much does something like that cost? I'm already worried about money if I can't get unemployment.

It's worth checking out their site for details. For me it was definitely worth it to get real answers instead of guessing and potentially making the wrong choice.

Thank you for the insider perspective! Is there any scenario where someone who retires could still qualify?

Very rare exceptions might exist if there were extraordinary circumstances, but standard early retirement packages don't qualify. Your best bet is to explore other separation options with your employer if you're not ready to fully retire.

It's better to know now than after you've already retired. Consider talking to a financial planner about other bridge options if you're not ready to fully retire.

Same boat here. Was counting on unemployment to help with the transition but looks like I need to rethink everything.

If you establish new employment after retirement and then get laid off from that new job, you could potentially qualify for unemployment based on that most recent separation. But the retirement itself wouldn't qualify you.

That's good to know. So retirement doesn't permanently disqualify you, just for that specific separation.

How long do you have to work at the new job before you'd qualify for unemployment if you got laid off?

You need to earn sufficient wages in your base period to establish a new claim. The exact amount depends on your earnings, but generally you need to work long enough to earn qualifying wages.

Exactly! They want you to work until you drop but then make it impossible to transition on your own terms.

I understand the frustration but unemployment is designed as a safety net for people who lose jobs involuntarily, not for planned career transitions.

Appeals are possible but you'd need strong documentation that the retirement wasn't truly voluntary. Just general company pressure usually isn't enough - you'd need to show specific circumstances that made retirement involuntary.

That makes sense. Probably hard to prove unless there's documentation of threats or ultimatums.

Correct. The issue isn't your age or willingness to work, it's how you separated from your job. Voluntary retirement is disqualifying regardless of your future job search plans.

This is why I keep putting off retirement. Need to make sure I have enough saved since unemployment won't be an option.

I think I'm going to have to do that. This is too important a decision to make without getting official guidance.

Definitely. The agents can walk through your specific circumstances and tell you exactly what would or wouldn't qualify. Worth getting that clarity before making any irreversible decisions.

Yeah, that's the hard truth I needed to hear. Better to plan around not getting benefits than to be surprised later.

Exactly. Always better to have a conservative financial plan than to count on benefits that might not materialize.