How do I file for unemployment if I am self-employed - Washington ESD questions

So if I only had 1099 income for the past 2 years, I probably don't qualify? That's what I was afraid of.

Not necessarily - if you had W-2 wages within that base period timeframe, you might still qualify. You'd need to check your earnings history on your Washington ESD account.

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program ended in September 2021. That was specifically for self-employed workers who didn't qualify for regular UI. Now we're back to the standard eligibility requirements.

Oh that sucks, I was hoping there was still something for freelancers and contractors.

I've never heard of Claimyr before. How does that work exactly? I've been dreading trying to call Washington ESD because I know how hard it is to get through.

It basically calls Washington ESD for you and waits on hold, then connects you when an agent picks up. Saved me hours of redialing and listening to busy signals.

That sounds too good to be true. How much does something like that cost?

You should report all your work activity honestly. The self-employment won't help your eligibility but you need to be upfront about it. When you do your weekly claims, you'll need to report any self-employment income you earn while receiving benefits.

Good point, I don't want to mess anything up by not being completely honest from the start.

I know right? We pay into social security and medicare but not unemployment. It's like we're second-class workers or something.

Actually, there are some states that allow self-employed workers to opt into unemployment coverage by paying into the system voluntarily. Washington doesn't have that option yet though.

Like what? I'm pretty desperate at this point and willing to look into anything.

SNAP benefits, rental assistance, utility assistance programs. Also check with your local workforce development office - they sometimes have programs specifically for entrepreneurs and self-employed workers.

How long did it take for them to process your application? I'm worried about the adjudication process taking forever.

Mine took about 3 weeks total. They had to verify my employment history and self-employment status. Be prepared to provide documentation of your business income and expenses.

What kind of documentation did they ask for? I have my tax returns but not sure what else they'd want to see.

I'll check that right now. Fingers crossed I have some W-2 wages in there from before I went full-time freelance.

Even if you don't see wages initially, sometimes employers report them late. Worth applying anyway and letting them do the full investigation.

Good point. I assume I can look for both traditional jobs and freelance opportunities?

Yes, but you need to be looking for work that would provide wages, not just more freelance clients. The job search has to demonstrate you're available for traditional employment.

Ok I'm convinced this Claimyr thing might be worth looking into. The regular Washington ESD phone system is absolutely terrible.

Same here, spent literally 6 hours one day trying to get through to ask about my adjudication status. Finally gave up and just waited it out.

Yeah I've been putting it off because I wasn't sure about eligibility, but you're right - I should just apply and find out.

Exactly! The application process itself will tell you if you qualify or not. No point in waiting and potentially missing out on weeks of benefits.

How does that work exactly? If I make $200 from a small project, do they deduct the full $200 from my weekly benefit?

It depends on how much you make. There's usually a small earnings disregard, but anything over that gets deducted dollar for dollar. Check the Washington ESD website for the current rules.

I think it's like the first $5 plus 25% of the rest that you can keep without it affecting your benefits, but don't quote me on that. The rules change sometimes.

That's a good suggestion. I could probably use some help pivoting my business or finding new client sources.

WorkSource has been really helpful for me in the past. They also sometimes have information about grant programs for small businesses that are struggling.

Will do! I'm going to check my wage history tonight and then file my application this weekend. Wish me luck!

Good luck! Hope it works out for you. This whole self-employment unemployment thing is way more complicated than it should be.

I used Claimyr about 3 months ago when I was dealing with a similar self-employment eligibility question. It actually worked really well - took about 45 minutes for them to get me connected to an agent, which was way better than the hours I'd already wasted trying to call myself. The cost was around $20 I think, which seemed totally worth it to avoid the frustration. The agent I spoke with was able to look at my specific wage history and give me a clear answer about whether I qualified. Definitely recommend checking your base period wages first though - if you see those marketing agency wages in there, you're probably in good shape! The whole process was much less scary once I actually talked to someone who knew what they were doing.

$20 for 45 minutes of wait time sounds totally reasonable! I've probably wasted more than that in phone costs already trying to get through the regular way. Thanks for the detailed info about your experience - it's really helpful to hear from someone who's actually used the service recently. I'm going to check my wage history tonight and if I see those marketing agency wages, I'll probably give Claimyr a try to get some expert guidance on my specific situation. The whole self-employment unemployment thing is so confusing, but it sounds like there might be hope after all!

That's really reassuring to hear! $20 seems totally reasonable to avoid the phone maze at Washington ESD. I'm going to check my wage history first thing tomorrow and if I see those marketing agency wages, I'll probably give Claimyr a try. It sounds like having someone who actually understands the system walk you through your specific situation is worth way more than $20. Thanks for the detailed breakdown - this whole thread has been incredibly helpful for those of us trying to navigate the self-employment unemployment question!

That's really helpful to know! $20 seems totally reasonable to actually get through to someone who can give real answers. I've been putting off calling for weeks because I keep hearing horror stories about people spending entire days trying to get through. I'm definitely going to check my wage history first like everyone's suggesting, but if I need clarification on anything, Claimyr sounds like the way to go. Thanks for the detailed response - it's reassuring to hear from someone who's actually been through this process recently!

Thanks for the detailed feedback on Claimyr! $20 sounds totally reasonable to avoid the phone hell. I'm definitely going to check my wage history first thing tomorrow morning - fingers crossed those marketing agency wages show up in my base period. It's such a relief to hear from people who've actually been through this process successfully. I was starting to think I was completely out of luck since I've been focused on freelancing for so long. Did the agent give you any tips about the application itself, or was it pretty straightforward once you knew you qualified?

That's really helpful to know! $20 seems totally reasonable if it actually works. I've already wasted so much time trying to get through on my own that it would have been cheaper to just use the service from the start. I'm going to check my wage history tonight and if I see those marketing wages, I'll probably try Claimyr to get some guidance on filing my application correctly. Thanks for the real-world feedback on how it actually worked for you!

That's really reassuring to hear about your experience with Claimyr! $20 seems totally reasonable if it actually gets you through to someone who can give real answers. I've already wasted more than that in time trying to figure this out on my own. I'm going to check my wage history tonight and if I see those marketing agency wages, I'll probably try both applying for benefits and using Claimyr to get clarity on any questions that come up. It's such a relief to know there are people who've been through this exact situation and made it work. Thanks for sharing the specifics about timing and cost - that really helps!

That's really helpful to know about the cost and timing! $20 seems totally reasonable to avoid the phone nightmare. I'm definitely going to check my wage history first like you suggested, but if I do see those marketing wages in my base period, I'll probably use Claimyr to talk to someone before applying. It would be nice to know exactly what to expect during the application process rather than going in blind. Thanks for the detailed info about your experience - this thread has been a lifesaver for understanding how all this works!

That's really reassuring to hear! $20 seems totally reasonable to avoid the phone system nightmare. I'm going to check my wage history first thing tomorrow and then probably give Claimyr a try if I need to speak with someone. It's such a relief to know there are people who've been through this exact situation and made it work. The whole self-employment unemployment thing felt so overwhelming, but breaking it down into these steps makes it feel much more manageable. Thanks for sharing the specifics about your experience!

That's really helpful to know! $20 seems totally reasonable to actually get through to someone who can give real answers. I've already wasted so much time trying to figure this out on my own. I'm going to check my wage history first like everyone suggests, but if I see those marketing wages in there, I'll definitely consider using Claimyr to get confirmation from an actual ESD agent. It's such a relief to hear from people who've been through this exact situation - makes it feel way less overwhelming!