What is residual pay for unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?

So if my weekly benefit is $350 and I earned $180, I would still get $170 in unemployment? That's actually better than I thought!

Exactly! You report the $180 gross earnings on your weekly claim and Washington ESD automatically calculates your residual benefit. Just make sure to report all earnings honestly.

Thanks! I was overthinking it. So I just report the $180 gross and let Washington ESD do the math?

yep thats it. been doing it for 3 weeks now and no problems

Wait, so there's a $5 buffer? I didn't know that part. That's helpful to know for future weeks.

Yes, it's called the earnings disregard. It's designed to encourage people to take part-time work while still receiving some unemployment support.

I wish I knew about this buffer earlier! I turned down a few small gigs thinking it would hurt my benefits.

How does that service work? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for days but can never get through.

They basically handle the calling and waiting for you. You don't have to sit on hold for hours or deal with the busy signals. The agent I spoke with knew exactly how residual pay calculations work.

I used them too after getting frustrated with the phone system. Really helpful for complex questions like this.

Oh no, that's exactly what I'm worried about! How much was the overpayment?

Over $2000! Had to appeal and everything. Just be super careful and always report gross earnings from all sources.

This is why it's important to understand the system. Reporting net instead of gross is a common mistake that creates overpayments.

Good point about job search. I'm still required to do 3 job contacts per week even with the part-time job, right?

Yes, unless your part-time job is 20+ hours per week, you still need to meet the job search requirements.

That's reassuring. I was worried any work would completely stop my benefits.

nah the whole point is to encourage people to take work. its actually smart policy

I only worked 15 hours this week so I should be fine on that front.

Perfect, then you'll definitely qualify for residual benefits. The system will calculate it automatically when you file your weekly claim.

Wait, is it 32 hours or 30 hours? I thought it was 30...

It's generally considered full-time work at 32+ hours, but there can be some gray areas. Best to check with Washington ESD directly for your specific situation.

That's a great idea. I'll start doing that starting this week.

Trust me, it'll save you headaches later. Especially if you have multiple part-time jobs or irregular income.

Yeah, the terminology is confusing. 'Partial benefits' would be clearer.

Exactly! I thought it had something to do with my previous job's pay or something.

I didn't know they had a calculator! I'll look for that on their website.

Yeah it's pretty helpful for planning purposes. Just search for 'benefit calculator' on the Washington ESD site.

That calculator helped me decide whether to take on extra shifts at my part-time job. Really useful tool.

Yes, you must report ALL earnings from all sources during the week you're claiming. This includes wages, tips, commissions, and any other compensation.

ok good to know. was worried i might be missing something

What kind of error did you have? I want to watch out for that.

The system was calculating my residual benefit wrong because of a data entry error from my employer. The agent was able to see the problem immediately and fix it.

Thanks, that's reassuring. I tend to overthink these things.

yeah just be honest and accurate and youll be fine

Oh wow, I didn't think about that scenario. Good to know!

Yeah, it's all about being able and available for full-time work. Turning down hours without good cause can be an issue.

This is correct. You still need to be actively seeking full-time employment and available for suitable work.

That's a good point about expense reimbursements. I wouldn't have thought of that.

Yeah, true expense reimbursements usually don't count as earnings, but it can get complicated with mileage and per diems.

Thanks everyone! This has been super helpful. I feel much more confident about filing my weekly claim now.

Good luck! The first few times can be nerve-wracking but it becomes routine pretty quickly.

Glad this thread helped! I had similar questions when I started working part-time.

I might try calling if I run into any issues with my first residual pay claim.

Or check out that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier if you don't want to deal with the wait times.

Yes, residual benefits are processed and paid just like your regular weekly benefit amount. Same deposit method and timeline.

Perfect, thanks for clarifying that!

Same here! This community is great for getting these kinds of questions answered.

definitely beats trying to figure it out from the washington esd website alone