Can Washington ESD unemployment benefits be too low to survive on?
Just got approved for unemployment after being laid off from my part-time retail job. My weekly benefit amount is only $156 which seems impossibly low to cover rent, food, and basic expenses. I worked 25-30 hours per week at $16/hour for the past year. Is this calculation right? Can Washington ESD benefits actually be this low or did they make an error? I'm panicking because this won't even cover half my rent.
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Wesley Hallow
Unfortunately yes, Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings during your base period. If you were only working part-time, your benefit amount will reflect those lower earnings. The minimum weekly benefit in Washington is around $295, but that's before any deductions.
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Kennedy Morrison
•Wait, you said minimum is $295 but I'm only getting $156. Something doesn't add up here.
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Wesley Hallow
•You're right to question that. Let me clarify - I may have mixed up the current minimums. Your $156 might be correct if your base period earnings were very low.
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Justin Chang
this happened to me too, worked part time at target and got like $140/week. barely enough for groceries let alone rent. the system is broken for part time workers
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Kennedy Morrison
•Did you find any other assistance programs that helped? I'm looking at food banks already.
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Justin Chang
•yeah look into SNAP benefits and see if you qualify for emergency rental assistance through your county
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Grace Thomas
Have you tried calling Washington ESD to verify your benefit calculation? Sometimes there are errors in how they calculate your base period wages. I had to use Claimyr.com to actually get through to someone at Washington ESD - their phone lines are impossible otherwise. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Kennedy Morrison
•Never heard of Claimyr before. Is it legit? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for three days straight.
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Grace Thomas
•Yeah it's legitimate, just helps you get through the phone queue. Way better than spending hours redialing.
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Hunter Brighton
•I was skeptical about Claimyr at first but it actually worked. Got through to Washington ESD in under an hour instead of the usual all-day calling marathon.
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Dylan Baskin
The Washington ESD benefit formula is: (total wages in highest quarter of base period) ÷ 26. So if your highest quarter was around $4,000, you'd get about $154/week. Math checks out unfortunately.
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Kennedy Morrison
•That makes sense with my earnings. So frustrating that part-time workers get screwed over like this.
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Lauren Wood
•It's based on the idea that unemployment replaces a portion of lost wages. If your wages were low, benefits will be low too.
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Ellie Lopez
You might want to look into whether you qualify for any additional programs. Washington has Working Connections Child Care if you have kids, and there's emergency rental assistance in most counties. Also make sure you're doing your job searches properly to avoid any issues with continuing your claim.
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Kennedy Morrison
•No kids but I'll look into the rental assistance. How many job searches do I need to do each week?
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Ellie Lopez
•It's typically 3 job search activities per week for Washington ESD, but check your requirements in your account to be sure.
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Justin Chang
this is exactly why i had to get a second job while on unemployment. the benefits are a joke for anyone who wasn't making big money before
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Chad Winthrope
•You can work part-time while on unemployment! Just make sure to report your earnings on your weekly claim.
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Justin Chang
•yeah but then they reduce your benefits dollar for dollar after a certain point. still better than nothing though
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Kennedy Morrison
UPDATE: Used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and finally got through to Washington ESD. Turns out my calculation was correct but they explained I can work part-time and still collect partial benefits. Also found out about some other assistance programs I didn't know existed.
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Grace Thomas
•Glad Claimyr worked for you! It's so much easier than the endless busy signals.
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Wesley Hallow
•That's great news about the partial benefits option. A lot of people don't realize you can work while collecting unemployment.
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Paige Cantoni
Been there. My unemployment was $180/week after working retail management. Had to move in with roommates and cut every possible expense. It's temporary though - use the time to find something better paying.
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Kennedy Morrison
•How long did it take you to find something better? I'm worried about being stuck in this cycle.
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Paige Cantoni
•About 3 months but I was picky about wages. The job search requirement actually helped me stay focused on applying consistently.
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Kylo Ren
The system is designed for full-time workers unfortunately. Part-time and gig workers always get the short end of the stick with unemployment benefits.
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Nina Fitzgerald
•True but at least it's something. Better than zero income while job hunting.
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Kylo Ren
•Fair point. Every little bit helps when you're unemployed.
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Lauren Wood
Make sure you're also looking into SNAP benefits, utility assistance programs, and food banks in your area. Washington has decent social services if you know where to look.
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Kennedy Morrison
•Already applied for SNAP, waiting to hear back. Didn't know about utility assistance though.
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Lauren Wood
•Check with your utility companies directly - most have low-income assistance programs that can help with bills.
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Jason Brewer
I feel you on this. My benefits were so low I had to take the first job I could find instead of looking for something in my field. Sometimes survival comes first.
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Kennedy Morrison
•That's what I'm afraid of. I want to find something better but these bills won't wait.
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Kiara Fisherman
•Nothing wrong with taking a survival job while you keep looking for something better. At least then you're earning more than unemployment.
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Liam Cortez
Have you checked if there were any reporting errors in your base period? Sometimes employers don't report wages correctly and it affects your benefit calculation.
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Kennedy Morrison
•How would I check that? The Washington ESD rep I talked to didn't mention anything about errors.
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Liam Cortez
•You can request a wage transcript from Washington ESD to see exactly what wages they have on file for you.
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Savannah Vin
ugh this is bringing back memories of my own unemployment nightmare. hang in there, it does get better but those first few weeks are brutal when you realize how little you'll be getting
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Kennedy Morrison
•Thanks for the encouragement. Some days I wonder if I should have just kept that crappy job.
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Savannah Vin
•nah you were laid off right? not your choice. use this time to find something better, even if money is tight for a while
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Mason Stone
Consider looking into temporary agencies too. They often have quick placement and you can work temp jobs while collecting partial unemployment benefits.
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Kennedy Morrison
•Good idea. I hadn't thought about temp work. That might bridge the gap while I look for something permanent.
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Makayla Shoemaker
•Just make sure to report any temp work on your weekly claims. Washington ESD is pretty strict about unreported income.
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Christian Bierman
The benefit amount is what it is based on your work history, but don't forget you can also deduct job search expenses like gas money and work clothes from your taxes if you itemize.
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Kennedy Morrison
•Never thought about the tax angle. Every little bit helps I guess.
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Emma Olsen
been following this thread and wanted to add - if you end up needing to use claimyr again for any washington esd issues, it's worth it. saved me so much frustration when i had problems with my weekly claims
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Kennedy Morrison
•Yeah it definitely worked better than trying to call on my own. Wish I'd known about it sooner.
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Lucas Lindsey
•Same here. The Washington ESD phone system is impossible to navigate without help like that.
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Sophie Duck
One more thing - make sure you keep detailed records of all your job search activities. Washington ESD can audit your job searches anytime and you don't want to lose benefits over incomplete documentation.
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Kennedy Morrison
•Good point. I've been keeping a spreadsheet with all my applications and their responses.
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Sophie Duck
•Perfect. That's exactly what you need. Date, company, position, how you applied, and any follow-up.
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Austin Leonard
This whole thread is making me grateful I never had to deal with unemployment. Sounds like a nightmare system for people who need help the most.
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Kennedy Morrison
•It's definitely eye-opening. You don't realize how inadequate it can be until you need it.
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Anita George
•The system assumes everyone was working full-time at decent wages. Reality is very different for a lot of workers.
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Abigail Spencer
Final update for anyone following - found a part-time job that lets me keep some unemployment benefits. Still not ideal but better than the $156/week I was looking at. Thanks everyone for the advice and support!
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Grace Thomas
•That's great news! Working part-time while on benefits is a good way to transition back to full employment.
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Logan Chiang
•Congrats! Hope it leads to something full-time soon.
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Isla Fischer
•Perfect example of how the system can work when you understand all your options. Good luck with the new job!
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