How much money can you make and still collect Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

Thanks! My weekly benefit is $280 so I should be fine with $200 per week then.

Just make sure you report everything accurately on your weekly claims or you could face an overpayment later.

That makes sense, thanks! So as long as I don't go over $482 I'll still get some benefits?

Exactly! Just make sure to report all your earnings when you file your weekly claim. Don't try to hide anything or you'll get an overpayment notice later.

That's a relief! Do you know what the earnings disregard amount is? I want to make sure I'm calculating this right.

I think it's like $5 but don't quote me on that. The important thing is you have to report ALL your earnings when you file your weekly claim.

Wait so if I make $200 that week, I'd get $487 minus the amount over $121.75? So $487 - $78.25 = $408.75?

Exactly! You've got it right. Just make sure to report all your gross earnings when you file your weekly claim.

Are you reporting your gross earnings or net? You have to report gross earnings before taxes and deductions. That might be why it seems like they're taking more.

ohhhh that's probably it. I was reporting what I actually got paid after taxes

Thanks! Do you know what the exact formula is? I want to make sure I'm calculating this right.

Washington ESD subtracts your gross earnings from your weekly benefit amount, but there's usually a small earnings disregard. Check your benefit determination letter for the exact numbers.

This is so important! I tried to calculate it myself once and got it wrong. Now I just report everything and let ESD figure it out.

What happens if you get an overpayment notice? Can you appeal it?

Yes you can appeal overpayments within 30 days if you think it's wrong. But it's better to be accurate from the start.

How do they catch unreported income? Do they cross-check with employers?

yeah they get quarterly wage reports from all employers. better to report everything upfront than deal with an overpayment later

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an agent. I was able to talk to someone within a few hours instead of trying for weeks. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Perfect! So I'd actually make more money total than just unemployment alone. That makes the part-time work worth it.

Just make sure you report those earnings correctly on your weekly claim. Washington ESD will cross-check with employers.

This is the clearest explanation I've seen. So basically the $5 is like a work incentive?

Exactly. Washington ESD wants to encourage people to take any work available, even if it's just a few hours.

Wait, is that right? I thought any earnings would reduce your benefits.

There is a small earnings disregard in Washington, but it's not huge. The exact amount depends on your weekly benefit calculation.

This is so important! My friend got hit with a huge overpayment because she forgot to report some cash work she did.

Good point, I'll definitely report everything. Better safe than sorry.

Interesting, I've never heard of that. How does it work exactly?

Basically they handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when an agent picks up. Saved me so much time and frustration.

Sounds too good to be true tbh. How much does something like that cost?

How much does that service cost? Seems like it might be worth it if you really need to talk to someone.

I'd rather pay something to get through than spend hours calling and getting hung up on. The peace of mind was worth it for me.

Never heard of this but I'm so frustrated trying to reach ESD I might try it.

Never heard of that service before. Does it actually work for getting through to Washington ESD?

Yeah it worked great for me. They handle all the calling and waiting, then connect you when an agent is available.

Sounds too good to be true but I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point. Been trying to reach them for weeks.

No, if your earnings exceed your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you get $0 in unemployment for that week. You don't owe them money.

Oh okay that makes more sense lol. I was confused for a minute there.

Oh no! What kind of mistake did you make? I'm scared I'll mess something up.

I reported the wrong week for when I worked. I worked Sunday but reported it for the wrong weekly claim period. Make sure you know which week your work belongs to!

Yes this is super important. The weekly claim period runs Sunday through Saturday, and you report earnings for the week you actually worked, not when you got paid.

How much does that service cost? I've been trying to call for weeks.

It was worth it for me since I was getting nowhere with the regular phone system. Much better than spending hours on hold.

How much did you have to pay back? Was it just the $150 or more?

Had to pay back the full weekly benefit amount plus penalties. Learned my lesson the hard way!

How do you track all that? Do they want receipts or anything?

I just keep track in a notebook. They've never asked for proof but I keep my records just in case.

I know right? Other states handle this better. Washington ESD makes everything so complicated.

The point of unemployment is to replace lost wages while you look for full-time work. If you could work unlimited hours and still get full benefits, that wouldn't make sense.

I guess but when you're barely making ends meet every dollar counts

Wait, really? I thought you just reported it when you file your weekly claim after the work week ends.

Actually you report it when you file your weekly claim for the week you worked. You don't need to report it in advance. Just be accurate about the dates and amounts.

You report gross earnings before taxes. Washington ESD wants to know your total wages before any deductions.

And make sure you're available for full-time work even with the gig stuff. That's part of the job search requirements.

Good point about the availability requirement. I always mark that I'm available for full-time work on my weekly claims.

What if you get paid every two weeks? Do you split the earnings between the weeks you worked?

Yes, exactly. You report earnings for the week you actually worked, regardless of when the paycheck comes.

There's no specific hour limit in Washington. It's based on your earnings. You could work 40 hours at minimum wage and still get partial benefits if your earnings are low enough.

oh ok good to know

Is this the same rule for standby benefits or just regular UI?

Same rules apply to standby as far as I know, but standby has other requirements about being attached to your employer.

That's a really specific situation. You might need to call Washington ESD directly to ask about interstate benefits.

I had a friend who used that Claimyr service to get through to ESD for a similar interstate question. Apparently the agents can look up your whole situation and give you the right answer.

That's the welfare cliff problem. The system penalizes you for working more sometimes.

But isn't the goal to get back to full time work? Seems like gaming the system

When you've got bills to pay you do what makes financial sense. I'm not gaming anything, just being smart about it.

I get the frustration but it's designed to encourage people to find full-time work rather than stay on benefits long-term.

Plus any work experience is better than none, even if it's part-time. And you're still getting some money from both sources.

True, I guess the work experience does matter for future job applications.

Yes, self-employment income counts the same way. You report your net earnings after business expenses.

Just make sure you can prove your business expenses if they ask. Keep all receipts.

If your earnings exceed your weekly benefit amount plus the earnings disregard, you typically get $0 for that week. But you can still file your claim to keep your claim active.

Ok that makes sense. At least the claim stays active.

You got it! And remember this is gross income before taxes, not take-home pay.

Perfect, that helps a lot. The job offer is looking more appealing now that I know the math.

Which service did you use? There are a few different ones out there

Claimyr - they handle all the calling and waiting for you. Worth every penny to not waste time on hold.

Agreed! Everything is written in legal jargon that's hard to understand.

They do have a calculator tool somewhere on the site but it's buried pretty deep.