Can you file for disability while on unemployment in Washington?

This is actually a really common question. You CAN apply for disability while on unemployment, but there are some important things to know. The main issue is that unemployment requires you to be able and available for work, while disability claims you can't work. Washington ESD doesn't automatically disqualify you for applying for disability, but they may investigate if there's a conflict.

I went through this exact situation last year. Applied for SSDI while collecting UI benefits. The trick is documenting that your condition worsened after you filed for unemployment. Keep all your medical records and be prepared to explain the timeline to both agencies.

Word of warning - getting through to Washington ESD to discuss this situation can be really frustrating. I spent weeks trying to get someone on the phone to ask about my specific case. If you need to talk to someone urgently about how this affects your claim, I found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to an agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

wait this doesnt make sense... if you can work you get unemployment, if you cant work you get disability. how can you get both?? seems like fraud to me

The biggest thing is timing and documentation. If you're applying for disability because your condition got worse AFTER you started getting unemployment, that's legitimate. But if you were already disabled when you filed for UI, that could be a problem.

This happened to my neighbor. She was getting unemployment after her retail job ended, then her diabetes got really bad and she couldn't work anymore. She applied for disability while still on UI and everything worked out fine. The key was being upfront with both agencies about her situation.

I'm dealing with this right now too. Filed for SSDI three months ago while on unemployment. Haven't heard anything back from Social Security yet but Washington ESD hasn't said anything about it either. The waiting is the worst part.

Make sure you keep doing your job search activities while you're still on unemployment. Even if you're applying for disability, you still have to meet the work search requirements until your UI claim ends.

The Washington ESD people are going to want to know about any changes in your ability to work. If your doctor says you're disabled, you should probably report that to them when you file your weekly claim.

Social Security disability takes FOREVER to get approved. I've been waiting 8 months and still nothing. At least unemployment gives you something while you wait.

I tried calling Washington ESD about this same question and spent literally 3 hours on hold before giving up. Ended up using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and got through to an agent in like 10 minutes. They explained my whole situation and what I needed to know about applying for both benefits.

Just make sure you're honest with both agencies. Don't try to hide anything because they do communicate with each other sometimes. Better to be upfront about your situation from the start.

One more thing - if you do get approved for disability, you might have to pay back some of your unemployment benefits depending on the dates. Social Security back pay can overlap with UI benefits.

My advice is to apply for disability as soon as possible if your doctor thinks you should. The process takes so long that the sooner you start, the better. You can figure out the unemployment stuff as you go.

Make sure you get copies of all your medical records before you apply. Social Security will want everything and it's easier if you have it organized ahead of time.