How much can I make and still get Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

Wait, so I can make almost $500 and still get some unemployment? That seems like a lot.

Yes, but your unemployment payment gets reduced dollar for dollar after you earn more than 25% of your weekly benefit amount. So you won't get the full $487 plus your wages.

What happens if you forget to report some small amount? Like $30 from babysitting?

Washington ESD can find out about unreported income and you'll have to pay it back plus penalties. Not worth the risk for any amount.

How much does that service cost? Seems like something you should be able to find out for free.

Worth it when you can't get through for weeks. The agent told me exactly how much I could earn without losing benefits completely.

I might try this since I can never get through either. Thanks for sharing.

So for a $487 weekly benefit, 25% would be about $122 with no reduction?

Exactly. Earn $122 or less, get full $487. Earn $200, get $487 minus $78 (the amount over $122). Earn $492 or more, get nothing that week.

Because everyone has different wage rates. Someone making $10/hour vs $30/hour would have totally different hour limits for the same dollar amount.

i guess that makes sense but still annoying

Good point, I was thinking about take-home pay. So if I earn $150 gross but only take home $120, I report the $150?

Yes, always report gross earnings. They don't care what you actually took home after taxes.

That's smart. I know people who tried to hide their gig income and got caught during audits. Washington ESD has access to 1099 records.

Exactly, not worth the risk. Better to be honest and keep your claim in good standing.

Yes, same rules apply to self-employment income. Report it the week you earn it, not when you get paid.

That's going to be tricky since I sometimes don't know exactly what I earned until I invoice at the end of the month.

Keep detailed records and estimate if needed. You can always adjust later if you reported incorrectly.

Have you tried the Claimyr service? I saw someone mention it earlier and it helped them get through to an agent.

I'm skeptical of paying for something that should be free but I'm desperate at this point.

What about if you get called in but then sent home after an hour? Do you report that hour?

Yes, report any time you worked and got paid, even if it was just one hour.

YES! Report everything. $50 is well within the allowable amount so you'll still get most of your benefits.

ok thanks just wanted to make sure

Good advice. I use a simple notebook but a spreadsheet would be better for calculations.

I should start doing this. Right now I'm just trying to remember what I made each week.

What about unemployment back pay? If I get a lump sum for previous weeks, does that affect future claims?

No, unemployment benefits don't count as earnings. Only wages from work count.

Glad this thread helped! The earnings rules are definitely one of the most confusing parts of unemployment.

Same here. I was worried I'd lose all my benefits if I worked at all, but now I understand the partial benefit system.

How many job contacts do you need if you're already working some? Still the same 3 per week?

Yes, still need to meet the job search requirements unless you're on standby with your employer.

Did they give you anything in writing or just explain it over the phone?

Just explained it, but I took notes. The agent was very patient and answered all my questions about different scenarios.

Absolutely. The penalties for unreported income are much worse than temporarily reduced benefits.

This whole thread has been a huge help. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and knowledge!