Laid off but collecting pension - can my friend still get ESD unemployment benefits?

Your friend should definitely still apply! Having a pension doesn't automatically disqualify you from receiving unemployment in Washington. What happens is that ESD will likely deduct a portion of the pension amount from the weekly benefit amount - but only if the pension was from the same employer that laid her off. If the pension is from a different employer than the one she just got laid off from, it might not affect her benefits at all. The formula ESD uses is a bit complicated, but basically they look at whether the base period employer contributed to the pension. Tell her to go ahead and apply online and answer all questions honestly about her pension income.

WRONG INFORMATION BEING SHARED HERE!! I tried this last year and got DENIED because of my pension. They asked for ALL income sources and when I put down my pension they reduced my benefit to ZERO! The ESD guy told me any retirement income counts against your benefit amount. Its a SCAM they dont tell u about until after u waste time applying!!!

I work with unemployment cases quite frequently. Here's the actual rule from Washington state law: Pension deduction only applies when: 1. You're receiving a pension, and 2. The employer who laid you off is the same employer who contributed to that pension If your friend's pension is from a completely different employer than the medical office that laid her off, then the pension should NOT reduce her unemployment benefits at all. If the pension is from the same employer, then ESD will reduce her weekly benefit by the prorated weekly amount of the pension that was funded by the employer (not the portion she contributed). She should absolutely apply and be very clear about where her pension comes from. Different states have different rules about this, so your friend may have heard about pension rules from another state.

my dad had this same question when he got laid off last month he worked part time at home depot but gets boeing pension and he DID qualify for some benefits but they did reduce it a little bit i think it depends on how much the pension is and how much she was making at the job

I've been trying to reach ESD for three weeks about this exact situation! Good luck getting anyone on the phone to answer questions. Every time I call, I get an automated message saying high call volume and to try again later. I've tried morning, afternoon, different days... impossible to reach anyone. Ended up just applying anyway and hoping for the best.

Make sure your friend completes her weekly claims even while waiting for the initial determination! My brother almost lost out on back benefits because he didn't realize you need to keep filing every week even before they decide if you qualify. Also tell her to be ready to provide documentation about both the pension amount and which company it comes from.

One more important thing for your friend to be aware of: once she starts receiving unemployment benefits, she'll need to complete three job search activities each week and document them. Even though she's at retirement age, if she's collecting unemployment, ESD will expect her to be actively seeking work that's similar to her previous position. Make sure she knows to keep detailed records of all job search activities.