What is PUA unemployment benefits in Washington ESD system?

Oh that explains why I couldn't find current application info. So there's nothing similar available now for freelancers?

Unfortunately no. Washington ESD only offers regular UI benefits now, which require traditional W-2 employment history.

That's smart advice. I should probably diversify my income sources anyway.

Same situation here with DoorDash. PUA was great while it lasted but now we're back to the old system where 1099 work doesn't count.

Wait, I think I might have gotten some PUA money back then but never fully understood it. Do I need to worry about anything with taxes or overpayments?

PUA benefits were taxable income, so make sure you reported them. As for overpayments, Washington ESD is still processing some PUA overpayment determinations from that period, so keep an eye on your account.

Interesting, I've never heard of that. Does it actually work for getting through to Washington ESD?

Yeah it worked for me when I had questions about my PUA overpayment notice. Much easier than trying to call myself.

Regular unemployment requires you to have W-2 earnings from an employer who paid into the unemployment insurance system. PUA covered people like independent contractors, freelancers, gig workers, and people who were self-employed.

That makes sense. So basically if you were 1099 instead of W-2, you needed PUA.

Exactly. PUA also covered some other situations like people who couldn't work due to COVID-19 reasons but didn't qualify for regular UI.

That's exactly why I started using Claimyr. The regular Washington ESD phone lines are brutal - you either get busy signals or sit on hold forever and then get disconnected.

I might have to try that. I've been calling for weeks with no luck.

What kind of documentation? I probably threw away a lot of stuff from 2021.

Bank statements, any correspondence from Washington ESD, tax documents, proof of your work situation at the time. Basically anything that shows your eligibility and benefit payments.

Yeah it was definitely confusing. I think a lot of people got benefits they weren't supposed to get, and that's why there are so many overpayment notices going out now.

The rules kept changing too. What was allowed one month might not be allowed the next month.

That would require new federal legislation. PUA was specifically created as pandemic relief, so there's no automatic renewal or continuation.

Some states are talking about expanding regular UI to cover more types of workers, but I haven't heard anything specific about Washington.

You can definitely appeal if you think it's wrong. You have 30 days from the date on the notice to file an appeal with Washington ESD.

This is another situation where Claimyr could help - you could actually talk to someone at Washington ESD to understand why they think you were overpaid.

Good point, I need to understand their reasoning before I decide whether to appeal.

Yes! And if you didn't have taxes withheld, you might owe money when you file. I learned that the hard way.

Thanks for the reminder. I'll double check my 2021 tax return to make sure I reported everything correctly.

True, but the implementation was messy and now we're dealing with all these overpayment issues years later.

Better to have imperfect help than no help at all, especially during a pandemic.

Good advice. I guess I need to look into getting some traditional employment to build up eligibility for regular UI.

Even part-time W-2 work can help you qualify, as long as you're earning enough to meet the base period requirements.

And good luck getting through to them on the phone! 😅

That's why services like Claimyr exist - to help with that exact problem!