Washington ESD retirement and unemployment benefits - can I get both?

The short answer is probably not if you voluntarily retire. Washington ESD requires that you be unemployed through no fault of your own to qualify for benefits. If you choose to retire, that's considered a voluntary quit which would disqualify you.

I went through something similar last year. The key thing Washington ESD looks at is whether you're able and available for work. If you're retiring, they'll question whether you're actually looking for new employment or just trying to bridge the gap to social security.

Actually, I had a friend who got stuck in this exact situation. He couldn't get through to Washington ESD to even ask about his eligibility. The phone lines are always busy and it took him weeks to get answers. If you really need to talk to someone about your specific situation, I'd recommend checking out claimyr.com - they help people get through to Washington ESD agents. There's even a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

There might be some exceptions depending on your specific circumstances. If your company is downsizing and you're being pushed toward early retirement, or if there are health issues involved, the rules might be different. You really need to speak with Washington ESD directly about your situation.

ugh the whole system is so confusing!! why can't they just have clear answers on their website instead of making everyone call

Just to be clear about the requirements - to qualify for Washington ESD unemployment benefits, you must be unemployed through no fault of your own, able to work, available for work, and actively seeking work. Voluntary retirement typically fails the first requirement right away.

I remember reading somewhere that there are different rules for people who are partially retired or working part-time after retirement. Maybe that's an option to look into?

My dad went through this exact thing 3 years ago. He wanted to retire at 62 but couldn't afford to wait until full social security. Washington ESD told him flat out that voluntary retirement disqualifies you from unemployment benefits. He ended up working part-time instead until he could collect social security.

That's exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier - the Washington ESD phone system is notoriously difficult to navigate. Sometimes you really do need to talk to an actual person to understand how the rules apply to your specific situation, especially with something as complex as retirement timing.

Has anyone actually tried applying for unemployment after retiring just to see what happens? I'm curious if Washington ESD would automatically deny it or if they'd investigate further.

What about if you retire and then look for a different job but can't find one? Would that change your eligibility?

I think the key thing here is timing. If you're being pressured to retire or if your job is being eliminated anyway, that might be different than just deciding you want to stop working.

This whole thread is making me realize how complicated retirement planning is. I'm nowhere near retirement age but I should probably start thinking about these gaps now.

One more thing to consider - even if you could somehow qualify for unemployment benefits, you'd still have to do the weekly job search requirements. That means applying for jobs and being available for interviews, which kind of defeats the purpose of retiring.

My advice would be to talk to a financial planner about bridging the gap to social security rather than trying to make unemployment work. There are probably better options out there.

Just wanted to follow up on the Claimyr suggestion - even if you decide not to pursue unemployment benefits, it might still be worth getting official confirmation from Washington ESD about your situation. That way you'll know for sure and can plan accordingly.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! It sounds like voluntary retirement and unemployment benefits don't mix, but at least now I know what I'm dealing with. Time to explore other options for covering the gap until social security kicks in.

I'm in a similar boat - considering early retirement but worried about the income gap before I can access my 401k and social security. From what I've learned researching this, Washington ESD is pretty strict about the "involuntary separation" requirement. Even if you're burned out or have health concerns, if you choose to leave rather than being laid off or fired, it's still considered voluntary. One thing I've been looking into is whether there are any bridge insurance options through my employer that might help with healthcare costs during the gap years. That's often one of the biggest expenses people don't think about when planning early retirement.