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One more thing - make sure you're still filing your weekly claims with Washington ESD even if most of the money is going to child support. If you stop claiming, you'll lose benefits entirely and then you'll have zero income instead of partial income.
Try calling DCS early in the morning right when they open. I finally got through at 8:02 AM after weeks of trying. Sometimes timing is everything with these government phone systems.
When I couldn't get through to change my withholding election, someone suggested trying Claimyr to reach an Washington ESD agent. Worked great - got connected in about 20 minutes instead of spending all day redialing.
Multiple people have mentioned Claimyr now. Might be worth knowing about if I need to make changes later.
Bottom line - unemployment is taxable income, elect to have 10% withheld for federal taxes, and Washington has no state income tax so you don't worry about that part. Pretty straightforward once you know.
And seriously, bookmark that Claimyr site just in case you need to reach Washington ESD later. Having that option available is such a relief when you're dealing with unemployment stress.
The timing of when you file can also matter. Don't wait too long thinking you'll figure it out later - unemployment benefits are typically dated from when you first file your claim, not when you actually lost your job.
One more thing to consider - if you have any questions about your specific situation, many states have online chat or email options that might be easier to access than their phone lines. Worth checking your previous state's unemployment website.
Mateo Martinez
Been reading through all these comments and feel like I finally understand how severance affects unemployment benefits. Time to file my claim!
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Freya Andersen
•Good luck with your claim! Remember to stay on top of your weekly filings.
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Mateo Martinez
•Thanks! I've got everything organized and ready to go.
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Aisha Hussain
This discussion convinced me I need to be more proactive about understanding my benefits. Never realized how complicated the severance rules could be.
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Ravi Choudhury
•It's always good to be informed before you need it. Unemployment rules can be tricky.
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Aisha Hussain
•Absolutely. Better to know this stuff ahead of time than learn it during a crisis.
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