Can you receive SSI and Washington ESD unemployment at the same time?

This is actually a complex situation that requires careful navigation. SSI recipients can potentially receive unemployment benefits, but there are specific rules. The key issue is that to receive unemployment, you must be able and available for work, which could affect your SSI disability determination. You'll need to report any unemployment benefits to Social Security Administration.

I went through this exact situation last year! You CAN receive both but you have to be super careful about reporting everything correctly. Washington ESD will ask about other benefits when you file your weekly claims, and you must report your SSI. Also, any unemployment benefits will reduce your SSI payment dollar for dollar after the first $85 per month.

You need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about this before you file. I tried calling their customer service line like 50 times and kept getting hung up on or put on hold forever. Super frustrating when you need answers about something this important.

This sounds really risky to me. If you're on SSI for disability, how can you say you're able and available for work? That seems contradictory. I'd be worried about losing both benefits if the agencies start talking to each other.

The bigger question is whether it's even worth it financially. If unemployment reduces your SSI payment, you might not be getting much extra money and you're taking on all this risk and paperwork headache.

I work at a disability advocacy organization and we see this question a lot. You absolutely need to contact both agencies before doing anything. SSA has work incentives that might help, but you need to understand them fully. Also consider that unemployment benefits are temporary while SSI continues as long as you're eligible.

My cousin had SSI and tried to get unemployment when she lost her part time job. It was a nightmare of paperwork and phone calls. Took months to sort everything out and in the end she barely got any extra money because of how they calculate everything.

One thing I learned is that you have to report the unemployment benefits to SSA immediately. Don't wait for them to find out on their own because that can cause overpayment issues. Same with reporting your SSI to Washington ESD when you file your weekly claims.

This whole system is so confusing. Why can't the government agencies just talk to each other instead of making people jump through all these hoops?

Have you looked into other programs that might help? Sometimes there are local assistance programs or food banks that can help bridge the gap without affecting your benefits.

Let me clarify the income calculations since there seems to be some confusion. For SSI recipients, unemployment benefits are considered unearned income. SSI excludes the first $20 of unearned income per month, then reduces your SSI payment dollar for dollar after that. So if you get $400 in unemployment, your SSI would be reduced by $380.

Before you decide anything, you should know that Washington ESD adjudication can take weeks or months, especially for complex cases like yours. Even if you apply, you might not see benefits for a long time.

If you do decide to pursue this, definitely use a service like Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD when you need to ask questions. The hold times are insane and you'll need to talk to someone who understands these dual benefit situations.

Another thing to consider - if your work hours were cut, you might qualify for partial unemployment benefits rather than full benefits. That could affect the calculations differently and might be less risky for your SSI status.

Honestly, after reading all this, I think your best bet is to contact a disability attorney or advocate who specializes in work incentives. This is too complicated to figure out on your own and the stakes are too high.

Just want to emphasize what others have said - document EVERYTHING. Keep records of all your communications with both agencies, all benefit payments, all work hours and wages. If something goes wrong, you'll need that paper trail.

I'm in a similar situation but haven't made any moves yet. Following this thread to see what you decide to do. It's helpful to see all the different perspectives.

One last thought - make sure you understand the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limits for SSI. If your combined income gets too high, it could affect your disability status even if you're following all the rules.

Thanks everyone for all the detailed responses. I think I'm going to contact a disability advocate first, then maybe use that Claimyr service to talk to Washington ESD if needed. This is definitely not something to rush into without expert guidance.

I've been through a similar situation and wanted to share some additional perspective. While everyone's covered the technical aspects well, I'd also suggest looking into whether your state has any disability employment programs that could help you increase your work hours instead of pursuing unemployment. Washington has the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) that works with SSI recipients to expand employment opportunities. Sometimes they can even provide job coaching or help negotiate with employers for more stable hours. This might be a less risky path than navigating the unemployment/SSI intersection, especially given how little extra income you'd actually receive after the benefit reductions.