Do I need to report ESD unemployment payments to DSHS for my EBT benefits?
I've been on food stamps (EBT) for a couple months and when I initially applied with DSHS, I told them I had filed for unemployment but wasn't receiving payments yet. Fast forward to now - I've been getting UI payments for about 3 weeks (around $580/week) but haven't reported this income change to DSHS yet. My EBT is scheduled to reload in about 5 days and I'm starting to panic. Am I supposed to report these unemployment payments right away? Could I get in trouble for waiting this long? Will they make me pay back some of my food benefits? Really don't want to mess this up but also really need the food assistance right now.
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Tyrone Johnson
Yes, you absolutely need to report this income change to DSHS immediately. Any change in income must be reported within 10 days - this includes when you start receiving unemployment benefits. Call them today or log into your Washington Connection account and report the change. The longer you wait, the more likely you could face an overpayment situation where you'd have to pay back benefits.
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Gabrielle Dubois
•Oh no, it's already been like 20+ days since my first payment. Will I be in big trouble? I honestly didn't realize I needed to tell them that fast.
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Ingrid Larsson
omg this happened 2 me last yr!!! they made me pay back like $340 cuz i didnt report my job for like 2 months lol. defintly call them ASAP!!
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Gabrielle Dubois
•Ugh that's what I was afraid of. Did they make you pay it all back at once or did they let you do a payment plan or something?
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Carlos Mendoza
I work for a community resource center, so I help clients navigate this stuff frequently. Here's what you need to know: 1) Yes, you're required to report income changes (including UI benefits) within 10 days 2) Call DSHS right away at 877-501-2233 or report online through Washington Connection 3) Be honest that you just realized you needed to report it 4) They will recalculate your benefits based on your new income 5) There may be an overpayment, but they typically set up a reasonable payment plan if needed Don't panic! This happens often. The most important thing is to report it now rather than waiting longer. They're usually understanding if you self-report before they discover it on their own.
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Zainab Mahmoud
•This is good advice. I had something similar happen with L&I payments and EBT. DSHS was actually pretty reasonable about it when I called and explained the situation.
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Ava Williams
The WHOLE SYSTEM is designed to trip people up!! They purposely make the rules complicated so they can catch you in "fraud" later. I reported my unemployment FOUR TIMES to DSHS and they still claimed I never told them and hit me with a $1200 overpayment notice. Took me 8 MONTHS to get it sorted out!!! Make sure you get NAMES and CONFIRMATION NUMBERS when you call!!!
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Raj Gupta
•While I understand your frustration, in fairness to DSHS, they do have clear reporting requirements stated in the approval letters and on their website. It's a lot to keep track of, but they're not deliberately trying to trap people. They're actually quite helpful if you're upfront with them.
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Lena Müller
I had this exact problem last year. I was getting ESD payments and didn't report to DSHS for like a month. I kept trying to call the DSHS number but it was IMPOSSIBLE to get through. I'd wait on hold for 2+ hours and then get hung up on. It was so frustrating!
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Raj Gupta
•If you're having trouble reaching DSHS by phone, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They're mainly for ESD calls, but I've used their service to get through to DSHS as well when the lines were jammed. They basically hold your place in line and call you back when an agent is about to answer. Saved me hours of waiting. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 showing how it works. It's especially useful during high-volume periods when everyone's trying to report changes at once.
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Gabrielle Dubois
Update: I finally got through to DSHS this morning. The rep was actually pretty nice about it. She said since I self-reported before they caught it in their system matching (apparently they do that monthly), they won't consider it fraud. They're recalculating my benefits, and I'll probably have less EBT next month, but she said any overpayment would be pretty small since it's only been a few weeks. Thanks everyone for the advice!
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Carlos Mendoza
•That's great! I'm glad you got it sorted out. This is typically how these situations go when you self-report. Your benefit amount will adjust based on your UI income, but you're doing everything right now. Make sure to keep reporting any changes in your unemployment (if your weekly amount changes or when it eventually ends) within that 10-day window.
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Ingrid Larsson
so wait do we have to report our ESD payments to DSHS every week since the amount changes a tiny bit sometimes? That seems crazy!
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Tyrone Johnson
•No, you don't have to report every small weekly fluctuation. You report the initial receipt of unemployment benefits and your typical weekly amount. Then you only need to report significant changes - like if your benefit amount increases or decreases by more than $125, or if your benefits stop completely. The exact reporting requirements should be in your approval letter from DSHS.
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Angel Campbell
Just want to add that if anyone else is in this situation, don't let anxiety stop you from making the call! I was terrified to report my late income change last year, but the DSHS worker I spoke with said they appreciate when people self-report rather than trying to hide it. They deal with these situations all the time and are generally understanding. The key is being honest about the timeline and showing that you're trying to do the right thing. Also, keep detailed notes of your call - date, time, worker's name, and what was discussed. This can be really helpful if there are any issues later.
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Donna Cline
•This is such good advice! I'm actually in a similar situation right now - been getting UI for about 2 weeks and just realized I need to report it to DSHS. I've been putting off the call because I was scared they'd be mad at me. Reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel a lot better about it. Going to call them tomorrow morning and just be honest about the timing. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Yuki Ito
I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! I was so stressed about it, but it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I waited about 3 weeks to report my unemployment benefits to DSHS and when I finally called, the caseworker was actually understanding. She explained that they see this all the time because people don't always realize UI counts as income that needs to be reported. They recalculated my EBT benefits going forward and I did have a small overpayment (around $180), but they let me pay it back gradually by reducing my monthly benefits by like $30 until it was paid off. The most important thing is that you're reporting it now rather than continuing to wait. Don't beat yourself up about it - just make the call and get it sorted out!
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