Is unemployment social security benefits in Washington ESD system?

No, unemployment insurance (UI) and Social Security are completely separate programs. Washington ESD handles unemployment benefits, while the Social Security Administration handles retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. Your unemployment claim is totally separate from any Social Security benefits you might qualify for in the future.

This is a really common misconception! Washington ESD unemployment benefits are state-administered insurance that you earned through your previous employment. Social Security benefits are federal programs for retirement, disability, or survivors. The only connection is that both might be considered when calculating certain federal tax obligations, but the programs themselves are completely independent.

I had this same confusion when I first filed! Spent forever trying to figure out if I needed to contact Social Security too. But no, everything goes through Washington ESD - filing your initial claim, weekly certifications, job search requirements, everything. Social Security has nothing to do with it.

Your mom might be thinking of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) which is different from regular Social Security retirement. But even SSDI is totally separate from Washington ESD unemployment. If you're able to work and looking for work, you'd typically qualify for unemployment, not disability benefits.

totally separate things!! i collect unemployment right now and my social security statement online shows my earnings history but nothing about UI benefits. they dont even talk to each other as far as i can tell

I think the confusion comes from the fact that both are government benefits, but Washington ESD is state-level and Social Security is federal. Plus they both help people who can't work for different reasons - unemployment for people who lost jobs, Social Security for retirement or disability.

Just to add some specifics - Washington ESD unemployment is funded through taxes employers pay (SUTA - State Unemployment Tax Act). Social Security is funded through FICA taxes that come out of your paycheck. Completely different funding sources, completely different purposes.

Been collecting unemployment for 8 weeks now and can confirm - zero interaction with Social Security. Everything is through the ESD website, weekly claims, job search logs, all of it. Your mom probably just doesn't understand how the system works.

To answer the job search question - yes, it's still 3 verifiable job search activities per week for most claimants in Washington. You need to log them in your WorkSourceWA account and keep records in case of an audit. This requirement is part of the unemployment system, not Social Security.

I work in HR and deal with both unemployment and Social Security issues regularly. They are definitely separate systems with separate rules, eligibility requirements, and benefit calculations. When someone leaves our company, we report their wages to ESD for unemployment purposes and separately report to Social Security for retirement benefit calculations.

another thing - if you ever need to talk to someone at ESD about your claim, good luck getting through on the phone! i must have tried 200 times before i found claimyr. they actually got me connected to an agent in like 10 minutes. totally worth it when you're stressed about your benefits

Just want to emphasize again that these are totally different programs. I'm actually collecting both unemployment (because I lost my job) and Social Security survivor benefits (because my husband passed away). The Social Security Administration doesn't care that I'm getting unemployment, and ESD doesn't care about my survivor benefits. They don't affect each other at all.

The only time these might intersect is for tax purposes at year end. Both unemployment benefits and Social Security benefits can be taxable income depending on your total income level. But the programs themselves remain completely separate.

I think part of the confusion is that both programs started around the same time historically - Social Security Act of 1935 included provisions for unemployment insurance. But they were always designed as separate programs administered at different levels of government.

Bottom line - file your unemployment claim through Washington ESD, do your weekly certifications, follow the job search requirements, and don't worry about Social Security at all unless you're also eligible for retirement or disability benefits for completely separate reasons.

One more thing - if your claim gets held up in adjudication or you have issues, that's all handled through ESD's adjudication process. Social Security has their own appeals process for their benefits, but it's completely unrelated to unemployment appeals.

This has been such a helpful thread! I had some of the same confusion when I first started collecting unemployment. It's crazy how many people think it's all connected to Social Security when it's really a completely separate state insurance program.

Final note - keep all your ESD correspondence and records separate from any Social Security paperwork you might have. They're different agencies, different programs, different requirements. Keeping them organized separately will save you headaches down the road.