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I'm glad this thread exists because I was in the exact same situation a few months ago! Yes, you can absolutely receive both unemployment and SNAP benefits simultaneously in Washington. Your UI payments will count as income for SNAP calculations, but at $380/week you'll likely still qualify for food assistance. I ended up getting about $140/month in SNAP benefits while receiving similar UI payments. The key is being upfront about all your income on both applications and reporting any changes promptly. Also, make sure to save copies of your Washington ESD payment notices - you'll need them for your SNAP application. The process took about 3 weeks for me, but it was worth it to have that extra help with groceries while job searching.
That's really helpful to know about the $140/month you received - it gives me a realistic expectation of what to expect! I'm curious, did you have to do a phone interview for your SNAP application, and if so, how long did that take? Also, when you say to save copies of the ESD payment notices, do you mean the weekly claim confirmations or something else? I want to make sure I have all the right documentation ready when I apply.
Yes, I had to do a phone interview which took about 20 minutes. The caseworker was really nice and just went through my application to verify the information. For the ESD payment notices, I'm talking about both the monetary determination letter (shows your benefit amount) and the actual payment history you can print from your eSD account showing what you've received. The weekly claim confirmations are good to have too, but the payment history is what they really want to see your actual income. The whole process was much easier than I expected - just be honest about everything and you'll be fine!
I'm currently going through this exact situation myself! Just lost my job last month and have been navigating both the unemployment and SNAP systems. Can confirm that you can absolutely receive both benefits at the same time - they're completely separate programs administered by different agencies. Your $380/week in UI benefits will count as income for SNAP purposes, but based on what others have shared here, you should still qualify for meaningful food assistance. I'd recommend applying for SNAP sooner rather than later since the processing time can be 2-3 weeks. Also, when you do your SNAP interview (which can be done by phone), just be completely transparent about your unemployment income - they're used to working with people in this situation. Having both programs has been a lifesaver for me during this job search period!
Thanks for sharing your current experience! It's really reassuring to hear from someone who's going through this right now. The 2-3 week processing time for SNAP is good to know - I'll definitely apply this week so I don't have to wait too long. Did you find the phone interview intimidating at all? I'm a bit nervous about having to explain my whole situation to a caseworker. Also, have you noticed if your SNAP benefits help significantly with your grocery budget while you're job searching? I'm trying to get a sense of how much of a difference it actually makes month to month.
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As someone who's been through the Washington ESD weekly claim process for several months now, I wanted to add a few things that might help newcomers. First, don't stress if your first payment is delayed - it's totally normal while they verify everything. Second, if you're doing any kind of side work (even selling stuff online), report it honestly. I made the mistake of not reporting some small eBay sales early on and it caused issues later. Also, bookmark the weekly claim page in your browser so you don't have to navigate through the whole SAW portal each time. And one last tip - if you ever get an overpayment notice, don't ignore it! Address it immediately because the penalties add up fast. The system definitely has its quirks but once you get the hang of it, it becomes pretty routine.
This is incredibly helpful! I've been struggling with the weekly claim process and your tips about bookmarking and reporting all income are game-changers. I had no idea about needing to report online sales - I occasionally resell items on Facebook Marketplace and definitely wouldn't have thought to include that. The overpayment warning is especially good to know since I tend to procrastinate on paperwork. One question - when you mention reporting side work honestly, does that include things like dog walking or babysitting for neighbors? I do occasional odd jobs for extra cash and want to make sure I'm covering all my bases.
This is amazing advice, thank you! I'm just getting started with weekly claims and had been dreading the whole process. The bookmark tip is brilliant - I spent like 10 minutes last week just trying to find the right page again. I'm definitely going to set that up before my next filing. Quick question about reporting income - I do some tutoring on the side for cash, usually just $20-30 here and there. Do I need to report that even though it's such small amounts and paid in cash? I want to be completely honest but wasn't sure if there was some kind of minimum threshold. Also, when you mention addressing overpayment notices immediately, roughly how long do they typically give you to respond? Is it like a few days or do you get a couple weeks?
This thread has been incredibly helpful! I just started collecting unemployment after being laid off from my retail job and was really nervous about filing my first weekly claim. Everyone's advice about being honest with work hours and keeping good records makes total sense. I do have one question though - if I pick up a short shift at a temp agency during the week, do I report that as regular employment or is there something different about temp work? Also, I noticed someone mentioned that Washington ESD has different payment schedules based on your last name - mine starts with "M" so I'm curious when I should expect to see payments. Thanks again to everyone for sharing their experiences, this is way more helpful than trying to decipher the official ESD website!
Welcome to the unemployment world! For temp agency work, you report it just like regular employment - include the hours worked and gross pay earned during that week. The fact that it's through a temp agency doesn't change how you report it on your weekly claim. As for payment schedules with last names starting with "M", you should typically see payments on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, but check your determination letter or online account for your specific payment day. The schedule can vary slightly but it's usually pretty consistent once established. And you're absolutely right that this community is way more helpful than the official website - we've all been through the learning curve!
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UPDATE: I finally found it! Logged into my employer account and it was right there under 'Tax Rate Information' like the first commenter said. My rate actually went down from last year which is great news for my quarterly payments.
As someone who went through this exact same struggle last year, I wanted to add that if you're having trouble with the employer portal login, you can also request your tax rate information by emailing Washington ESD's employer services team directly. They usually respond within 2-3 business days with your current rate and experience rating details. Just make sure to include your UBI number and business name in the email. It's a good backup option when the website is being finicky or you can't remember your login credentials.
That's really helpful to know! I had no idea you could email them directly for tax rate info. Do you happen to remember what email address you used? I'm always looking for alternatives when the online portals aren't cooperating.
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This thread is absolutely incredible - Oliver, you've been through such an ordeal! I'm a new member here but had to jump in because your story perfectly illustrates everything that's wrong with ESD's system right now. The fact that you were part of a documented layoff with 12 other people and your employer STILL had the audacity to contest it as a "quit" is just outrageous. That's basically filing a false report and there should be consequences for that kind of behavior. What really gets me is that you went 10+ weeks in complete limbo because they never sent you the adjudication paperwork you were supposed to receive. That's not just inconvenient - that's a fundamental failure of due process. How are you supposed to defend your claim if you don't even know there's something to defend against? I'm definitely saving that Claimyr recommendation - it's sad that we need third-party services just to communicate with our own state agencies, but if it actually gets results then it's clearly worth it. Your persistence in trying every avenue and documenting everything is going to help so many people who stumble across this thread in similar situations. Really hoping that 72-hour timeline they promised you actually holds up and you get approved with full backpay for all those weeks. After everything you've endured, they owe you way more than just the benefits - the stress and financial hardship caused by their system failures is inexcusable. Please keep us posted on the outcome!
Just joined this community and wow, Oliver's story is both inspiring and infuriating! I can't believe you had to endure 10+ weeks of financial uncertainty because of such massive system failures. The fact that your employer tried to claim you "quit" when you were clearly part of a documented layoff with 12 others is absolutely shameful - that kind of false reporting should definitely have consequences. What really stands out to me is how this whole nightmare could have been avoided if ESD had just sent you the adjudication paperwork like they were supposed to. It's terrifying to think about how many other people might be stuck in similar situations right now, just checking their portal daily with no idea what's actually wrong. The Claimyr service sounds like a total lifesaver - I'm bookmarking it immediately! It's ridiculous that we need third-party help just to reach our own state unemployment office, but clearly the traditional phone system is completely broken. Your persistence and transparency throughout this whole ordeal is going to help countless people who find themselves in similar situations. Really hoping you get that approval within the promised 72 hours and receive every penny of backpay you're owed. Thanks for sharing your experience and please keep us updated!
Just wanted to add my voice to everyone here - Oliver, your story is both heartbreaking and incredibly valuable for this community! The fact that you were stuck for 10+ weeks because of a false employer dispute that you weren't even notified about is absolutely criminal. It's mind-blowing that your employer had the nerve to claim you "quit" when you were clearly part of a documented mass layoff with 12 other people - that kind of fraudulent reporting should have serious consequences. What really gets me is how this whole nightmare demonstrates just how broken ESD's notification system is. You never received the adjudication questionnaire, never got alerts about the dispute, nothing. How many other people are probably sitting in the same boat right now, just endlessly checking their portal with no clue what's actually happening? I'm definitely going to look into Claimyr - it's absolutely ridiculous that we need third-party services just to communicate with our own state unemployment office, but if it actually works then it's clearly worth every penny. Your persistence in documenting everything and trying different approaches is going to be a roadmap for so many others dealing with similar issues. Really hoping that 72-hour promise actually comes through and you get approved with full backpay for all those weeks of financial stress. After everything you've been through, they owe you way more than just the benefits - the anxiety and hardship caused by their system failures is inexcusable. Please keep us all posted on the final outcome - we're all rooting for you!
Miles Hammonds
I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm in almost the exact same situation - just got my PFL approval after a month of waiting and have 3 weeks to file retroactively. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring. It sounds like the process is much more straightforward than I was worried it would be. I especially appreciate all the practical tips about having documentation ready and writing down the specific dates beforehand. One quick question for anyone who's been through this - after you submit all your retroactive weekly claims, do they all get processed at the same time, or do they go through individually? Just trying to set my expectations for when I might see payments. Thanks to everyone who's shared their knowledge here - this community is amazing!
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Bethany Groves
•Hey Miles! From what I've seen in my own experience and from others in this thread, the retroactive claims typically get processed individually but usually within a similar timeframe. So you might see one week process and get paid before the others, or sometimes they'll all go through within a day or two of each other. The first week sometimes takes a bit longer (as someone mentioned earlier), but overall most people seem to see their payments within that 5-10 business day window that was mentioned. The nice thing is that once they're all submitted, you don't have to do anything else except wait and keep an eye on your account status. Definitely agree that this community has been super helpful - makes the whole process feel way less intimidating when you can learn from people who've actually been through it!
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Zoe Papadakis
This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently waiting for my PFL approval (it's been about 3 weeks now) and was already stressing about how to handle the retroactive filing once it comes through. Seeing everyone confirm that you can file all missed weeks at once is such a relief - I was imagining having to do some complicated process where I'd have to space them out or something. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about gathering all documentation beforehand and writing down the specific dates for each week. It's also really reassuring to see that most people are getting through the process smoothly, even if there are occasional hiccups. This community really is amazing - having real experiences from people who've actually been through this exact situation makes such a difference when you're trying to navigate these systems!
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QuantumQuasar
•I'm so glad this thread is helping you feel more prepared! The waiting for approval is definitely the hardest part - once you get that, the retroactive filing really is much more straightforward than it seems. One small thing I'd add to all the great advice already shared: when you do get your approval, try to file your retroactive claims as soon as possible. While there's usually a reasonable window to file back weeks, getting them submitted quickly means you'll start seeing payments sooner. Also, if you run into any technical issues with the website during filing (which can happen occasionally), don't panic - you can always log back in later and continue where you left off. The system saves your progress pretty well. Fingers crossed your approval comes through soon!
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