Can you draw unemployment and work part time in Washington ESD?
I just got laid off from my full-time job last month and filed for unemployment with Washington ESD. My claim was approved and I'm getting my weekly benefits. But I have a chance to pick up some part-time work - maybe 15-20 hours a week at a local restaurant. I'm worried about messing up my unemployment claim though. Can I work part time and still collect benefits? Do I need to report the hours and income? I don't want to get in trouble or have to pay anything back later.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
Yes, you can work part-time while collecting unemployment in Washington! You just need to report ALL your work hours and gross wages when you file your weekly claim. Washington ESD will reduce your benefits based on how much you earn, but you can still receive partial benefits as long as you earn less than your weekly benefit amount plus $5.
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Melody Miles
•That's good to know! So if my weekly benefit is $350, I can earn up to $355 and still get some unemployment?
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
•Exactly! And they don't take dollar for dollar - there's a formula. For every dollar you earn over $5, they reduce your benefit by that amount. So if you earn $100, they'd subtract $95 from your $350 benefit.
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Eva St. Cyr
Make sure you report EVERYTHING when you file your weekly claim online. Don't try to hide any income because Washington ESD will find out eventually through wage matching. I learned this the hard way and got hit with an overpayment notice.
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Melody Miles
•Yikes, that sounds scary. What happened with your overpayment?
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Eva St. Cyr
•I forgot to report some cash tips from a catering gig and they caught it 6 months later. Had to pay back $800 plus penalties. Not worth it!
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Kristian Bishop
The key thing is reporting it accurately on your weekly claim. You'll need to enter your gross wages (before taxes) and the number of hours worked. Washington ESD's system automatically calculates your reduced benefit amount.
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Melody Miles
•Is there a limit to how many hours I can work per week?
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Kristian Bishop
•No specific hour limit, but if you work too many hours you might not be considered 'able and available' for full-time work, which could affect your claim.
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Kaitlyn Otto
I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about this same thing but can never reach anyone on the phone. Their customer service is absolutely terrible. I tried calling at 8am sharp but still got disconnected after being on hold for 2 hours.
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Axel Far
•Have you tried using Claimyr? I found out about it when I was having the same problem reaching Washington ESD. It's at claimyr.com and they basically help you get through to an actual agent. There's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Kaitlyn Otto
•Never heard of that before. Does it actually work or is it just another scam?
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Axel Far
•It's legit - they helped me get through to resolve my adjudication issue in about 20 minutes instead of the usual hours of calling. Definitely worth checking out if you're stuck.
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Jasmine Hernandez
I work part-time at Target while on unemployment and it's been working fine for 3 months now. Just be honest about your hours and wages on the weekly claim. The system is pretty straightforward once you get used to it.
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Melody Miles
•How much are you typically earning at Target? Just trying to get a sense of whether it's worth it.
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Jasmine Hernandez
•I usually work about 20 hours at $16/hour so around $320 gross. My unemployment benefit gets reduced but I still get about $50-75 from Washington ESD plus the work income.
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Luis Johnson
Wait, I'm confused. If you work part-time, don't you have to do the job search requirements still? I thought unemployment was for people who are fully unemployed and actively looking for full-time work.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
•You still need to meet the job search requirements - 3 job search activities per week in Washington. Working part-time doesn't exempt you from that requirement.
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Luis Johnson
•Oh wow, I didn't know that. So you have to work part-time AND still look for other jobs? That seems like a lot.
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Kristian Bishop
•Yes, the job search requirement remains the same. You need to be able and available for full-time work. The part-time work should be temporary while you look for full-time employment.
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Ellie Kim
This is exactly what I needed to know! I've been afraid to take a part-time job because I thought it would mess up my unemployment. Glad to hear it's allowed as long as you report it properly.
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Melody Miles
•Same here! It's nice to know we have some flexibility while looking for full-time work.
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Fiona Sand
Just want to add - make sure your part-time employer knows you're on unemployment. Some employers don't mind, but others might not want to deal with the paperwork or scheduling flexibility you might need for job interviews.
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Melody Miles
•Good point. I should probably mention that upfront when I talk to the restaurant manager.
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Fiona Sand
•Exactly. Better to be transparent from the start than have issues later.
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Mohammad Khaled
I've been doing gig work through DoorDash while on unemployment. Same rules apply - report all your earnings and hours. Just make sure to keep good records of your income since gig work doesn't always provide clear pay stubs.
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Melody Miles
•That's smart. I didn't even think about gig work as an option.
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Mohammad Khaled
•It's nice because you can control your hours and still have time for job interviews and applications.
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Alina Rosenthal
One thing to watch out for - if your part-time work becomes too regular or turns into full-time hours, Washington ESD might question whether you're still available for full-time work. I had a friend who got in trouble for working 35+ hours consistently.
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Melody Miles
•Yikes, what happened to your friend?
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Alina Rosenthal
•They had to go through an eligibility review and proved they were still looking for full-time work. It worked out but was stressful.
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Finnegan Gunn
The Washington ESD website has a pretty good explanation of the partial benefits formula if you want to calculate it yourself before starting work. It's under the 'Working While Receiving Benefits' section.
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Melody Miles
•I'll check that out. Thanks for the tip!
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Miguel Harvey
I tried calling Washington ESD about this exact question last week and got disconnected 4 times. Finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and got through immediately. Definitely recommend it if you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD.
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Melody Miles
•How much does Claimyr cost?
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Miguel Harvey
•I don't remember the exact price but it was totally worth it to avoid the calling nightmare. Check their website for current pricing.
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Ashley Simian
Quick question - does the part-time work affect your ability to claim benefits for federal holidays or other weeks when you might not work?
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
•No, each week is calculated separately. If you don't work one week, you'd report zero hours and wages and get your full benefit amount.
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Ashley Simian
•Perfect, that makes sense. Thanks!
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Oliver Cheng
I've been on unemployment for 2 months and just started part-time work last week. The weekly claim process is really straightforward once you do it a few times. Just be accurate with your reporting and you'll be fine.
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Melody Miles
•That's reassuring to hear from someone who's actually doing it. I think I'm going to take the part-time job.
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Taylor To
Don't forget that working part-time might actually help your job search since you'll be networking and staying active in the workforce. Plus the extra income helps with bills!
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Melody Miles
•True! And it might lead to a full-time opportunity eventually.
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Ella Cofer
For what it's worth, I know several people who've worked part-time while on unemployment and never had any issues as long as they reported everything correctly. Washington ESD seems pretty reasonable about it.
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Melody Miles
•That's good to know. I was worried they'd be really strict about it.
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Kevin Bell
One last thing - make sure you understand how your part-time work schedule might affect your availability for job interviews. Some employers want to schedule interviews during business hours.
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Melody Miles
•Good point. I'll make sure to keep some flexibility in my schedule.
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Savannah Glover
Sounds like you've got all the info you need! Working part-time while on unemployment is definitely doable. Just be honest with your reporting and you should be fine.
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Melody Miles
•Thanks everyone! This thread has been super helpful. I feel much more confident about taking the part-time job now.
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Felix Grigori
Glad we could help! Let us know how it goes with the part-time work and unemployment combination.
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Melody Miles
•Will do! I'll update if I run into any issues.
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