How much can you make and still collect unemployment in Washington?

That makes sense, thank you! My weekly benefit is $420 so I should be okay with $200-300 per week in earnings.

Wait, I thought there was also something about working less than full-time hours? Like you can't work more than 32 hours or something?

Oh wow, I had no idea about the 75% rule. That's actually better than I thought - I was worried I'd lose all my benefits.

This is confusing. I've been afraid to take any work because I thought I'd lose everything. So I can actually work part-time and still get some benefits?

Yes, exactly! The system is designed to encourage people to take part-time work while looking for full-time employment. Just make sure you report all earnings honestly on your weekly claims.

How much does that cost? I've been trying to get through for two weeks with questions about my part-time work.

It was worth it for me - way less stressful than spending hours on hold or getting disconnected. The agent was able to explain exactly how my part-time earnings would affect my benefits.

Yikes, that's scary. I've been reporting everything, even tips from my part-time serving job.

How did they find out about your unreported income? Do they cross-check with employers or something?

They have access to wage databases and can see if you worked somewhere even if you don't report it. Not worth the risk!

Wait, so I still have to do 3 job search activities per week even if I'm working part-time?

Yes, unless your part-time work is more than 30 hours per week. Then you might not be considered available for other work.

That's actually a pretty good setup - you're making more combined than just unemployment alone.

Be careful about working too many hours though. If they decide you're not available for full-time work, they could cut your benefits entirely.

Good point, I wasn't sure about the timing. I'll make sure to report based on when I worked, not when I got paid.

This tripped me up too. I was reporting based on pay dates and my caseworker had to explain the correct way during a phone appointment.

Yes, vacation pay and severance are considered deductible income. They use the same 75% reduction formula for those types of payments.

Ugh, so complicated. Why can't they just have a simple chart or something?

That's exactly why I used Claimyr - saved me so much time and frustration. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to understand these rules.

I've had better luck calling right when they open at 8 AM, but even then it's usually at least an hour wait.

Yes, any income from self-employment or freelance work needs to be reported. You report it for the week you performed the work, even if payment comes later.

What if I do a project over multiple weeks? Do I divide the payment across all the weeks I worked on it?

You should divide it proportionally based on how much work you did each week. Keep good records of your hours.

Definitely agree. I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially after hearing about that $2800 overpayment earlier in this thread.

Exactly. The penalties for not reporting income can be way worse than just the overpayment amount.

That doesn't apply to me, but good to know for others who might be in that situation.

Yes, standby has different rules. You can work up to 2 days per week without affecting your benefits if you're on standby status with your regular employer.