Washington State offering possible unemployment benefits to furloughed federal workers

As the Federal Government shutdown heads into its third week, Washington residents who are federal workers can apply for state unemployment benefits to help subsidized lost income.

"Washington stands ready to assist federal workers in our state," stated Employment Security Department (ESD) Commissioner Suzi LeVine in an ESD news release. "Just like other workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own, federal workers have the unemployment safety net to help them through this difficult time."

Anyone experiencing job loss or are going without pay during the government shutdown can visit www.esd.wa.gov or call (800)318-6022 to apply for benefits, the news release stated.

Furloughed workers should be ready to provide verification of wages when requested since ESD may be unable to reach their employers for verification. Valid documents include tax forms such as W-2s or paycheck stubs.

More than 73,000 federal employees work in Washington as of the first quarter of 2018, according to the news release. ESD  received about 1,000 unemployment applications from workers since the government shutdown and consequential shutdown began. These applications also include furlough workers who were laid off for other reasons.

"As required by law, workers who receive back pay should plan to repay any benefits received," the news release stated.

To learn more about possible benefits or to apply for benefits visit http://www.esd.wa.gov/unemployment-benefits-related-to-partial-federal-shutdown?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.