Does AFLAC cover unemployment benefits while on Washington ESD claim?

Thanks, I figured it was too good to be true. Just trying to find any extra help while waiting for my weekly claims to process.

Yeah AFLAC is more about medical situations. Your Washington ESD benefits are probably your main income source right now.

Got it, so it's really about WHY you're unemployed, not just the fact that you're unemployed. My layoff was purely business-related.

Exactly. Business layoffs don't trigger AFLAC benefits. Focus on maximizing your Washington ESD claim and job search requirements.

This is helpful to know. I always wondered what exactly AFLAC covered vs regular unemployment insurance.

How long did it take for your Washington ESD claim to get approved? Mine's been in adjudication for two weeks.

Mine took about 3 weeks. The adjudication process can be slow, especially if they need to verify your employment history.

Interesting, I'll check that out. I've been trying to call Washington ESD for days to ask about my adjudication status.

Never heard of Claimyr but anything beats the endless busy signals from Washington ESD phone lines.

Yeah claimyr.com connects you directly without the runaround. Saved me so much frustration when I needed to talk to someone about my weekly claim issues.

Right, one is for medical emergencies basically, the other is for job loss income replacement.

Makes sense. I was hoping there might be some overlap but sounds like they're totally different things.

Washington ESD unemployment insurance is the main program. Some union contracts include supplemental unemployment benefits (SUB), and there are rare private unemployment insurance policies, but they're expensive and have strict requirements.

Thanks, I'll look into whether my union had anything like that. Probably should have checked before I got laid off.

Most people don't think about it until they need it. That's why we pay into the Washington ESD system through payroll taxes - it's supposed to be the safety net.

When did you file your Washington ESD claim? I'm curious how long others are waiting for approval.

Filed 3 weeks ago, just got approved yesterday! Hang in there, the adjudication process is frustrating but it does eventually happen.

3 weeks isn't too bad honestly. I've heard of people waiting 6+ weeks during busy periods.

That's why it's important to read policy details carefully. AFLAC is very specific about what triggers benefits.

yeah lesson learned. at least Washington ESD is straightforward - you lose your job through no fault of your own, you get benefits

Well, straightforward in theory anyway. The adjudication process doesn't feel very straightforward right now!

Good point. I need to contact HR about whether my AFLAC continues during my unemployment or if I need to pay directly.

Definitely check on that. Some employer-sponsored policies end when employment ends, others convert to individual policies.

COBRA rules apply to some supplemental insurance too, not just health insurance.

How did you speed up your claim processing? I feel like I'm just waiting helplessly.

I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Got me through to an actual Washington ESD agent who could explain what was holding up my claim.

Second vote for Claimyr here. Way better than the regular phone system that just hangs up on you.

Have you ever had to use your AFLAC policies? I'm wondering if they're worth keeping while I'm unemployed.

Used the accident policy once for an ER visit. They paid out quickly and covered what they said they would. But again, only for covered medical situations.

AFLAC payouts for medical situations typically don't count as income for Washington ESD purposes since they're reimbursing medical expenses, not replacing wages. But always report any income to be safe.

thanks, better safe than sorry with Washington ESD reporting requirements

Good question, I hadn't thought about that aspect of it.

Makes sense when you think about it. Economic downturns affect lots of people at once, so the risk pools would be terrible for private insurers.

I never thought about the economics of it but that makes perfect sense. No wonder AFLAC doesn't cover it.

That's a good way to put it. Thanks everyone for the explanations, this has been really helpful.

Hope your adjudication goes through soon! The waiting is definitely the worst part.

Thanks! I'm going to try that Claimyr thing to see if I can get some answers about my claim status.

Interesting edge case. My situation is just a regular business layoff so doesn't apply to me.

Right, most layoffs are business decisions not medical situations. But good to know for anyone dealing with disability-related unemployment.

That's exactly why I started using Claimyr. The regular phone lines are impossible. Check out claimyr.com if you haven't already.

I'll definitely look into that. This is ridiculous how hard it is to reach them.

The call volume is insane right now. Any service that can cut through that sounds worth it.

Perfect summary. Thanks to everyone who helped clarify this!

Good thread, I learned something too. Always wondered about the difference between these types of insurance.

Great point. I should probably call them to make sure I understand how unemployment affects my coverage.

Exactly. Better to know upfront than be surprised later if you need to use the coverage.