Does military retirement pay affect Washington ESD unemployment benefits eligibility?

Military retirement pay shouldn't disqualify you from unemployment benefits in Washington. The key thing is that your retirement pay isn't considered wages from employment - it's a pension. Washington ESD looks at whether you're able and available for work, not your other sources of income like pensions or retirement benefits.

I went through this exact situation last year when I got laid off. Military retirement pay does NOT count against your unemployment benefits in Washington state. I was getting about $1,800/month in retirement and still received my full UI benefits. The Washington ESD rep I spoke with explained that pensions are treated differently than wages from work.

Wait, I'm confused. Don't they reduce your benefits if you have other income? I thought ANY income affected your unemployment amount?

Be careful about this though - I've heard different things from different people. Some say military retirement counts, some say it doesn't. The Washington ESD website isn't very clear about it either.

ugh the whole system is so confusing!! I'm also military retired and been putting off filing because I wasn't sure. This thread is helpful but I wish Washington ESD would just make it clearer on their website.

For everyone asking about this - Washington State law specifically states that military retirement pay is not considered disqualifying income for unemployment benefits. You still need to meet all the other requirements (able and available for work, actively seeking employment, etc.) but the retirement income itself won't affect your eligibility or benefit amount.

Just wanted to follow up on my earlier comment about Claimyr - I used it again this week to get help with a different issue and it worked great. Really worth checking out claimyr.com if you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD instead of just waiting on hold forever.

Question - do you have to report the military retirement pay amount when you file your weekly claims? Or just when you initially apply?

So if I'm understanding correctly - military retirement pay won't affect my unemployment benefits at all? Even if it's a pretty substantial amount?

One thing to keep in mind - while military retirement pay doesn't affect your unemployment benefits, if you go back to work part-time or do any consulting work, THOSE wages will affect your weekly benefit amount. Just wanted to make that distinction clear.

This is super helpful info. I'm in the same boat - retired Air Force getting laid off next month. Glad to know I don't have to worry about my retirement pay affecting my UI benefits.

Just to wrap this up with the key points: 1) Military retirement pay does NOT disqualify you from unemployment benefits in Washington, 2) It does NOT reduce your weekly benefit amount, 3) You do need to report it on your initial application, 4) You still need to meet all other eligibility requirements like job search activities.

Does this apply to other types of military benefits too? Like VA disability payments?

I tried using that Claimyr service someone mentioned and it actually worked! Got connected to a Washington ESD agent in about 15 minutes instead of calling for hours. Really helped me get my questions answered about my claim status.

Update: I filed my initial claim today and everything went smoothly. I reported my military retirement pay as requested and it didn't cause any issues. Thanks everyone for the helpful advice!

For anyone else reading this thread later - make sure you keep good records of your job search activities. The military retirement pay won't be an issue but you still need to meet the work search requirements.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also a military retiree (Army, 22 years) who just got laid off from my tech job. I was really worried about how my retirement pay would affect my unemployment benefits, but reading everyone's experiences here has put my mind at ease. It's reassuring to know that Washington state specifically excludes military retirement pay from disqualifying income. I'm going to file my claim this week. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world information that's hard to find elsewhere!