What happens if I get Washington ESD unemployment while working - need to know consequences
I'm really worried because I think I messed up big time. I've been collecting unemployment for about 6 weeks now and last week I picked up some part-time work at a warehouse. I worked 15 hours and made $180 but I was so confused about the weekly claim process that I didn't report it when I filed my claim. Now I'm reading online that this could be considered fraud? What exactly happens if Washington ESD finds out I was working while collecting benefits? I'm scared they're going to make me pay everything back and maybe even press charges. Has anyone been through this situation?
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Tasia Synder
First off, don't panic. Working while on unemployment isn't automatically fraud - Washington ESD actually allows you to work part-time and still collect partial benefits. The problem is that you didn't report the earnings when you filed your weekly claim. You need to contact Washington ESD immediately to report the unreported wages. The sooner you self-report, the better it looks.
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Natalia Stone
•Thank you for responding! So I can actually work part-time and still get some benefits? I had no idea. Should I call them or is there a way to report this online?
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Tasia Synder
•Yes, you can work part-time. Washington ESD will deduct your earnings from your weekly benefit amount using a specific formula. You should call them directly at 833-572-8400 to report the unreported wages, but good luck getting through - their phone lines are always busy.
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Selena Bautista
oh man this happened to my cousin last year. she worked a few shifts at target and forgot to report it on her weekly claim. washington esd sent her a letter about 2 months later asking for proof of all her earnings during that time period. she had to pay back like $400 in overpayment but no fraud charges or anything
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Natalia Stone
•That's somewhat reassuring. Did she have trouble getting through to Washington ESD to explain what happened?
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Selena Bautista
•yeah she tried calling for weeks and could never get through. eventually she just mailed them all the documentation they requested and it worked out fine
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Mohamed Anderson
I've been dealing with Washington ESD for years and here's what you need to know: if you voluntarily report unreported earnings, they typically treat it as an overpayment rather than fraud. However, if they discover it through a wage audit or employer reporting, that's when you might face fraud allegations. The key is being proactive. You'll likely have to pay back any overpayment, but criminal charges are rare for first-time, relatively small amounts.
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Natalia Stone
•This is really helpful information. How do I actually get through to someone at Washington ESD? I've been trying to call but keep getting disconnected.
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Mohamed Anderson
•I hate to say it, but getting through to Washington ESD by phone is incredibly difficult. I've had success using Claimyr.com - it's a service that helps people get through to unemployment offices. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Basically they handle the calling and waiting for you.
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Natalia Stone
•I'll definitely check that out. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get this sorted out quickly.
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Ellie Perry
Wait, I'm confused about something. If you're allowed to work part-time while on unemployment, how do they calculate how much you get? I thought any work would disqualify you completely.
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Tasia Synder
•No, that's a common misconception. Washington ESD allows you to earn up to your weekly benefit amount minus $5 before your benefits are reduced. So if your weekly benefit is $400, you can earn up to $395 without any reduction. After that, they reduce your benefit dollar for dollar.
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Ellie Perry
•That's actually really good to know. I've been afraid to take any part-time work because I thought it would mess up my claim.
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Landon Morgan
THE WASHINGTON ESD SYSTEM IS SO CONFUSING!!! I've been trying to understand all these rules about working while on unemployment and honestly their website is terrible at explaining it clearly. Why don't they make this information more accessible? Half the people I know have accidentally done something wrong because the rules aren't clear.
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Teresa Boyd
•I totally agree. The whole system feels like it's designed to trip people up. Even the weekly claim questions are confusing - like when they ask about 'earnings' vs 'gross wages' and you're not sure which one they want.
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Landon Morgan
•EXACTLY! And then when you try to call for clarification you can't get through to anyone. It's like they don't want to help people understand the system.
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Lourdes Fox
OP, I think you're overthinking this. Just report the earnings on your next weekly claim and move on. Washington ESD processes thousands of these corrections every week. As long as you're not doing it intentionally to defraud them, you'll be fine.
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Natalia Stone
•But can I report past earnings on a current weekly claim? I thought each claim was only for that specific week.
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Mohamed Anderson
•You can't report past earnings on current weekly claims. You need to contact Washington ESD directly to report the unreported wages from previous weeks. That's why calling them is necessary.
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Tasia Synder
For what it's worth, I used Claimyr a few months ago when I needed to reach Washington ESD about an adjudication issue. It actually worked - they got me connected to an agent who was able to help resolve my problem. The service isn't free but it was worth it to avoid weeks of trying to call on my own.
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Bruno Simmons
•How much did it cost? I'm dealing with my own Washington ESD issues and getting desperate.
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Tasia Synder
•I don't want to get into specific pricing here, but you can check their website at claimyr.com. For me it was worth it because I was losing more money waiting for my benefits than the service cost.
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Aileen Rodriguez
This reminds me of when I was on unemployment in 2023. I did some freelance graphic design work and reported it correctly, but Washington ESD still flagged my account for review. Took them 3 weeks to clear it up even though I had done everything right. The system is just really sensitive about any kind of work activity.
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Natalia Stone
•That's frustrating. Did they stop your benefits during the review period?
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Aileen Rodriguez
•Yeah, they put a hold on my benefits until they finished reviewing everything. I had to submit pay stubs and a letter from the client explaining the work dates. It was a hassle but eventually got resolved.
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Zane Gray
I work part-time retail and collect partial unemployment benefits. The key thing to remember is ALWAYS report your earnings when you file your weekly claim, even if it's just a few hours. Washington ESD cross-references with employer wage reports, so they'll eventually find out anyway.
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Maggie Martinez
•How long does it usually take for them to catch unreported wages?
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Zane Gray
•From what I've heard, it can be anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Employers report wages quarterly, so it depends on when Washington ESD runs their cross-check audits.
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Alejandro Castro
The fraud investigations are no joke though. My neighbor got investigated for working while collecting benefits and they made her pay back $2,800 plus penalties. She said the stress was terrible and it took months to resolve.
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Natalia Stone
•This is exactly what I'm worried about. Did she end up with criminal charges?
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Alejandro Castro
•No criminal charges, but she did have to pay a 15% penalty on top of the overpayment amount. The investigation was really thorough - they interviewed her former employers and everything.
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Monique Byrd
just want to add that washington esd has been really backed up lately with everything. even if you do get through to someone it might take them a while to process your correction. but definitely better to report it yourself than wait for them to find it
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Jackie Martinez
•Yeah I heard they're still dealing with a huge backlog from all the pandemic unemployment claims. Everything takes forever now.
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Lia Quinn
OP, make sure you keep detailed records of all your work hours and pay going forward. Washington ESD might ask for documentation going back several months once they start reviewing your case. Having everything organized will make the process much smoother.
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Natalia Stone
•Good point. I have my pay stub from the warehouse job. Should I also get something in writing from my employer about the work dates?
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Lia Quinn
•Yes, a letter from your employer confirming the dates you worked and hours would be helpful. Washington ESD likes to have everything documented from multiple sources.
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Haley Stokes
I'm in a similar situation but haven't reported my gig work earnings for the past month. Reading this thread is making me realize I need to get this fixed ASAP. Thanks for posting about this OP, you probably helped a lot of people realize they need to fix their own situations.
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Natalia Stone
•Glad my panic could help someone else! Definitely don't wait like I did. The stress of wondering what's going to happen is awful.
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Asher Levin
•Same here. I've been doing DoorDash and haven't been reporting it correctly. Time to face the music and call Washington ESD.
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Serene Snow
For anyone trying to reach Washington ESD about unreported wages, I had success using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. They got me through to an agent who walked me through exactly what documentation I needed to send. Saved me weeks of trying to call on my own.
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Issac Nightingale
•Did they help you actually resolve the issue or just get you connected?
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Serene Snow
•They just handle getting you connected to an actual Washington ESD agent. Once you're on the phone, you deal directly with the state employee. But that's the hard part - actually getting through to someone who can help.
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Romeo Barrett
UPDATE: I finally got through to Washington ESD after using Claimyr. The agent was actually really helpful and explained that since I'm self-reporting the unreported wages, it's just going to be treated as an overpayment. I have to pay back $85 (the amount I shouldn't have received for that week) but no penalties or fraud charges. Huge relief!
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Marina Hendrix
•That's great news! How long did the whole process take from when you first contacted them?
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Romeo Barrett
•About 2 weeks total. Most of that was waiting for them to review my case after I submitted the wage documentation. The actual phone call with the agent only took about 15 minutes.
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Natalia Stone
•This gives me so much hope. I'm going to try Claimyr today and hopefully get this resolved quickly like you did.
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