How much can you earn while on unemployment in Washington - need clarity on work reporting

Wait, so if I make $300 in a week, I'd still get my full $487 benefit? That seems too good to be true.

Exactly! As long as you stay under that threshold and report it properly on your weekly claim, you get both the work income and full benefits.

Yikes! How did they find out about unreported income? Was it from your tax return?

They have access to wage databases and quarterly employer reports. It took about 8 months but they eventually caught it and wanted everything back plus penalties.

What do you mean by showing I'm available for full-time work? Do I need to document that somehow?

You still need to meet the job search requirements and be available for full-time employment. If the freelance work interferes with your ability to accept a full-time job, that could be an issue.

Try using Claimyr - it's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. I found out about it from someone on Reddit and it actually worked. You can check it out at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

Never heard of that but I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point. Does it actually work or is it just another scam?

It's legit - they basically call for you and get you connected to an actual person. Way better than spending your whole day redialing.

Standby status has completely different rules - you usually can't work at all while on standby unless it's approved by your employer and Washington ESD.

I'm not on standby, just regular unemployment benefits. But what's this base period thing?

The base period is just used to calculate your initial benefit amount, it doesn't affect the weekly earnings limits while you're collecting.

Do you report the gross amount or net after expenses like gas and car maintenance?

I report the gross amount that DoorDash pays me, before any of my expenses. That's what Washington ESD wants to see.

That's unfortunately common. The key is to document everything and get answers in writing when possible through SecureAccess Washington messaging.

I've sent messages through SAW but never get responses. How long do they usually take to reply?

Can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks depending on how busy they are. Phone calls are usually faster if you can get through.

That's good to know! So it's calculated week by week, not as a running total?

Exactly, each week is independent. You could make $600 one week (and get no benefits that week) then make $200 the next week and get benefits again.

How do they even find out about cash work though? Seems like it would be impossible to track.

They cross-reference all kinds of databases - bank deposits, tax returns, employer reports, even social media sometimes. It's not worth the risk.

Did you have to provide any documentation of the consulting income when you reported it?

Not immediately, but I kept detailed records just in case. Sometimes they'll ask for pay stubs or contracts during an audit.

Yes, that's what my determination letter says. I was making pretty good money before I got laid off from my tech job.

Makes sense for tech industry wages. Just wanted to make sure you had the right number for calculating your earnings limit.

Do you remember being nervous the first time you reported earnings? I'm worried I'll mess something up.

Definitely was nervous! But the form is pretty clear about what information they want. Just take your time and double-check everything before submitting.

How do they determine if it's temporary work versus self-employment? The freelance project might last a few months.

It's more about your availability for full-time work and whether you're actively job searching. As long as you're still looking for regular employment, short-term freelance should be fine.

What service did you use? I'm getting frustrated trying to call them myself.

It was called Claimyr I think. They basically keep calling for you until they get someone on the line, then connect you. Saved me hours of redialing.

Good idea! Should I include things like the dates I worked and what the work was for?

Yes, definitely include dates, amount earned, and brief description of the work. Also save any contracts or invoices related to the freelance work.

I'm still applying to full-time positions, so that shouldn't be an issue. Thanks for the reminder though!

Perfect! Just make sure the freelance schedule doesn't interfere with potential interviews or job opportunities.

That's reassuring to hear! I was worried they'd see any work as a reason to cut off my benefits completely.

Nope, they want people to transition back to full employment gradually. Part-time work while collecting benefits is totally normal and encouraged.

So if I invoice $300 but only receive $250 after the client takes out taxes, I report $300?

Exactly! Always report the full gross amount, even if taxes or other deductions were taken out before you received payment.

Thanks for the encouragement! I think I'm going to go for it. This thread has been really helpful in understanding the rules.

You've got this! Just remember to document everything and report honestly. The Washington ESD system actually works pretty well when you follow the rules.

Good to know there's a way to fix mistakes! I was worried that any error would automatically trigger an overpayment.

They're usually pretty reasonable about honest mistakes, especially if you contact them proactively to correct it. It's the people who try to hide things that get in real trouble.

And if you need to reach them to make corrections, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier can help you get through to an actual person instead of spending all day on hold.

This is exactly the kind of clear explanation I needed! So just to make sure I understand - if I make $300 in freelance work one week, I'd report that $300 as gross earnings, but I'd still get my full $487 unemployment benefit because $300 is under the $482 threshold? That seems almost too good to be true, but if that's really how it works then this freelance opportunity is a no-brainer. Thanks for breaking down the "disregard" system - I hadn't seen it explained that way before!