How much can you draw on unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?

Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $15,000, that would be about $577 divided by 26 times 0.0385? That seems like it would be around $22 per week which seems way too low.

No, you're doing the math wrong. Take $15,000 divided by 26 = $576.92, then multiply that by 0.0385 = $22.21. But that's not right either - let me double check the formula.

The formula is actually simpler than that. You take your highest quarter wages and divide by 26. So $15,000 ÷ 26 = $576.92 per week would be your benefit amount, up to the maximum of $999.

No, Washington ESD uses just your highest earning quarter from the base period. Some states use all quarters but Washington keeps it simple with just the highest quarter wages divided by 26.

That makes more sense, thanks for clarifying!

I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com. They basically call Washington ESD for you and get you connected to an actual agent. I was skeptical at first but it actually worked - got through in like 30 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Really? That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?

It's worth checking out their site for the details, but honestly after spending hours and hours trying to get through on my own, any cost was worth it to actually talk to someone and get my questions answered.

Actually to get the maximum $999 per week, your highest quarter would need to be about $25,974 ($999 × 26). So yeah, you'd need to be making pretty good money to hit the cap.

OK so with my $52k annual income, my highest quarter was probably around $15k-16k, so I'd be looking at around $575-615 per week? That's actually not too bad.

Good point about the job search requirements. How many jobs do you have to apply for each week?

You need to make at least 3 job search activities per week and keep a log of them. Can be applications, interviews, networking events, job fairs, etc.

Wait I thought it was 5 job search activities per week?

No, it's 3 per week in Washington. Some states require more but Washington ESD requires 3 documented job search activities weekly.

Initial claims usually take 2-3 weeks to process if there are no issues. If they need to verify your employment or wages, it can take longer.

Mine shows 'adjudication in progress' - is that normal?

Adjudication means they're reviewing something about your claim - could be your separation from work, wage verification, or eligibility. It's common but can add several weeks to processing time.

What's the base period exactly? I keep seeing that term but I'm not sure what quarters they're looking at.

Base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. So if you filed in January 2025, they'd look at July 2023 through June 2024.

That seems like really old wages to base benefits on. What if you just started a new higher paying job?

You can request to use an alternate base period if your recent wages are higher, but you have to specifically ask for it and provide documentation.

If you think there's an error, you can appeal the monetary determination within 30 days. Make sure you have your wage statements to compare against what Washington ESD has on file.

Where do I find the monetary determination? I don't think I received one.

It should be in your SecureAccess Washington account under correspondence. If you can't find it there, you definitely need to contact Washington ESD to get a copy.

Did they help you with the whole call or just get you connected?

They handle getting you connected to an actual agent, then you talk directly to Washington ESD yourself. But just being able to skip the phone queue and actually reach someone made all the difference.

Do they automatically take taxes out or do you have to request it?

You can choose to have 10% federal and 5% state taxes withheld when you file your weekly claims, or you can pay estimated taxes quarterly. I'd recommend having them withhold it to avoid a big tax bill later.

Yeah definitely have them withhold taxes. I learned that lesson the hard way - owed like $3,000 at tax time because I didn't think about it.

There actually is a benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website, but it's buried in the FAQ section. Search for 'benefit calculator' on their site.

Found it! Thanks, that's much easier than trying to do the math myself.

That doesn't seem fair. What if someone gets laid off twice in one year from different jobs with different pay?

Yep, it's one of the quirks of the system. Your benefit amount is locked in based on your base period wages when you first file, regardless of more recent employment.

This is why some people wait to file if they think their wages might qualify them for higher benefits in the next quarter. But that's risky because you lose potential benefit weeks.

Yes, all wages including overtime, bonuses, and commissions count toward your benefit calculation as long as they were reported to Washington ESD by your employer.

Good to know! I was worried they might only count regular hours.

I had the same exact problem last month. Someone on here recommended Claimyr and I finally broke down and tried it. Got connected to an agent in about 20 minutes and was able to get all my questions answered. Honestly wish I'd done it sooner instead of wasting weeks trying to call myself.

Is it legit though? I'm always skeptical of services that charge to do something you should be able to do yourself.

I was skeptical too but after trying everything else, I figured it was worth a shot. They have a demo video that explains exactly how it works, and you're still talking directly to Washington ESD agents - they just handle the waiting and getting you connected.

How much can you earn before it affects your benefits?

In Washington, you can earn up to your weekly benefit amount minus $5 before they start reducing your benefits. So if your weekly benefit is $500, you can earn up to $495 without any reduction.

That's actually pretty generous compared to some states. Makes it easier to take temporary or part-time work while job searching.