Washington ESD child support deduction from unemployment benefits - how much gets taken?

Thanks for confirming! Do you know if they take the full monthly amount or split it across the weekly payments?

They typically split it proportionally across your weekly payments. So if you get 4 payments per month, they'd take about $212.50 per week from your $620 benefit.

Did you get any paperwork or notice when they started the deductions?

got a letter in the mail after they already started taking it. said something about 'income withholding order' but it was confusing

Wait, so they can take up to 50% of my unemployment? That would be $310 per week but my child support is only supposed to be $212.50 per week.

They can only take what's actually owed according to your court order, up to those federal limits. So in your case it would be the $212.50 weekly, not the full 50% maximum.

This is exactly why I had to use claimyr.com to get through to Washington ESD when my deductions seemed wrong. The automated system couldn't explain why they were taking more than my court order specified.

Child support obligations continue regardless of your employment status. The courts consider it a priority debt that must be paid even from unemployment benefits.

But how are we supposed to survive on even less money? My rent alone is $1200/month and now they want to take child support too?

You can petition the court to modify your child support order if your income has significantly decreased due to unemployment. The original order was likely based on your previous employment income.

Good to know! I'll watch for that on my next payment notice. Do the deductions start immediately or is there a waiting period?

Usually starts within 1-2 weeks after Washington ESD receives the withholding order from child support enforcement. Sometimes there's a slight delay if there are processing issues.

What's claimyr? I've been trying to call Washington ESD about other issues but can never get through.

its a service that helps you get through to esd agents. you give them your info and they call for you when an agent is available. found it at claimyr.com and theres a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works

that actually sounds helpful, ive been trying to reach them for weeks about my deductions being wrong too

Yeah I guess it's better to have it taken automatically than to fall behind and have them go after other stuff.

exactly, and if you fall behind they add interest and penalties. better to just let washington esd handle it automatically

Yes, they can withhold additional amounts for back support. The total withholding (current support plus arrears) still can't exceed the federal limits of 50-60% of your unemployment benefits.

Ouch, that could really hurt if you owe a lot in back support. Good thing I kept up with mine when I was working.

You're taxed on the full amount of unemployment benefits, even the portion that goes to child support. The 1099-G you receive will show the total benefits paid, not just what you received after deductions.

That seems wrong but I guess it makes sense. The child support is still income, just being diverted to someone else.

Is there any way to delay or reduce the withholding if someone is having financial hardship?

The only way to change the amount is to petition the court for a modification of the child support order itself. The withholding is based on whatever the court order specifies.

This is where claimyr really helped me - I needed to talk to someone at Washington ESD about why my withholding amount seemed different from my court order. Couldn't get through the regular phone lines but claimyr got me connected to an agent who could explain the calculation.

They can only withhold what you actually receive. If your benefits are less than the support order, the unpaid amount becomes arrears that you'll still owe.

So the debt just keeps growing even though you're unemployed? That's terrifying.

This is exactly why it's important to file for a modification as soon as your income changes. Don't wait until the arrears pile up.

That's awful! How is that even legal?

turns out i had massive back support i didnt even know about. took forever to get it sorted out but thats when i learned about the 50% limit thing

I guess that's good news. At least I won't have to worry about missing payments and getting in trouble with the court.

Exactly. And your ex will receive the payments through the state disbursement system, so there's a clear paper trail for both of you.

The child support enforcement office handles notifications to the receiving parent. Washington ESD just processes the withholding order they receive.

Makes sense. Just wondering if my ex would know I'm on unemployment now because of the payment source change.

Right? I was panicking about missing payments and getting in legal trouble, but it seems like the system is set up to handle this situation.

Exactly! Now I just need to figure out how to budget with the reduced income after the child support deduction.

Good advice. What's the best way to get help if there is an error?

Contact both Washington ESD and your local child support office. Sometimes the error is on the enforcement side, sometimes it's on the unemployment side. That's when services like claimyr can be helpful for actually reaching someone at ESD.

I second the claimyr recommendation. Used them twice now when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD about payment issues. Worth checking out their demo video to see if it would help your situation.