Washington ESD - how to find out if someone is collecting unemployment benefits

I figured as much. Just wasn't sure if business partners had any different access since we were both on the same LLC.

Yeah no special access for former business partners unfortunately

Do you know what kind of evidence they need? I don't have concrete proof, just suspicions based on his social media posts.

Social media posts showing work activity, invoices, payments received - anything that suggests unreported income while claiming benefits. They have investigators who follow up on credible reports.

be careful about making false accusations though, that can backfire

The phone situation with Washington ESD is absolutely terrible. I've been trying to get through about my own claim for weeks with no luck.

Have you tried using Claimyr? It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. I used it when I couldn't reach anyone about my adjudication issue. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way better than spending hours on hold.

Never heard of that but I'll check it out. The regular phone system is basically useless.

Because fraudulent claims drive up unemployment insurance costs for all employers. It's not personal, it's about the system working fairly.

This is actually a valid concern. UI fraud does impact the overall system and employer contribution rates.

Thanks, I'll look for that. Probably faster than dealing with their phone system.

Yeah their website is way more reliable than the phones

That's a fair point. I should probably gather more concrete information before making any reports.

Absolutely right. False fraud reports can have serious consequences for the person being reported.

washington esd does verify reports before taking action so they won't just take your word for it

Employers get notifications when former employees file claims against their account, and they can contest claims if they believe the separation was due to misconduct or voluntary quit.

But they can't just browse a database of who's collecting. There are specific notification processes for claims filed against their employment history.

Makes sense. Privacy vs business interests I guess.

Good to know the online system works. Did they give you any timeline for investigation?

They said investigations can take several weeks to months depending on complexity. No updates until it's resolved.

Fraud reporting is actually an important part of maintaining the integrity of the unemployment system. It's not about spying, it's about preventing abuse.

I get both sides. Privacy is important but so is stopping people from gaming the system.

Is it expensive? I'm already stressed about money which is why I need to talk to them in the first place.

Way cheaper than taking time off work to sit on hold all day. Plus it actually works which is more than I can say for their regular phone system.

i'll try anything at this point, been trying to reach them for my adjudication for weeks

Smart approach. Document everything carefully if you do decide to report.

Good call. Better to have solid evidence than just suspicions.

Good to know. Definitely want to be careful about this.

Yes, they take false reporting seriously too. It's about balance - report legitimate concerns but don't make frivolous accusations.

True, their computer systems do cross-reference employment data regularly.

So reporting might just speed up what would happen anyway?

exactly, plus it shows good faith effort to keep the system honest

The unemployment system is more complex than most people realize. Lots of checks and balances built in.

yeah way more bureaucracy than you'd expect

Thanks for that detail. I'll make sure to save everything if I end up reporting.

good advice, documentation is key with any government process

second this recommendation, finally got through to resolve my weeks-old issue

Adding it to my list of things to try. Thanks for sharing.

Agreed. The system works best when people report legitimate concerns while respecting privacy and due process.

Definitely learned a lot about the proper way to handle these situations. Thanks everyone.

True, most people don't know the proper channels exist until they need them.

Yeah I had no idea about the online reporting option until I researched it myself.

Perfect summary. Covers all the key points we discussed.

Thanks for putting that together. Really helpful thread overall.

yep that covers it, good info for anyone dealing with similar situations