How to pay into unemployment when self employed - Washington ESD options?

That's disappointing but not entirely surprising. Do you know if there are any private insurance options that work similarly to unemployment benefits?

There are some private disability insurance policies that might help, but they're not the same as unemployment. You'd need to research what's available in your specific industry.

The PUA program ended in 2021. That was a temporary pandemic-era benefit that's no longer available. Washington ESD doesn't currently offer any voluntary unemployment insurance programs for self-employed individuals.

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll definitely look into that service. It sounds like it could save a lot of frustration dealing with the phone system.

never heard of claimyr before but anything that helps get through to washington esd faster sounds worth trying

That's solid advice about diversifying clients. I probably am too dependent on my main contract right now. Do you know which states do offer voluntary programs?

California, New York, and a few others have some form of voluntary coverage, but the requirements and benefits vary significantly. If you're considering relocating for business reasons, that might be worth researching.

That's a common misconception. Even if you pay yourself a W-2 salary through your LLC, you typically won't be eligible for unemployment benefits because you have controlling interest in the company. Washington ESD generally considers business owners ineligible regardless of how they structure their pay.

The key factor is whether you have a controlling interest in the business. If you own more than 50% of the company, you're typically not eligible for unemployment benefits even if you're paying into the system as a W-2 employee.

I totally agree! The gig economy and freelance work have exploded but the safety net hasn't kept up. It's really unfair that we don't have the same protections as traditional employees.

While I understand the frustration, there are legitimate reasons why unemployment systems work differently for self-employed individuals. The program is designed around the employer-employee relationship where employers pay into the system. It's not as simple as just extending it to everyone.

That's a great idea I hadn't thought of. I should check with the professional associations in my field to see what they offer.

Also worth checking if your state has any small business development centers that offer guidance on risk management and insurance options for self-employed individuals.

Thanks for sharing your experience. It sounds like Claimyr is really helpful for getting straight answers from Washington ESD.

how much does that service cost? might be worth it just to avoid the phone runaround

It's worth checking out their site for current info. For me, getting a definitive answer quickly was worth it instead of spending hours on hold.

Good point! I might consider taking on some part-time W-2 work for exactly this reason, plus it would provide some income stability.

Just make sure to keep good records of all your work arrangements. If you do end up needing to file for unemployment later, having clear documentation of your employment history makes the process much smoother.

Business interruption insurance might be worth looking into, though it's typically for things like natural disasters rather than just losing clients.

yeah i need to do more research on what types of coverage actually exist for situations like this

30% is impressive! I'm probably only saving about 15% right now but I should definitely bump that up given the lack of other safety nets.

It took me a while to get to that level, but irregular income makes it essential. Start with whatever you can and increase it gradually.

That's a good point. Still, having something would be better than nothing, even if it's not as generous as regular UI.

True, but it might give you a false sense of security. Better to plan as if you have no safety net and be pleasantly surprised if something becomes available.

That's an interesting idea! I know some creative fields have started informal support networks. Not sure how it would work legally though.

Yeah, there would definitely be legal and tax implications to figure out. But it might be worth exploring if enough people were interested.

I'll look into that. Do you know if losing clients would typically be covered, or is it more for medical issues?

Most short-term disability is for medical issues, but some business insurance policies might cover loss of income from other causes. You'd need to read the fine print carefully.

That's the third mention of Claimyr in this thread - sounds like it really works for getting through to Washington ESD!

Yeah, I was skeptical at first but it definitely beats sitting on hold for hours. Worth checking out if you need to talk to an actual person at Washington ESD.

Glad the thread was helpful! It's definitely disappointing that there aren't more options, but at least now we know what we're dealing with.

Exactly. Better to have realistic expectations and plan accordingly than to assume there's help available that doesn't actually exist.