Will my new job affect husband's ESD benefits? Worried about household income

Good question! Your earnings as a spouse do NOT affect your husband's unemployment benefits. ESD only considers the claimant's own earnings when calculating weekly benefits. Your husband just needs to continue reporting any income HE earns when filing his weekly claims. Your income is completely separate in the eyes of ESD. The only income that would affect his benefits would be any money HE earns from temporary work, side gigs, or a new job. So you can absolutely take that job without worrying about reducing his benefits!

WRONG INFO ABOVE!! My wife got a job last year and they absolutely DID reduce my benefits!! The ESD system is designed to trap u in poverty!!! They count ALL household income and they don't tell u that upfront!

I can clear this up with accurate information. Washington State ESD does NOT consider spouse income when calculating unemployment benefits. The confusion often happens because: 1. If your husband starts earning money himself (even part-time), that WILL reduce his weekly benefit amount 2. If you file for certain other benefits like TANF or food assistance, those programs DO look at household income 3. Sometimes people mistake benefit year recalculations for spouse-related reductions Your job income won't affect his UI benefits at all. His benefits are based solely on HIS previous wages during his base year and HIS current weekly earnings (if any). You should definitely take the job if it makes financial sense for your family. It will provide more total household income without affecting his benefits.

have u tried calling ESD to ask them directly? thats the only way to know 4 sure. everything else is just ppl guessing

I was in your exact situation last year! My husband was on unemployment after getting laid off from Boeing, and I started a retail job. My income had zero effect on his benefits. He continued getting his full amount until he found a new job. One tip though - if you guys are really tight on money, make sure to take advantage of the WorkSource job search resources. My husband had to do his 3 job search activities each week anyway, and they actually helped him find a better-paying position than he had before. If you're still worried and want to confirm with ESD directly, I used a service called Claimyr to get through to an ESD agent quickly instead of waiting on hold forever. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. It was way better than spending hours trying to get through on my own.

idk about washington but when i lived in oregon my roommates income didnt count for my unemployment so i think its probably the same here? just my 2 cents

Something else to consider is taxes! Even though your income won't affect his benefits, remember that unemployment is taxable income. So when you file taxes next year, your combined income might put you in a higher tax bracket. Not saying don't take the job! Just something to be aware of so you're not surprised at tax time.

Just to follow up on what others have correctly stated - Washington ESD only looks at the individual claimant's income when determining eligibility and weekly benefit amounts. Your employment status and income have no direct impact on your husband's unemployment benefits. The system is designed this way specifically to encourage families to maintain or increase household income during periods of partial employment. Taking the job will simply add to your total household income rather than replacing his benefits. One additional note: if your husband finds part-time work, he may still qualify for partial unemployment benefits if he earns less than his weekly benefit amount. In that case, ESD would deduct a portion of his earnings from his benefit (not your earnings).