Washington ESD $600 weekly benefit - will unemployment affect my social security benefits?

That's such a relief to hear! I was really worried I'd have to choose between collecting unemployment now or having lower SS payments later.

Wait, but doesn't unemployment count as income for tax purposes? Could that affect anything?

Yes UI is taxable income but that doesn't impact your SS benefit calculation. SS benefits are based on your highest 35 years of earnings from actual employment, not unemployment compensation.

Good to know! I'm not on disability, just regular unemployment while job hunting. Did you have any trouble getting through to SS on the phone?

Actually yes, their phone system is almost as bad as Washington ESD's. Took me like 8 tries to get through to a real person.

How much does that cost though? I'm already struggling financially, can't afford to pay extra just to talk to someone.

It's worth checking out their site for the details. For me it was totally worth it compared to spending entire days trying to get through. Time is money, you know?

Never heard of this but might try it if I need to call ESD again. The regular phone system is absolutely brutal.

Yes I'm doing my 3 job searches per week and logging them in the system. Thanks for the reminder though!

Wait is it 3 per week? I thought it was 5. Now I'm confused about what the current requirement is.

It depends on your situation. Standard is 3 but some people have different requirements based on their claim type or local office.

No, unemployment doesn't affect your retirement timing at all. You can retire whenever you want (though full SS benefits don't start until your full retirement age, which is probably 67 for you).

OK that makes sense. I think I was mixing this up with something about early retirement and working.

Good distinction - I'm talking about regular SS retirement benefits, not SSI. Thanks for clarifying that.

What's the difference between SS and SSI? I always get those confused.

SS retirement is based on your work history and what you paid in. SSI is for people with limited income and resources, regardless of work history.

Right? It's such a relief to know they're separate. Are you planning to work after your unemployment ends or just wait until SS kicks in?

Probably try to find something part-time. At our age it's not easy but I need some income between UI ending and SS starting.

Definitely! I'm not working at all right now, just job searching. But good reminder for anyone who might be doing part-time work.

Yeah you have to report even like one day of work or they'll come after you for overpayment.

Good luck getting through to them on the phone. Like I mentioned earlier, their phone system is a nightmare.

That's exactly why I used Claimyr when I needed to talk to them. Way easier than the regular phone system.

I might check that out. The few times I've tried calling ESD I just gave up after an hour of busy signals.

If you're eligible for unemployment, you should definitely file. It's money you've paid into the system through your work history. No reason to leave it on the table.

You're right. I think I was just overthinking it because retirement planning is already stressful enough.

Yeah I'm getting close to the max based on my previous salary. Just want to make sure I'm not shooting myself in the foot for later.

You're definitely not. If anything, being unemployed might mean you're not earning SS credits this year, but that's a separate issue from UI affecting your benefits.

Tell me about it. Every agency has their own rules and none of them talk to each other. Makes it really hard to plan anything.

Exactly! And good luck getting clear answers when you call. Half the time the people answering don't even know.

Thanks for the professional perspective! That's really reassuring coming from someone who deals with this stuff regularly.

What about if someone is collecting UI and then becomes disabled while on unemployment? Does that create any issues?

That's complicated because UI requires you to be able and available for work, while disability benefits are for when you can't work. You'd need to talk to both agencies about that situation.

Perfect summary. I feel so much better about this now. Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses!

This thread was really helpful. I had the same concerns and now I know I was worrying for nothing.

Good point! I'm on COBRA right now from my last job but that's pretty expensive too. Something else to research.

Check if you qualify for any subsidies on the health insurance marketplace. At certain income levels you might get help with premiums.

Definitely worth looking into. The gap between employer insurance and Medicare can be brutal financially.