What pays more disability unemployment Washington ESD benefits comparison
I'm trying to figure out which would pay more - staying on my current disability benefits or switching to Washington ESD unemployment. My doctor says I might be able to work part-time soon but I'm not sure if unemployment would be worth it. Has anyone compared the amounts? I'm getting around $1,200/month on disability right now and wondering if UI benefits would be higher or lower.
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Omar Fawzi
You generally can't collect both at the same time. If you're on disability, you have to be able and available for work to qualify for Washington ESD unemployment benefits. The two programs have different eligibility requirements that usually conflict with each other.
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Freya Johansen
•Right, I meant switching from one to the other if my doctor clears me for work. Just trying to see which would give me more money.
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Omar Fawzi
•Got it. Your UI benefit amount depends on your past wages, not your disability amount. You'd need to look at your earnings history to calculate it.
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Chloe Wilson
Washington ESD unemployment benefits are based on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period. If you weren't working much before going on disability, your UI benefits might be pretty low. You can estimate your weekly benefit amount using the calculator on the Washington ESD website.
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Freya Johansen
•I was making about $3,500 a month before I went on disability. Would that make my UI benefits decent?
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Chloe Wilson
•That should give you a pretty good weekly benefit amount. With those wages, you'd probably qualify for close to the maximum weekly benefit.
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Diego Mendoza
•The max weekly benefit in Washington is $999 right now I think. With your income level you should get a decent amount.
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Anastasia Romanov
I had a similar situation last year. I was on disability for 8 months then got cleared to work. The transition was tricky because you have to be actively looking for work to get UI benefits. If you're still partially disabled, you might have trouble meeting the job search requirements.
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Freya Johansen
•Did you have any problems with Washington ESD accepting your claim after being on disability?
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Anastasia Romanov
•They asked for documentation from my doctor stating I was able to work. The adjudication process took about 3 weeks to get approved.
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StellarSurfer
be careful about the timing! if you're still getting disability payments when you file for unemployment, Washington ESD might deny your claim. you have to be completely off disability first usually
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Freya Johansen
•That's what I was worried about. So I'd have to stop disability completely before applying for UI?
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Omar Fawzi
•Yes, you typically need to be off disability benefits to qualify for unemployment. The 'able and available' requirement is pretty strict.
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Sean Kelly
You might want to use a service like Claimyr to help you get through to Washington ESD when you're ready to file. I used them when I had questions about my claim eligibility and it saved me hours of trying to call. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Freya Johansen
•Thanks, I'll check that out. Getting through to Washington ESD on the phone is always a nightmare.
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Zara Malik
•I've heard good things about claimyr.com too. Especially helpful when you have complicated situations like transitioning from disability.
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Diego Mendoza
The weekly benefit amount formula is roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter wages. So if you made $10,500 in your best quarter, you'd get around $400 per week. But there's a cap at the maximum weekly benefit amount.
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Freya Johansen
•That's really helpful. I think my highest quarter was around $11,000 so that would be pretty close to what I'm getting on disability.
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Chloe Wilson
•Don't forget you can work part-time and still collect some UI benefits if you report your hours correctly on your weekly claims.
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Freya Johansen
•Oh that's good to know. With disability I couldn't work at all without losing benefits.
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Luca Greco
just went through this myself. had to get medical clearance first, then stop disability payments, then wait 30 days before filing for UI. Washington ESD was pretty strict about the timeline
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Freya Johansen
•30 days? That's a long gap without any income. Did you have any issues during that waiting period?
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Luca Greco
•yeah it was rough but they wanted to make sure there was no overlap. probably worth talking to a lawyer or advocate if you have complex medical issues
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Nia Thompson
I think you should also consider that UI benefits are temporary - usually 26 weeks max. Disability benefits can continue as long as you qualify. So even if UI pays more initially, it won't last as long.
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Freya Johansen
•True, but I'm hoping to find work within 26 weeks if my doctor clears me. The UI would just be a bridge while job searching.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•That makes sense. UI is designed to be temporary support while you look for work. Just make sure you're really ready to work before making the switch.
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Aisha Hussain
Check if your state has any vocational rehabilitation programs too. Sometimes they can help with job placement and training while you transition off disability.
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Freya Johansen
•I'll look into that. Any idea if Washington has good programs for people transitioning from disability to work?
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Aisha Hussain
•Washington has decent voc rehab services through the Department of Social and Health Services. They can sometimes help with job training and placement.
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GalacticGladiator
whatever you do, don't try to collect both at once! my cousin got in trouble for that and had to pay back thousands in overpayments. the systems talk to each other more than you think
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Freya Johansen
•Definitely not planning to do that. I've heard the overpayment penalties are brutal.
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Omar Fawzi
•Yes, always be honest about your other benefits when filing. The consequences of fraud are severe.
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Ethan Brown
If you do decide to switch, make sure you have all your medical documentation ready. Washington ESD will want proof that you're able to work and available for employment. The adjudication process can take weeks if they need additional info.
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Freya Johansen
•Good point. I should start gathering those documents now even if I'm not ready to file yet.
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Yuki Yamamoto
•Yes, be proactive about documentation. It's better to have everything ready than to delay your claim while gathering paperwork.
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Carmen Ruiz
I used Claimyr when I had to explain my medical situation to Washington ESD. Really helped me get connected to someone who understood my case instead of just getting generic responses. The service at claimyr.com was worth it for the peace of mind.
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Freya Johansen
•Did they help you navigate the medical clearance requirements?
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Carmen Ruiz
•They helped me get through to the right department to ask specific questions about my situation. Made the whole process less stressful.
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Andre Lefebvre
also consider that with UI you have to do job searches every week and report them. if you're still dealing with medical issues that might limit your work capacity, the job search requirements could be challenging
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Freya Johansen
•That's a good point. I'd need to be able to actually apply for jobs, not just say I'm looking.
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Zoe Dimitriou
•Right, and you have to keep detailed records of your job search activities. It's not just going through the motions.
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QuantumQuest
The other thing to consider is health insurance. If you're getting insurance through your disability benefits, you'll need to figure out coverage during the transition period. COBRA can be expensive.
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Freya Johansen
•Oh wow, I hadn't even thought about insurance. That's going to be another major expense to factor in.
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Jamal Anderson
•Yeah, healthcare costs can really eat into the benefit amount difference. Make sure to calculate that into your decision.
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Mei Zhang
Been there done that. Had to choose between disability and UI about 2 years ago. Ended up staying on disability because the financial risk of switching wasn't worth it for my situation. Every case is different though.
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Freya Johansen
•What made you decide to stay on disability? Was it the uncertainty about finding work?
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Mei Zhang
•Yeah, plus my disability was higher than what my UI would have been. And I wasn't sure I could handle full-time work yet.
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Liam McGuire
If you decide to apply for UI, I'd recommend using a service like Claimyr to help you through the process. They're really good at helping people with complicated situations get connected to the right Washington ESD representatives. Check out their demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ to see if it might help.
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Freya Johansen
•Thanks, I'll definitely check that out. Sounds like a lot of people have had good experiences with them.
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Amara Eze
•Yeah, they're particularly helpful when you have medical documentation and special circumstances to explain.
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Giovanni Ricci
Bottom line - do the math carefully. Factor in the duration of benefits, healthcare costs, and your realistic job prospects. UI might pay more short-term but disability provides more long-term security if you're not sure about your work capacity.
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Freya Johansen
•That's really good advice. I think I need to have a more detailed conversation with my doctor about my work capacity before making any decisions.
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NeonNomad
•Definitely. And maybe talk to a benefits counselor too. They can help you understand all your options and the implications of each choice.
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