How much do I get for Washington ESD unemployment benefits - weekly amount question

Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the past year to calculate your weekly benefit amount. They take that quarter's earnings, divide by 13, then you get about 50% of that as your weekly benefit. There's also a minimum and maximum amount they'll pay.

i think the max weekly benefit in washington is like $999 right now but most people dont get that much unless they were making really good money

The exact calculation is: they look at your base year (first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters), find your highest quarter, divide by 13, then multiply by 0.0385 times your total base year wages. But there's also a simpler way - it's roughly 50% of your average weekly wage up to the maximum. You can use the Washington ESD benefit calculator on their website to get an estimate.

When I was trying to figure out my benefit amount last year, I kept getting different numbers and couldn't reach anyone at Washington ESD to clarify. I ended up using claimyr.com which helped me actually get through to a real person who explained exactly how my amount was calculated. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made the whole process way less stressful.

Just remember your benefit amount also depends on if you have any dependents. You can get extra money for dependent children.

ugh the whole system is so confusing why cant they just tell you upfront what youll get instead of making you do math and guess

Make sure you understand that whatever amount you get, you'll have to pay taxes on it. They can withhold 10% for federal taxes if you want, but you have to request it.

I was in a similar situation last year and my weekly benefit ended up being about 45% of what I was making per week at work. It's definitely not enough to maintain your same lifestyle but it helps cover basic expenses.

Don't forget you have to meet the job search requirements to keep getting benefits. I think it's 3 job search activities per week now.

The amount also depends on how long you worked. You need enough work history in your base year to qualify, and that affects both if you get benefits and how much.

When I applied, I thought I'd get more but they explained that the benefit is designed to partially replace your income, not fully replace it. It's meant to be temporary assistance while you find new work.

if you need help figuring out the exact amount or have questions about your claim, that claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier actually worked for me too. i was getting frustrated trying to reach washington esd and they helped me get through to actually talk to someone

Just file your claim as soon as possible. There's a waiting week before you can start collecting, and you want to get that started right away. The benefit amount will be calculated automatically once they process your claim.

The weekly amount varies a lot person to person. I know someone who gets $150/week and another who gets $600/week. Really depends on your work history and earnings.

One thing to remember is that your benefit year lasts 52 weeks from when you file, but you can only collect up to 26 weeks of benefits during that year (unless there are extended benefits available).

I tried using that claimyr service too when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD about my benefit calculation. Worked great and the person I talked to was really knowledgeable about how the amounts are determined.

Bottom line is file your claim ASAP and they'll tell you exactly what your weekly benefit amount is. All this estimating is just to give you a rough idea for planning purposes.