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

This is actually more complicated than most people think. In Washington, you CAN potentially receive both but there are strict requirements. For unemployment, you have to be able and available for work, which can conflict with some disability determinations. The key is whether your disability prevents you from working or just limits your capacity.

I went through this exact situation last year! You need to report your disability income to Washington ESD when you file your weekly claims. They'll reduce your UI benefits dollar for dollar in most cases, but you might still come out ahead depending on the amounts.

You're going to have a hard time getting through to Washington ESD to ask about this directly. I've been trying to call for weeks about my own claim issues. Have you tried using Claimyr? It's this service that helps you actually reach an agent - found it at claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Might be worth it for a complex situation like yours.

The Washington ESD website has information about this under 'Other Income' in their eligibility section. Basically you need to be physically and mentally able to work, available for work, and actively seeking work. If your disability prevents any of these, you won't qualify for UI.

Ugh the whole system is so confusing! I'm in a similar boat with partial disability and reduced hours. Did you already file for unemployment or are you still trying to figure out if you should?

One important thing to remember is that you'll need to register with WorkSource and complete your work search activities even while on partial disability. Washington ESD still requires 3 job contacts per week unless you're on standby with your employer.

I think you should just file and see what happens. The worst they can do is deny you and then you'll know for sure. Better than sitting around wondering.

The key thing is being honest about everything. Report your disability income, provide your medical documentation showing you can work limited hours, and let Washington ESD make the determination. I had a friend who did this successfully.

Just wanted to add that if your claim goes into adjudication because of the disability issue, it could take weeks to get resolved. I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier to check on my adjudication status and it was really helpful.

Does anyone know if the type of disability matters? Like is workers comp treated differently than other types of disability benefits?

I'm currently receiving both L&I time loss and unemployment benefits. It's possible but like others said, they reduce your UI payment by whatever you get from L&I. Still worth filing though because even a reduced payment helps.

Pro tip: when you file, make sure to mention in your application that you're cleared for limited work. Don't just say you're on disability without explaining that you can still work within restrictions.

Another thing to consider is whether you'll be able to accept other job offers if they come up during your job search. If your disability prevents you from taking certain types of work, you need to factor that into your availability.

Whatever you decide, keep detailed records of everything. All your medical documentation, communications with L&I, your work schedule changes, everything. Washington ESD loves paperwork.

I think I'm in almost the exact same situation. Partial disability, reduced hours, struggling financially. Thanks for asking this question because I learned a lot from the responses!

Final thought - if you do get approved for both benefits, make sure you understand how it affects your taxes. Getting income from multiple sources can complicate things at tax time.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information. I'm going to file for unemployment tomorrow and just be completely honest about my situation. Fingers crossed it works out!

I just wanted to chime in as someone who successfully navigated this exact situation last year. I was receiving partial disability through L&I after a back injury and my employer cut my hours from 40 to about 12 per week. The key things that helped me get approved for both benefits were: 1) Having clear medical documentation that I could work with restrictions (not that I couldn't work at all), 2) Being very specific in my UI application about my work limitations but emphasizing my availability within those limits, and 3) reporting my L&I payments accurately on every weekly claim. Yes, they did reduce my UI benefits dollar-for-dollar, but I still ended up with more total income than just the disability alone. The adjudication process took about 6 weeks, which was stressful, but it was worth it in the end. Make sure you register with WorkSource right away and keep up with your job search requirements - that's something they really scrutinize. Happy to answer any specific questions if it would help!