Does plasma donation count as income for Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

Thanks for the clarification! Should I report it as self-employment income or is there a different category?

Report it as other income, not self-employment. Self-employment would be if you were running a business or freelancing.

You should contact Washington ESD immediately to report the unreported income. They may require you to pay back some benefits, but it's better to self-report than wait for them to find out during an audit.

ugh this is so stressful. how do i even contact them? the phone lines are always busy

I had the same problem with getting through to Washington ESD. After weeks of trying, I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helped me get connected to an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. It was a lifesaver for getting my income reporting issue sorted out.

Washington ESD has an earnings deduction formula. You can earn up to your weekly benefit amount plus $5 without any reduction. After that, your benefits are reduced dollar for dollar. So if your weekly benefit is $400 and you earn $120 from plasma, you'd still get your full $400.

That's actually not too bad then. I was worried I'd lose all my benefits for making a little extra money.

I understand the frustration, but Washington ESD has to follow federal guidelines about what constitutes income. Any compensation you receive for goods or services counts as income for UI purposes.

Still doesn't make it right. People are struggling and then get penalized for trying to make ends meet.

Good to know! I was about to report it as wages. Where exactly do I find the 'other income' section on the weekly claim form?

When you're filing your weekly claim online, there should be a section asking about other income received during the claim week. That's where plasma donation income goes.

How long have you been doing this? Did Washington ESD ever question your plasma donation income?

about 3 years now, never had any problems as long as i report everything accurately

Yes, plasma donation income is taxable. You should receive a 1099 form from the plasma center if you earn over $600 in a year. Even if you don't get a 1099, you're still required to report the income on your tax return.

Thanks, I hadn't thought about the tax side of things. This is getting complicated fast.

There's no specific limit on plasma donation income itself, but your total weekly earnings (including plasma donation) are subject to the earnings deduction rules. As long as you report everything correctly, you should be fine.

That makes sense. I just want to make sure I'm not going to get in trouble for trying to supplement my income.

Oh no, that's exactly what I'm worried about! How did they find out?

They cross-reference with other databases and income sources. It's not worth the risk of not reporting it.

When I had to deal with an overpayment issue, I used Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD to set up a payment plan. Saved me hours of trying to call them myself.

Report the income for the week you actually received payment, not when you donated. Washington ESD goes by when you were paid, not when you performed the service.

ok that helps, sometimes there's a delay between donation and payment

Exactly right. The key is accurate and timely reporting. Don't try to hide income - it's not worth the risk of overpayment and potential fraud charges.

Definitely not worth the risk. Thanks for all the detailed explanations everyone!

Yes, you still need to meet all job search requirements regardless of plasma donation income. Plasma donation doesn't count as work search activities - you still need to apply for suitable work and log your job searches.

Got it, so it's just extra income but doesn't replace any of the regular unemployment requirements.

That's reassuring to hear from someone who's been doing it successfully. I feel better about continuing to donate now.

Yeah just don't try to game the system. Report everything and you'll be fine.

You should contact Washington ESD immediately to report the missed income. They may be able to adjust your claim, but you'll likely need to speak with an agent to correct the oversight.

ugh trying to get through to them is impossible though

That's exactly why I started using Claimyr - getting through to Washington ESD was taking forever and I needed to fix a similar reporting issue. Worth checking out if you're having trouble reaching them.

Yes, they were wrong. Plasma centers aren't experts on unemployment law. While it's not wages in the traditional sense, it's still income that must be reported to Washington ESD.

Great, now I'm worried I've been getting bad advice. I need to call Washington ESD right away.

That's a great idea! I should start tracking this better. Do you include anything else in your records?

Just the basics - date, amount, and which plasma center. Keep it simple but accurate.

Glad we could help! The most important thing is being honest and accurate with your reporting. Washington ESD appreciates transparency.

Absolutely, better to be safe than sorry when it comes to unemployment benefits.

That's exactly the right approach! Starting with good record keeping from the beginning will save you so much hassle later. I wish I had been that organized when I first started - it would have made filing my weekly claims so much easier. The earnings threshold info that @Javier Morales shared earlier is really key too. As long as you stay under your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you won t'see any reduction in your UI benefits, which makes plasma donation a pretty decent way to supplement your income while job searching.

Great point about tracking the plasma center locations! I hadn't considered that detail. The new donor bonus tip is especially helpful - I was wondering if those higher initial payments might raise red flags with Washington ESD. It makes sense that they'd want to see consistency in reporting regardless of whether it's regular rates or promotional bonuses. Do you happen to know if there's a specific timeframe for how long Washington ESD keeps records for potential audits? I want to make sure I'm keeping my donation records for long enough just in case.

From what I've researched, Washington ESD typically keeps unemployment records for at least 4 years, but I'd recommend keeping your plasma donation records for at least 5-6 years to be safe. The IRS also requires you to keep tax records for 3-7 years depending on your situation, and since plasma income is taxable, it's smart to align your record keeping with both agencies' requirements. I keep all my donation receipts and spreadsheet backups in a dedicated folder - it's saved me multiple times when I needed to reference specific dates or amounts for various purposes.

That's really reassuring to hear about the income fluctuations! I was worried that reporting varying amounts week to week might trigger some kind of review or investigation. It makes sense that they just want accurate reporting regardless of the amount. Your point about proactive contact is spot on too - I've seen several people in this thread mention that self-reporting issues got them better outcomes than waiting for Washington ESD to find problems during audits. It definitely seems like transparency and good faith effort go a long way with them. Thanks for sharing your experience with the higher bonus week - that gives me confidence to report everything accurately without overthinking the amounts.

That's an excellent tip about saving screenshots of your weekly claim submissions! I never thought about keeping proof that I actually reported the income, but you're absolutely right - having that documentation could save you from a lot of headaches if there's ever a dispute. Your point about the extra $400-500 per month is really encouraging too. I'm still on the fence about starting plasma donation, but hearing from someone who's been successfully managing both the donations and the unemployment reporting for several months makes it seem much more manageable. Do you find that the time commitment for donations interferes with your job search activities at all, or is it pretty easy to schedule around interviews and networking?