What happens to my unemployment if I get a job - Washington ESD benefits impact?

Congratulations on the job! You don't stop filing weekly claims right away. Washington ESD has a partial benefit system where you can still receive some unemployment if your earnings are below your weekly benefit amount. You'll report your gross earnings for each week when you file your weekly claim, and they'll calculate any partial benefits you're eligible for.

I went through this exact situation last year. The key thing is to be completely honest about your earnings on your weekly claims. Washington ESD will reduce your benefits based on what you earn, but you can usually still get something if it's part-time. Just don't forget to report EVERY dollar you make or you could face an overpayment.

This is where I had major problems trying to reach Washington ESD to clarify the reporting rules. Spent hours on hold trying to get through. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually connect with agents. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Made it so much easier to get my questions answered about partial benefits.

The formula Washington ESD uses is pretty straightforward. They subtract your gross weekly earnings from your weekly benefit amount, minus the first $5 you earn (that's disregarded). So if your weekly benefit is $400 and you earn $200 in a week, you'd get $205 in partial benefits ($400 - $200 + $5 disregard).

be careful about this stuff!! i got an overpayment notice for like $1200 because i didn't report some side work correctly. took months to sort out and they wanted me to pay it all back immediately

One thing people don't always realize is that your benefits can actually last longer when you're working part-time. Since you're collecting partial benefits instead of your full amount, it extends how long your claim lasts. It's like stretching out your benefit year.

I'm in a similar situation but with a temporary full-time job that's only supposed to last 6 weeks. Should I close my claim and then reopen it when the job ends? Or keep it active somehow?

The Washington ESD system is so confusing with all these rules. I've been trying to call them for weeks to ask about my situation but can never get through. The automated system just hangs up on you after waiting forever.

What about benefits like health insurance? If I start working part-time do I lose my medicaid coverage immediately or is there a grace period?

One more thing - make sure you understand if your new job offers any benefits that might affect other things you're receiving. Like if they offer health insurance or retirement contributions, that could impact other programs you might be on.

I worked part-time for 3 months while collecting partial UI benefits and it actually worked out great. Having some income coming in regularly made budgeting easier, and I didn't have the stress of my benefits running out as quickly.

just remember to save all your pay stubs and keep records of what you report each week. if theres ever a question later you want to have documentation of everything

The Washington ESD website has a partial benefits calculator tool that can help you estimate what you might receive each week based on your earnings. It's under the 'Benefits' section somewhere.

Don't forget that you still need to be available for full-time work even while working part-time. So if your part-time job has a weird schedule that would prevent you from taking a full-time position, that could be an issue with Washington ESD.

I had a friend who got in trouble because she didn't report tips from her part-time restaurant job. Washington ESD considers ALL income, including tips, cash payments, commissions, everything. Don't make that mistake!

Another thing - if your part-time job turns into full-time, you need to report that change immediately. Don't wait until your next weekly claim to mention it. Washington ESD wants to know about significant changes right away.

The good news is that Washington ESD really does want people to work, even part-time. The partial benefit system is designed to encourage people to take jobs without completely losing their safety net. It's one of the better aspects of the unemployment system.

Last piece of advice - set up direct deposit for your paychecks if possible and keep digital copies of everything. Makes it much easier to calculate and report your earnings accurately each week when you file your claim.

Just wanted to add that you should also keep track of your work schedule changes week to week. I learned this the hard way when my part-time hours varied between 20-30 hours depending on the week. Washington ESD calculates your partial benefits based on each individual week's earnings, not an average. So if you work 20 hours one week and 30 the next, you'll get different partial benefit amounts each time. It's worth creating a simple spreadsheet to track your hours and expected earnings so you can report accurately when filing your weekly claims.