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.

Thanks for sharing your experience! This gives me hope. I'm definitely going to check my wage history tonight - I had a part-time W-2 job while building my consulting business initially, so maybe those wages are enough. Did they ask for specific tax documents during the adjudication, or just general proof of your self-employment? I want to have everything ready to avoid delays.

They asked for my Schedule C from my tax returns to verify the self-employment income and dates, plus a few bank statements showing business transactions. Having everything organized beforehand definitely speeds up the process. The key thing they're looking for is proof that you weren't just claiming to be unemployed while still actively running your business. Since you had legitimate W-2 wages mixed in, you should be in good shape! Just make sure to be completely transparent about your work timeline when you apply.

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.