Will Washington ESD find out if I worked while collecting unemployment?

You absolutely need to report all work, even cash jobs. Washington ESD has ways of finding out and if they catch you not reporting work it's considered fraud. They can make you pay back all benefits plus penalties.

dude just report it, washington esd isn't trying to screw you over for $80. they'll probably just reduce your payment by like $50 or something but you'll still get most of your benefits

I was in a similar situation last year and couldn't get through to Washington ESD to ask about reporting requirements. Spent hours on hold trying to reach someone. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually got me connected to an ESD agent in like 10 minutes. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Was totally worth it to get my questions answered directly by ESD staff.

The Washington ESD fraud department is no joke. They have investigators who specifically look for unreported work. I know someone who got caught 6 months after not reporting a weekend job and had to pay back everything plus a 50% penalty.

this whole system is so confusing!! i worked 4 hours last week but forgot to report it and now im panicking. should i call and tell them or just report it on this weeks claim?

Let me break down exactly how this works since there's confusion here. When you file your weekly claim, you report gross earnings for any work performed during that benefit week. Washington ESD then applies their deduction formula - they subtract 75% of your gross earnings from your weekly benefit amount. So if you earned $80 and your weekly benefit is $400, they subtract $60 from your benefit, leaving you with $340 for that week.

I've been on unemployment 3 times over the years and ALWAYS report everything, even a $20 cash job. It's just not worth the stress of wondering if they'll find out. Plus being honest with ESD has never caused me problems.

THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CATCH YOU!! They want you to mess up so they don't have to pay benefits. I swear they have algorithms looking for people who don't report work properly.

Just went through this exact situation. Had a one day moving job for $100 and was scared to report it. Used that Claimyr service someone mentioned to talk to an actual ESD agent. She explained that not only should I report it but that I'd still get most of my benefits that week. Ended up getting $320 instead of my usual $380, so I was worried over nothing.

my friend works at washington esd and she says they randomly audit claims all the time. they look at bank deposits, cross reference with tax records, even check social media sometimes. not trying to scare you but they have more ways to find unreported work than most people realize

Look I get being scared about reporting work but here's the reality - Washington ESD wants you to work! The whole point of unemployment is to help you transition back to full employment. They're not going to punish you for picking up small jobs here and there.

i made the mistake of not reporting cash work early in my claim and when i finally called to ask about it the agent told me i needed to report it immediately and they'd adjust my past claims. it was scary but they didn't penalize me since i self-reported. honesty really is the best policy here

The bottom line is this: report ALL work, even cash jobs. Washington ESD has multiple ways to verify your earnings and the penalties for fraud are severe. But don't panic - most people who report work still receive partial benefits and stay in good standing with the system.