How much can you earn while on unemployment in Washington ESD?
I just started collecting unemployment benefits from Washington ESD and got offered some part-time work. I'm scared to take it because I don't want to mess up my claim, but I really need the extra money. Does anyone know exactly how much you can earn while still getting UI benefits? I've heard different numbers from different people and the Washington ESD website is confusing me. My weekly benefit amount is $485 if that matters.
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Ezra Beard
You can earn up to your weekly benefit amount minus $5 and still get partial benefits. So with your $485 weekly benefit, you could earn up to $480 before losing all benefits for that week. But they reduce your benefits dollar for dollar after the first $5.
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Tobias Lancaster
•Wait, so if I earn $200 that week, they'd reduce my $485 benefit by $195? That seems like a lot.
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Ezra Beard
•Exactly. You'd get $290 in unemployment benefits plus your $200 in wages. The first $5 of earnings doesn't count against you, but everything after that reduces your benefits.
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Statiia Aarssizan
I tried working part time while on unemployment and it was such a headache. You have to report ALL your earnings on your weekly claim, even if it's just $20. And if you don't report it correctly they'll hit you with an overpayment later.
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Tobias Lancaster
•How do you report the earnings? Is there a specific section on the weekly claim form?
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Statiia Aarssizan
•Yeah when you file your weekly claim there's a section asking about work and earnings. You put in the gross amount you earned during that claim week, not when you got paid.
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Reginald Blackwell
The formula is pretty straightforward once you understand it. Your weekly benefit amount minus $5 equals your earnings disregard. Anything you earn over that amount reduces your benefits dollar for dollar. If you earn more than your full weekly benefit amount, you get zero benefits that week.
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Aria Khan
•What if you work some weeks and not others? Does that mess up your claim somehow?
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Reginald Blackwell
•No, you can work intermittently while on unemployment. Just make sure to report accurately each week whether you worked or not. Some weeks you'll get full benefits, some partial, some none depending on your earnings.
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Everett Tutum
I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I had questions about working while on unemployment. Spent hours on hold trying to talk to someone. Finally used this service called Claimyr that helped me get connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.
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Tobias Lancaster
•Is that service legit? I'm always worried about scams when it comes to unemployment stuff.
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Everett Tutum
•Yeah it's real, they just help you get through the phone system faster. I was able to talk to an Washington ESD agent in like 20 minutes instead of waiting hours.
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Sunny Wang
Be super careful about reporting your work hours too, not just earnings. Even if you only work 10 hours but earn over your disregard amount, you still need to report those hours accurately.
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Tobias Lancaster
•What happens if I accidentally report the wrong hours or earnings?
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Sunny Wang
•You can usually correct it on your next weekly claim, but it's better to be accurate the first time. Washington ESD gets wage reports from employers so they'll catch discrepancies eventually.
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Tobias Lancaster
This is all making me nervous. Maybe I should just not work at all while collecting unemployment to avoid any problems.
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Ezra Beard
•Don't let fear stop you from earning money! Working part-time while on unemployment is totally legal and encouraged. Just be honest about your earnings and you'll be fine.
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Statiia Aarssizan
•Seriously, thousands of people work part time while collecting UI. The system is designed to help you transition back to full employment.
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Hugh Intensity
I worked part time for 6 months while on unemployment and never had any issues. The key is just reporting everything accurately on your weekly claims. Don't overthink it.
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Tobias Lancaster
•Did you ever have a week where you earned too much and got no benefits?
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Hugh Intensity
•Yeah a few times when I picked up extra shifts. Those weeks I got zero unemployment but at least I had the job income. It all balances out.
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Effie Alexander
just took a job that pays $15/hr working about 25 hours a week. with my weekly benefit of $420 i still get some unemployment money each week. not much but every little bit helps
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Tobias Lancaster
•How much do you usually get in combined income? That might help me figure out if it's worth it.
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Effie Alexander
•i make about $375 from the job and get like $50 in unemployment benefits so total around $425 a week. better than just the $420 unemployment alone
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Reginald Blackwell
Remember that you still have to meet all the other unemployment requirements too - like being available for work and doing your job search activities. Working part-time doesn't change those obligations.
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Aria Khan
•Do you still have to look for other jobs if you're already working part time?
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Reginald Blackwell
•Yes, you still need to do your required job search activities unless you're on standby with your part-time employer. The work search requirement doesn't go away just because you're working some hours.
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Melissa Lin
The Washington ESD system is actually pretty good about calculating partial benefits automatically once you report your earnings. I was worried I'd mess up the math but it does it for you.
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Tobias Lancaster
•That's reassuring! I was trying to calculate it myself and getting confused.
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Melissa Lin
•Yeah just report your gross earnings honestly and let the system do the calculations. Much easier than trying to figure it out yourself.
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Lydia Santiago
I've been doing gig work (DoorDash, Uber) while on unemployment. Same rules apply - you have to report all that income too even though it's irregular.
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Tobias Lancaster
•How do you report gig work earnings? Is it different from regular employment?
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Lydia Santiago
•Nope, same process. Just report your total gross earnings for that claim week. Doesn't matter if it's from an employer or gig work.
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Everett Tutum
If anyone needs to talk to Washington ESD about the work and earnings rules, I really recommend trying Claimyr. Saved me so much time and frustration compared to calling directly.
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Romeo Quest
•How much does that service cost? I'm already tight on money.
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Everett Tutum
•It's worth checking out their website to see their options. For me it was worth it just to avoid the stress of trying to get through on the phone for hours.
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Val Rossi
MAKE SURE you report earnings for the week you actually worked, not when you got paid! This trips up a lot of people.
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Tobias Lancaster
•So if I work Monday-Friday but don't get paid until the following week, I report it for the week I worked?
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Val Rossi
•Exactly! Report earnings for the claim week when you performed the work, regardless of when the paycheck comes.
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Eve Freeman
been working temp jobs on and off while collecting unemployment. some weeks i work, some i dont. never had any problems as long as i report everything correctly
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Tobias Lancaster
•That's exactly what I'm thinking of doing. Good to know it works out okay.
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Eve Freeman
•yeah just be honest about everything and you'll be fine. the system is designed to help people like us
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Clarissa Flair
One thing to watch out for - if you start working more than part-time hours (like 35+ hours a week regularly), Washington ESD might consider you no longer unemployed even if you're earning less money.
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Tobias Lancaster
•What's considered part-time vs full-time for unemployment purposes?
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Clarissa Flair
•It's not just about hours, it's about availability for other work. If you're working full-time hours you're not really available for other employment.
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Caden Turner
I messed up once and forgot to report some side work I did. Washington ESD caught it later and I had to pay back the overpayment. Not a huge deal but definitely report everything to avoid the hassle.
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Tobias Lancaster
•How did they catch it? Do they check with all employers?
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Caden Turner
•They get quarterly wage reports from employers so they eventually see all your earnings. Better to be upfront from the start.
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McKenzie Shade
The $5 disregard is per week, not per month or anything like that. So every single week you can earn $5 without it affecting your benefits at all.
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Tobias Lancaster
•That's not much but I guess every little bit helps when you're unemployed.
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McKenzie Shade
•Right, it's not a lot but the idea is to encourage people to take any work they can get without being penalized for small amounts.
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Harmony Love
also remember you can usually still get partial benefits even if you work several days that week. i work 3 days a week at my part time job and still get some unemployment
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Tobias Lancaster
•Thanks everyone for all the advice! I think I'm going to take the part-time job and just be super careful about reporting everything.
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Ezra Beard
•Good decision! Having some work is usually better than no work, and the partial benefits help bridge the gap.
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Everett Tutum
If you run into any issues with Washington ESD or need to clarify anything about working while on unemployment, definitely consider using Claimyr to get through to an agent quickly. Much better than spending your whole day on hold.
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Tobias Lancaster
•I bookmarked their site just in case I need it. Hopefully I won't have any problems but good to know there's an option.
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Rudy Cenizo
•I used them too when I had questions about my claim. Really helpful service.
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Natalie Khan
The bottom line is working part-time while on unemployment is completely normal and expected. Don't let fear keep you from earning money when you need it!
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Tobias Lancaster
•Thanks everyone! This thread has been super helpful. I feel much more confident about taking the job now.
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Ezra Beard
•Glad we could help! Just remember to report everything accurately and you'll be fine.
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Daryl Bright
•Good luck with the new job! Having some income is definitely better than none.
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Giovanni Rossi
I've been working part-time while collecting unemployment for about 3 months now and it's honestly been a lifesaver. The key things I learned: 1) Report your gross earnings for the week you actually worked (not when you got paid), 2) The system automatically calculates your partial benefits so you don't have to do the math yourself, and 3) Keep good records of your hours and pay just in case. With your $485 weekly benefit amount, you can earn up to $480 before losing all benefits that week, but even earning more than that doesn't hurt your claim - you just get zero benefits for that particular week. Don't let anxiety stop you from taking work when you need the income!
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