Can you get temporary unemployment for maternity leave in Washington ESD?

You can't get regular UI benefits for maternity leave since you're not available for work. But Washington has Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) that covers bonding with a new baby. You apply through the same ESD website but it's a totally different program.

Yeah regular unemployment won't work because you have to be able and available for work. PFML is what you want - it pays like 90% of your wages up to a cap. I used it last year for my son and it was amazing.

I've been trying to reach someone at Washington ESD about PFML for weeks and keep getting hung up on. The phone system is terrible. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there?

wait so you CANT use regular unemployment for maternity leave at all? that seems really unfair. other states let you do that

PFML is way better than trying to use unemployment anyway. With unemployment you'd have to do job searches and be available for work interviews which is impossible with a newborn. PFML lets you actually bond with your baby.

Make sure you check if your employer also has to continue your health insurance during PFML leave. Mine did but some don't and you need to plan for that.

I thought you could get unemployment if you quit for good cause like having a baby? Or is that only in certain situations?

Just to add - PFML covers up to 12 weeks for bonding and you can take it anytime in the first year after birth. So if you want to go back to work for a few months then take leave later, you can do that too.

The Washington ESD PFML application is online and pretty straightforward. You'll need your employer's info and some basic details about your leave dates. Way easier than dealing with unemployment paperwork.

Does PFML require you to use up all your vacation time first or can you save that for later?

Update - I used that Claimyr thing someone mentioned and finally got through to talk to someone at ESD about my PFML questions. Took like 10 minutes instead of hours of calling. Definitely worth it if you need to actually speak to someone there.

One thing to watch out for - if you're planning to come back to the same job after PFML, make sure your employer knows your expected return date. Some people have had issues with their position being filled.

I used PFML for my daughter's birth and it was great but the payments took a while to start. Make sure you have some savings to cover the gap between when your employer pay stops and PFML kicks in.

Just make sure you understand the difference between PFML and FMLA. FMLA protects your job but doesn't pay you, PFML pays you but doesn't necessarily protect your job unless your employer also follows FMLA rules.

does the dad get PFML too or just the mom?

Quick heads up - when you apply for PFML make sure your employer information is exactly right. Mine got delayed because I had a small typo in the employer name and they couldn't verify my wages.

The PFML website has a benefit calculator where you can estimate how much you'll get paid. Really helpful for planning your budget during leave.

Glad this thread was helpful! I was confused about the same thing when I was pregnant. The Washington ESD website has a good FAQ section about PFML vs UI that cleared things up for me.

For anyone else who needs to talk to ESD directly about PFML stuff, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier is at claimyr.com. Super helpful when you actually need to speak to a human there instead of getting stuck in phone tree hell.

One last thing - start gathering your documents early. You'll need things like your social security card, ID, and employment info. Better to have everything ready before you need to apply.