Washington ESD unemployment vs disability benefits - are they the same thing?
I'm really confused about something and hoping someone can clear this up for me. I've been laid off from my warehouse job due to a back injury that happened at work, and now I'm not sure if I should be filing for unemployment through Washington ESD or if this is considered disability? My coworker said they're basically the same thing but that doesn't sound right to me. I tried calling Washington ESD but couldn't get through after waiting 2 hours. Can someone explain the difference? I need to get some kind of benefits going because I have bills to pay and I'm not sure which direction to go.
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Maya Jackson
No, unemployment and disability are completely different programs with different requirements. Unemployment (UI) through Washington ESD is for people who are able and available to work but can't find a job. Disability benefits are for people who can't work due to medical conditions. Since you mentioned a back injury, you might need to look into workers' compensation or Social Security disability depending on your situation.
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Nathan Dell
•Oh wow, I had no idea they were that different! So if I can't work because of my back, I probably shouldn't apply for unemployment through Washington ESD?
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Maya Jackson
•Exactly. For unemployment, you have to certify that you're able and available to work and actively job searching. If your injury prevents you from working, you wouldn't qualify.
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Tristan Carpenter
This is confusing but here's what I learned when I went through something similar. Workers comp is different from both unemployment AND disability. Since your injury happened at work, you should definitely file a workers comp claim first. That might cover your medical bills and some wage replacement while you recover.
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Nathan Dell
•I didn't even think about workers comp! How do I file for that? Is it through Washington ESD too?
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Tristan Carpenter
•No, workers comp is through the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) in Washington, not Washington ESD. Completely separate system.
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Amaya Watson
Had the same confusion last year when I got injured. Here's the deal - you can't collect unemployment and disability at the same time because they contradict each other. Unemployment requires you to be ready to work, disability means you can't work. If you're temporarily unable to work due to injury, look into workers comp or temporary disability through your employer if they offer it.
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Grant Vikers
•This is so complicated! Why can't there just be one system for when people can't work?
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Amaya Watson
•I know right? Each program serves different purposes though. Unemployment is temporary help while you find a new job, disability is for long-term or permanent conditions.
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Giovanni Martello
Since you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD, I'd suggest trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help people actually reach ESD agents when the phone lines are jammed. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Even though you might not need unemployment, they could help you talk to someone who can point you in the right direction for your specific situation.
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Nathan Dell
•Never heard of Claimyr before but anything that helps get through to a real person sounds good to me!
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Savannah Weiner
•I used Claimyr when I was having issues with my claim status. It actually worked and saved me hours of calling.
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Levi Parker
Your coworker is wrong lol. Unemployment and disability are totally different. I've been on both at different times in my life. For unemployment you have to prove you're looking for work every week when you file your weekly claim. For disability you have to prove you CAN'T work. See the difference?
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Nathan Dell
•Yeah that makes way more sense when you put it like that. Thanks for breaking it down!
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Libby Hassan
Ok but what if you're partially disabled? Like you can work some jobs but not others? I'm asking for a friend who has this situation...
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Maya Jackson
•That's where it gets complicated. You might qualify for unemployment if you're able to do SOME work and actively looking, but you'd need to discuss your limitations with Washington ESD.
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Libby Hassan
•Makes sense. Probably need to talk to an actual person about the specifics.
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Tristan Carpenter
Just want to add - if you do end up needing to contact Washington ESD for any reason, don't waste your time calling the regular number. I spent weeks trying to get through until someone told me about Claimyr. Game changer.
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Hunter Hampton
•How much does Claimyr cost though? Is it worth it?
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Tristan Carpenter
•For me it was definitely worth it considering how much time I was wasting trying to call on my own. Check out their site for details.
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Sofia Peña
The system is so broken. I've been trying to figure out my benefits situation for months and nobody can give me straight answers. Between unemployment, disability, workers comp, it's like they don't want people to get help.
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Aaron Boston
•I feel you. The bureaucracy is insane. But at least now we know they're different programs serving different needs.
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Sofia Peña
•True. Still frustrating though when you just need help and don't know where to start.
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Sophia Carter
Quick question - if I was collecting unemployment but then got injured and can't work anymore, do I have to stop my unemployment claim?
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Maya Jackson
•Yes, you'd need to stop certifying for unemployment if you're no longer able and available to work. You can't collect both.
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Sophia Carter
•Ugh, ok thanks. This is all so confusing.
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Chloe Zhang
OP, definitely look into workers comp first since your injury was work-related. That should be your primary option. If you recover and are able to work but still don't have a job, THEN you could potentially file for unemployment through Washington ESD.
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Nathan Dell
•That makes sense as a plan. Workers comp first, then unemployment if I recover but need time to find work.
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Brandon Parker
Same thing happened to my brother. Work injury, confused about benefits. He ended up getting workers comp AND was eventually able to transition to unemployment once he was cleared to work again but his old job wasn't available.
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Nathan Dell
•Oh interesting, so you can do them at different times just not at the same time?
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Brandon Parker
•Exactly! Sequential, not simultaneous.
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Adriana Cohn
For what it's worth, I had success using Claimyr to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD about my complex situation. Sometimes you just need to speak with a real person to sort out which benefits apply to your specific case.
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Jace Caspullo
•How long did it take you to get connected through Claimyr?
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Adriana Cohn
•Way faster than calling directly. I think it was like 20 minutes vs the hours I was spending trying to get through normally.
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Melody Miles
This thread is super helpful! I was also confused about this. My mom always told me unemployment and disability were the same thing but clearly she was wrong lol
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
•Parents aren't always right about everything, even though they act like they are! 😄
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Eva St. Cyr
Bottom line - unemployment is when you CAN work but don't have a job. Disability is when you CAN'T work due to medical reasons. Workers comp is when you can't work due to a work-related injury. Three different things for three different situations.
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Nathan Dell
•Perfect summary! This thread has been so helpful. I know which direction to go now.
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Kristian Bishop
•Glad this got cleared up. The benefit system is confusing enough without mixing up which program is which.
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Kaitlyn Otto
OP update us when you get your workers comp situation figured out! Hope your back heals up quickly.
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Nathan Dell
•Will do! Thanks everyone for all the help and clarification. This community is awesome.
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