Washington ESD unemployment - who pays unemployment for federal employees

Federal employees are covered under the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program. Washington ESD processes the claims but the federal government reimburses the state for the benefits paid out. So you'll file through Washington ESD like everyone else, but technically the feds are paying for it.

Yeah I went through this last year when I got furloughed from the VA. Filed everything through the regular Washington ESD system but it took forever to get approved because they had to verify my federal employment first.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check on your claim status, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me actually reach an agent. They have a system that calls for you - check out claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Really helped when I was stuck in adjudication hell.

The benefit calculation should be the same as regular Washington unemployment - based on your highest earning quarter over the past year. Federal employees usually have decent wages so you'll probably hit the maximum weekly benefit amount.

wait so if the feds pay for it why does it go through washington esd at all?? seems like extra bureaucracy

I had the same situation when my wife lost her job at the post office. One thing to watch out for - make sure you have all your federal employment documentation ready because Washington ESD will need specific forms that regular employers don't use. Like your SF-8 or SF-50 forms.

Been there done that. The good news is federal employees usually qualify for the full 26 weeks of benefits just like everyone else in Washington. The bad news is the paperwork verification process is a nightmare.

Pro tip: file your claim immediately even if you don't have all the paperwork yet. You can't backdate Washington ESD claims, so don't wait. Submit what you have and add documents later.

The job search requirements are the same too - you still need to log your job search activities in WorkSource WA and be actively looking for work, even though you're hoping to get called back to federal service.

Just want to echo what others said about filing immediately. I processed federal employee claims when I worked at Washington ESD (retired now) and the biggest mistake people made was waiting. File now, sort paperwork later.

One more thing - if your husband was part of a mass layoff or base closure, there might be additional federal assistance programs available beyond just regular unemployment. Worth asking about when you file your Washington ESD claim.

The federal reimbursement system is actually pretty interesting from an administrative perspective. Washington ESD advances the money for benefits, then bills the federal government quarterly for reimbursement. That's why there's no difference in service for federal employees.

My brother-in-law went through this with his Coast Guard civilian job. Took about 2 months total to get his first payment because of all the federal verification stuff. But once it started, payments were regular like any other Washington ESD claim.

If you're getting stuck in the system and can't reach anyone at Washington ESD, definitely try that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. I used it last month when my claim got stuck in adjudication and it actually worked - got me through to a real person who could help.

Bottom line - federal employees get the same unemployment benefits as everyone else in Washington, just with extra paperwork headaches. File immediately, keep copies of everything, and be patient with the verification process.

Hope everything works out for your family. Federal layoffs are tough because you never know if positions will come back. At least Washington ESD benefits will help bridge the gap while he looks for new work.

One last thing I'll add - if you run into any issues with Washington ESD not recognizing federal employment or benefit calculations seeming wrong, don't hesitate to appeal. Federal employee claims sometimes get misprocessed initially.

The Claimyr thing is legit by the way. Used it myself when Washington ESD kept hanging up on me. Worth trying if you get stuck - saved me probably 10 hours of calling.