Does disability affect Washington ESD unemployment benefits eligibility?

Thanks! So Washington ESD doesn't automatically disqualify people on disability? I was worried they'd reject my claim immediately.

Not automatically, but they will scrutinize your claim more carefully. You'll need to demonstrate you're genuinely seeking and able to accept suitable work despite your disability.

How long did your adjudication take? I'm worried about the delay since I need the benefits soon.

About 6 weeks total. The hardest part was getting through to someone at Washington ESD to explain my situation. I actually used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent instead of waiting on hold for hours.

It's actually completely legal in Washington state. SSDI is for people who can't perform their previous work at full capacity, while UI is for people who are unemployed through no fault of their own but are able and available for some type of work.

oh ok that makes more sense when you explain it like that

What kind of medical documentation did they want from you?

They wanted a letter from my treating physician outlining my work restrictions and confirming I could perform some type of work. Also had to provide my SSDI award letter.

Seriously, try that Claimyr service I mentioned. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. It was worth it just to get actual answers instead of being stuck in phone tree hell.

I'll check that out, thanks. At this point I'm willing to try anything to talk to a real person at Washington ESD.

Do I need to apply for jobs that don't accommodate my disability, or can I limit my search to suitable positions?

You should focus on suitable work within your restrictions. Washington ESD understands that not all jobs will be appropriate for your situation. Document your search efforts and be prepared to explain why certain positions wouldn't be suitable.

Workers comp is handled differently because it's tied to a specific injury claim. You'd need to check with L&I about how that affects your UI eligibility. It's more complicated than SSDI situations.

Thanks, I'll contact L&I directly then. This stuff is so confusing!

Washington ESD has fraud investigators and they cross-reference claims with other agencies. Plus you have to actively search for work and document it, which would be pretty hard to fake long-term if you truly can't work.

They also require ongoing medical documentation if there are questions about your work capacity. It's not as easy to game the system as people think.

How do I report SSDI on the weekly claim form? I don't see a specific category for disability payments.

Report it as 'other income' and be specific in the description. Washington ESD will calculate how it affects your weekly benefit amount.

Same here! I was so worried for no reason. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

Good luck with your claims! Just remember to be thorough with your documentation and honest about your work capacity.

How long did your cousin's case take to resolve?

About 8 weeks total, but most of that was waiting for her doctor to send the required forms. Once Washington ESD had everything they needed, approval came pretty quickly.

Awesome! Glad it worked for you too. It's crazy how much easier it is than trying to call Washington ESD directly.

I might need to try that if my claim runs into issues. Thanks for the update!

Great point! SSI recipients need to be much more careful about additional income because it can affect their monthly SSI payments.

I'm on SSDI so I think I'm okay, but good to know about the SSI difference.

Did you have to provide proof of the job search contacts even when they weren't suitable positions?

Yes, I documented everything in WorkSource including why certain jobs weren't suitable. Better to have too much documentation than too little.

Because every disability case is unique. They have to evaluate each situation individually rather than having blanket rules that might miss important details.

I guess that makes sense but it's still frustrating when you just want a straight answer

Good luck! Just remember to be thorough with your initial application and respond quickly to any requests for additional information.

Let us know how it goes! I'm planning to file mine this week too.

That's reassuring. I was worried adjudication meant something was wrong with my claim.

Nope, just means they need more time to review. Mine went to adjudication too and everything worked out fine.

Agreed! Everyone here was super helpful. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences.

Happy to help! These situations are stressful enough without having to navigate Washington ESD blind.