How many hours can you work and still qualify for Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

That's really helpful, thank you! So I just need to report my hours and earnings when I file my weekly claim?

Exactly! Always report your gross earnings before taxes. Washington ESD will calculate your partial benefit automatically.

Good to know! Did you have any issues with Washington ESD questioning your work hours?

nah they never asked me anything, just make sure you put the right info on your weekly claim

Is that legit? I've been trying to reach someone at Washington ESD for weeks about my partial work situation.

Yeah it worked for me! I was able to talk to an actual person and get clarification on my specific work hours question.

Do I still need to do the job search requirements even if I'm working part-time?

Yes, you still need to complete your required job search activities each week. Part-time work doesn't exempt you from that requirement.

Wait really? That seems like a lot of work if you're already working some hours...

It can be confusing with irregular hours. The key is to report accurately each week - some weeks you might get full benefits, others partial, and some weeks maybe none if you work too much.

I guess I just have to file every week and see what happens. Thanks for explaining it.

There's no specific limit on partial work weeks, but your total benefit year is still limited to your maximum benefit amount or 26 weeks, whichever comes first.

Ok that makes sense. So I'm still using up my benefit weeks even if I'm only getting partial payments.

How much does that service cost? I'm already tight on money.

It was worth it for me to get the right information quickly instead of wasting weeks trying to call. Check out their website for details.

What kind of mistake did you make? I want to make sure I don't do the same thing.

I reported my net pay instead of gross pay one week. Even though it was an honest mistake, they considered it an overpayment and I had to pay it back.

That's harsh! Did you have to appeal it or just pay it back?

I'll definitely look for that calculator. Do you remember where on their site it was?

I think it was under the 'Claimants' section but their website is kind of hard to navigate honestly.

This is the best advice. Better to be over-cautious than deal with overpayment issues later.

That's encouraging to hear! How long have you been collecting partial benefits?

About 3 months now. Some weeks I get more UI money, some weeks less, depending on how much catering work I get. It all balances out.

How many hours would trigger that kind of review? I'm working about 25-30 hours most weeks.

I'm not sure of the exact threshold, but if you're consistently working over 30 hours they might consider that substantial employment.

That's exactly what I'm hoping for! Every little bit helps right now.

Yeah the 1.5x rule is actually pretty generous. Just make sure you understand how it works before you start.

I keep seeing people mention Claimyr. Is it really that much better than just calling yourself?

For me it was night and day. Instead of spending hours trying to get through, I was talking to an ESD agent within minutes. Worth checking out their demo video to see how it works.

Good point! My part-time job is pretty flexible though, so I think I'll be okay there.

Yeah flexibility is key. If you can't take a full-time job because of your part-time schedule, that's when you might run into problems.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! I feel much more confident about filing now.

Good luck! The partial benefits really help while you're job searching.