Can you have unemployment and disability benefits at the same time in Washington?

The short answer is it depends on the type of disability benefits you're talking about. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) has different rules than Supplemental Security Income (SSI). With SSDI, you generally can't collect both at the same time because you have to certify that you're able and available for work to get unemployment, but SSDI requires that you can't work. It's contradictory.

I went through this exact situation last year. The problem is that unemployment requires you to be actively searching for work and available to accept employment, while disability benefits are based on your inability to work. Washington ESD will consider it fraud if you're collecting both without proper disclosure.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about this directly, I found a service called Claimyr that helped me reach an actual agent. They have this system that calls for you and gets you connected - saved me hours of trying to get through myself. Check out claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Might be worth it to get a definitive answer on your specific situation.

There are some exceptions though. If you're receiving disability benefits but are still able to work part-time (like with a partial disability), you might be able to collect unemployment if you lose your job. The key is being honest about your work capacity when you file your weekly claims. Washington ESD looks at whether you're genuinely available for suitable work given your limitations.

Whatever you do, don't try to hide anything. I made that mistake years ago and ended up in adjudication hell for months. Washington ESD eventually finds out about everything through their data matching systems.

I'm in a similar boat but with workers comp instead of disability. The rules seem to change depending on what state agency is involved. It's so confusing trying to figure out what you can and can't do.

The waiting period for disability determination can be really long too - sometimes over a year. During that time, you might be able to collect unemployment if you're still able to work, but once you're approved for disability with a retroactive start date, it gets messy.

Used Claimyr myself when I had an adjudication issue that dragged on for weeks. Worth every penny to actually talk to someone who could explain what was happening with my claim. The phone system at Washington ESD is absolutely brutal to navigate on your own.

Some states have specific programs for people with disabilities who want to work - might be worth checking if Washington has anything like that. Could help bridge the gap between benefits.

honestly the whole system is set up to trip you up. like you're supposed to know all these complex rules that nobody explains clearly. then when you make a mistake they act like you're trying to commit fraud

The key thing to remember is that unemployment is temporary income replacement while you look for work, while disability benefits are based on long-term inability to work. The fundamental purposes conflict, which is why it's so complicated to have both.

If you do end up needing to contact Washington ESD about this, I'd suggest trying that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. I was skeptical at first but it really does work - saved me probably 20+ hours of trying to get through myself when I had an overpayment issue to resolve.

One more thing - if you do get approved for disability, make sure you understand the trial work period rules. You might be able to work (and potentially collect unemployment if you lose that job) for a limited time without losing your disability benefits.

Bottom line - get professional advice before you do anything. This isn't something you want to guess about. The penalties for getting it wrong can be severe, and the rules are too complex for most people to navigate alone.