ESD requiring 401k withdrawal form - can't reach anyone for help

I went through this last year. The form is confusing but what they're really looking for is documentation that shows it was a one-time withdrawal and not recurring income. Make sure you include the 1099-R form you'll get from your 401k provider (or the distribution statement if you haven't received the tax form yet). They need to see the withdrawal amount, the tax withholding, and that it was a hardship or early withdrawal. The most important boxes to fill out are the ones about distribution type (should be "lump sum") and the reason for withdrawal (check "financial hardship"). Hope this helps!

omg the ESD is so confusing with these forms!! i submitted mine 3 times before they accepted it lol. make sure u check the box that says its NOT recurring income or they will reduce ur benefits. they counted mine as income at first and i nearly lost my mind

This exact thing happened to me! I waited 8 weeks for my claim, had to use my retirement savings, then got stuck in this paperwork loop. The ESD system is BROKEN. I had my claim held up for another 3 weeks because of this stupid form. And guess what? When I finally got through to someone, they said the form wasn't even necessary because lump sum 401k withdrawals aren't countable income for UI purposes. Complete waste of time!

I work with unemployment issues regularly. For the 401k form, here's what ESD is looking for: 1) Proof that it was a one-time withdrawal (not periodic payments) 2) Documentation showing the gross amount and any tax withholding 3) The distribution code (Code 1 is correct for early distribution) Make sure you check "No" if there's any question about whether this is recurring income. Lump sum 401k withdrawals are not countable as income for UI purposes, but they still need to document it in your file. Submit the completed form with a copy of your distribution statement as soon as possible to avoid further delays.

After reading this thread i just realized I never reported my 401k withdrawal to ESD at all... it's been 2 months since I got my benefits. Am I going to be in trouble now? Should I call them and tell them??

I had to deal with this exact situation in March and trying to get through to ESD was IMPOSSIBLE. After a week of constant calling and getting nowhere, I used Claimyr.com to connect with an ESD agent. They got me through to someone in about 20 minutes who walked me through the entire form. Totally worth it for me since I was about to lose my mind trying to get through the normal way. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. The agent I spoke with confirmed that lump sum 401k withdrawals don't count against your benefits, but they need the form filed correctly to document it.

Make sure you list both the gross AND net amounts on the form. ESD needs to see both figures to properly process it. Also, in my experience, uploading the form through your eServices account is faster than mailing it. There should be an option under "Upload Documents" in your account. That way you can track that they received it.

Just wanted to follow up - for the distribution code question, yes, Code 1 for early distribution is exactly what they need to see. And you should definitely include both the gross amount and the net amount after tax withholding. This helps them verify that it's properly documented as a non-reportable lump sum withdrawal versus ongoing retirement income that would affect your benefits.