Is unemployment SSI - confused about Washington ESD benefits vs disability

These are completely different programs! SSI is Supplemental Security Income from Social Security Administration for people with disabilities. Washington ESD unemployment (UI) is for people who lost their job through no fault of their own. They have different eligibility requirements and different agencies manage them.

You're mixing up programs here. SSI is disability benefits, unemployment is for people who are able and available to work. If you're getting Washington ESD benefits, you're certifying that you're ready to work, which might conflict with an SSI disability claim.

Had the same confusion last year! I couldn't reach anyone at Washington ESD to get a straight answer about different benefit types. Finally used claimyr.com to get through to an actual agent who explained everything clearly. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

the unemployment system is so confusing they should make this stuff clearer. i had no idea there were so many different programs with similar names

Just to be super clear - Washington ESD unemployment benefits are NOT SSI. SSI is for people who can't work due to disability and have limited income/resources. Unemployment is for people who CAN work but lost their job. You can't really get both at the same time because the eligibility requirements contradict each other.

People get confused about this all the time. I work in social services and see it constantly. Washington ESD handles unemployment insurance for people who are temporarily out of work. Social Security Administration handles SSI for people with permanent disabilities who can't work.

Been getting Washington ESD benefits for 3 months now and never had any issues with other programs. As long as you're honest about your situation and follow the rules for each program separately, you should be fine.

Your neighbor might have been thinking about SSDI instead of SSI? SSDI is Social Security Disability Insurance which is different from SSI. But still neither one is the same as unemployment from Washington ESD.

The Washington ESD website should have a FAQ section that explains the difference between their programs and other benefit programs. Might be worth checking there for official information.

I tried calling Washington ESD about benefit questions too and gave up after hours of busy signals. Someone mentioned claimyr earlier - I actually tried it last week and got through to an agent in like 10 minutes. Made such a difference to talk to someone who could answer specific questions.

this thread helped me too because i was wondering the same thing. glad to know unemployment and ssi are different things

For what it's worth, I've been on Washington ESD unemployment twice in the past 5 years and never had any issues with other benefit programs. Just make sure you report your UI income if you're applying for anything else like food stamps or housing assistance.

Just want to add that if anyone reading this is actually considering applying for SSI, you should talk to a disability attorney or advocate. It's a completely different process from unemployment and much more complicated.

The confusion makes sense because both programs involve government benefits, but the eligibility is basically opposite. Unemployment requires you to be able to work, SSI requires you to be unable to work due to disability.

I had a friend who got confused about this too and was worried about reporting her unemployment to Social Security. Turns out she didn't need to because she wasn't getting SSI, just regular unemployment from Washington ESD.

Bottom line: Washington ESD unemployment is NOT SSI. Different agencies, different rules, different purposes. If you're getting UI benefits and not applying for disability, you don't need to worry about SSI at all.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! I feel like I understand the difference now and can stop worrying about whether I'm doing something wrong with my unemployment claim.

I went through the same confusion when I first started my unemployment claim! The acronyms and similar-sounding program names make it so much harder than it needs to be. What helped me was thinking of it this way: Washington ESD unemployment is temporary income replacement while you're actively looking for work, while SSI is long-term support for people who can't work due to permanent disabilities. Completely different situations and agencies. You're doing nothing wrong by collecting your UI benefits - that's exactly what the program is designed for!