How is unemployment pay rate calculated in Washington ESD - confused about my weekly benefit amount

That makes more sense! So it's not based on my annual salary but on my best quarter during that base period. I started that job in March 2024, so maybe my highest quarter wasn't as high as I thought.

exactly, and if you didn't work the full base period at that salary it can definitely lower your weekly amount

Wow, I had no idea about the 1.5 times requirement. Is there a way to check which quarters they used for my calculation?

Yes, you should have received a monetary determination letter that shows exactly which quarters and wages they used. If you didn't get it or lost it, you can request a copy through your SecureAccess Washington account.

Never heard of Claimyr before. Did they charge you for getting connected to Washington ESD?

They do charge for the service, but honestly it was worth it to avoid spending hours trying to get through. The agent explained everything clearly and I got my questions answered in one call instead of calling for weeks.

Interesting, might try that if I have issues with my claim. The Washington ESD phone system is absolutely brutal to deal with.

Wait, what? There's a waiting week? Nobody told me about that when I filed my initial claim.

The waiting week was actually eliminated in Washington during COVID and hasn't been reinstated. You should get paid for your first eligible week as long as you file your weekly claim properly.

oh really? that's good news then. maybe i was thinking of when i filed in 2019 before the pandemic

That's helpful to know. I did some freelance work during 2024 that should show up on my wage records.

Just make sure that freelance work was reported properly with tax forms. If it was 1099 work and you didn't pay into unemployment insurance, it might not count toward your base period wages.

I'll definitely check that out. Thanks for the tip!

Used that calculator when I was laid off in 2024. It was spot on with what I actually received. Really helpful for budgeting purposes.

This is important! I learned this the hard way when I went back to work for a few months then got laid off again.

Good to know. Hopefully I won't need to file again within the year, but it's useful information.

How long did the appeal process take? Was it complicated?

Took about 6 weeks total. Had to provide pay stubs and tax documents to prove the missing wages. Once I submitted the evidence, it was straightforward. They adjusted my weekly amount and paid me the difference retroactively.

That's encouraging. I'm dealing with a similar situation where they seem to have missed some of my wages from Q2 2024.

Yes, all wages reported to Washington ESD count, including overtime, bonuses, commissions, and tips. As long as unemployment taxes were paid on those wages, they'll be included in your base period calculation.

Perfect, that explains why my benefit amount was higher than expected. Thanks!

Thanks for sharing that resource! The Washington ESD website can be hard to navigate sometimes.

I'll look for that section. The more I understand about how this all works, the better I can plan my finances while job searching.

Yeah, $844 per week is definitely a pay cut from my previous salary, but it's better than nothing while I job search.

At least Washington has one of the higher maximum weekly benefits compared to other states. Some states cap it at like $300-400 per week.

True, we're fortunate in that regard. Still feels tight when you're used to a higher income though.

Good reminder. I've been filing every Sunday like clockwork. Haven't done any work yet but good to know about partial benefits.

The partial benefit rules in Washington are actually pretty generous compared to other states. You can earn up to about 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount before you lose all benefits for that week.

Did you have to wait long after using their service to get connected?

No, it was pretty quick actually. Much faster than trying to get through on my own. The agent was really knowledgeable about Washington ESD's calculation methods too.

Oh wow, I didn't think about taxes. Should I have them withhold taxes from my weekly payments?

I'd recommend it, especially if you're in a higher tax bracket. You can set up tax withholding through your SecureAccess Washington account. Better to have it taken out now than get hit with a big tax bill later.

This is such important advice. I always have taxes withheld from my UI benefits to avoid any surprises.

Doesn't apply to me, but good information for others who might be reading this thread.

Yes, federal wages and military service can complicate the calculation. Usually requires additional paperwork too.

I keep seeing Claimyr mentioned in these threads. Might be worth trying if I run into issues with my claim.

Thanks for sharing your experience. It's good to know there are options when the regular phone system doesn't work.

Interstate claims can be really confusing. I had to deal with this when I moved from Oregon to Washington mid-2024.

Fortunately I only worked in Washington during my base period, so this shouldn't be an issue for me.

Great advice. I'm going to review my determination letter more carefully and make sure all my wages from 2024 are included.

Absolutely this. I caught an error where they missed an entire employer and got my weekly amount increased by $200.

That's a significant difference! Shows how important it is to double-check everything.