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Quick question - if your employer eventually pays you the back wages, do you have to pay back the unemployment benefits?
Thanks for sharing your experience OP. This is exactly the kind of real-world situation that the unemployment system should handle smoothly, but it's clearly not as straightforward as it should be.
Yeah, it definitely wasn't straightforward. Without help from people here and that Claimyr service, I would have been stuck.
Glad you got your answer OP. For anyone else reading this thread later - the key takeaway is DON'T WAIT. File your unemployment claim immediately after job loss in Washington state. There's no benefit to waiting and you'll only lose money.
The frustration is real. I spent my entire morning calling and got nowhere. At least we're not alone in this struggle.
Update: I tried the Claimyr service and they got me through in 18 minutes. The agent was able to see that my former employer hadn't responded to their inquiry, which was causing the delay. She escalated it and said I should see movement within a week. Worth every penny after all the time I wasted calling myself.
That's great news! I'm definitely going to try Claimyr now. Thanks for the update.
Bottom line - unemployment benefits and Social Security are completely separate. File for your UI benefits with confidence, and don't let this worry keep you from getting the help you need while you're looking for work.
Had the same concern when I was 63 and got laid off. Talked to someone at Social Security directly and they confirmed zero interaction between the two programs. Your future SS benefits are safe!
Keisha Johnson
Thanks for posting this question! I'm in the exact same situation and was too nervous to apply thinking I wouldn't qualify. Definitely going to file my claim this week.
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Zoe Papadakis
•Glad this thread was helpful! I'm feeling much more confident about applying now too.
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Amara Chukwu
•If either of you need help reaching Washington ESD with specific questions, definitely check out that Claimyr service I mentioned. Made a huge difference for me.
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Paolo Rizzo
One last tip - keep good records of everything. Save copies of your application, weekly claims, any correspondence with Washington ESD, and your job search log. Having documentation makes everything easier if questions come up later.
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Zoe Papadakis
•Good advice! I'm already pretty organized with my financial stuff so I'll make sure to keep track of everything unemployment-related too.
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Paolo Rizzo
•Smart approach. It's much easier to stay organized from the start than to try to recreate records later if there's an issue.
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