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The whole process seems intimidating but honestly once you get into the routine of filing weekly claims it becomes second nature.
One last thing - if you have direct deposit set up it'll get your payments faster than waiting for a debit card to arrive in the mail.
And if you need to call Washington ESD about setting up direct deposit or anything else, remember Claimyr can help you actually get through to talk to someone.
PSA: Make sure you have your employer's Federal EIN number when you file. That's one thing that can slow down processing if you don't have it or get it wrong.
The bottom line is file as soon as possible after your last day of work. Don't wait, don't second-guess, just file. The worst thing that happens is you get denied and have to appeal. The best thing is you get benefits to help you through unemployment. There's no downside to filing quickly.
I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and it actually worked great. Got connected to a Washington ESD rep who walked me through my benefit calculation and explained why my amount was what it was. Saved me hours of frustration.
Just to clarify for the OP - at $95k annually, you should definitely qualify for close to the maximum benefit amount. The key is making sure Washington ESD has accurate wage information from all your employers.
honestly the whole system is confusing and washington esd makes it worse by being impossible to reach on the phone. thank god for services like claimyr that can actually get you through to talk to someone who knows what they're doing
Agreed, I spent weeks trying to get clarification on my benefit amount calculation and couldn't reach anyone until I used their service.
Seems like a lot of people have had success with that Claimyr service. I'll definitely remember that if I need help navigating the Washington ESD system.
Bottom line - your weekly benefit will be roughly 60-70% of your average weekly earnings from your highest earning quarter, subject to the maximum of $999. Plan your budget accordingly because it's rarely enough to maintain your full standard of living.
Eve Freeman
One more thing - if you're getting partial unemployment because you're working reduced hours, the benefit calculation is different. They deduct a portion of your earnings from your weekly benefit amount.
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Marcelle Drum
•Not applicable to me since I'm fully unemployed, but good info for others who might be reading this.
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Clarissa Flair
Bottom line: $999 is the max weekly benefit in Washington for 2025, but most people don't get the full amount. Your actual benefit depends on your earnings history during the base period. If the calculation seems wrong, don't hesitate to question it and get it reviewed.
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Marcelle Drum
•Perfect summary! I feel much more informed now about how the system works. Going to review my monetary determination letter more carefully.
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Misterclamation Skyblue
•And if you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD about your calculation, definitely consider using Claimyr to get through. Way less frustrating than trying to call on your own.
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