How much do I get for unemployment benefits in Washington?
I just lost my job last week and I'm trying to figure out how much money I can expect from unemployment. I worked at a restaurant for about 2 years making around $18/hour but my hours were all over the place. Some weeks I'd work 35 hours, other weeks maybe 20. I've never filed for unemployment before so I have no idea what to expect. Does anyone know how Washington ESD calculates the weekly benefit amount? I'm really stressed about making rent next month.
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Maya Lewis
Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the past 18 months to calculate your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 but most people get way less than that. You can use the benefit calculator on their website to get an estimate before you file your claim.
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Benjamin Carter
•Thanks! I didn't know there was a calculator. Do you know if tips count towards the calculation? I made decent tips but they weren't always reported consistently.
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Maya Lewis
•Only reported wages count, so if your tips weren't on your paystubs or W-2 they won't be included in the calculation unfortunately.
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Isaac Wright
The formula is basically your highest quarter wages divided by 26, but there's also a minimum you have to have earned to qualify. I think it's around $3,500 in your base year but don't quote me on that exact number.
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Lucy Taylor
•Actually it's more complicated than that. They look at your base year which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters. So if you file in January 2025, they'd look at quarters from July 2023 through June 2024.
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Isaac Wright
•Right, I always get confused about the base year thing. The timing makes a difference for sure.
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Connor Murphy
I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about my benefit calculation and it's impossible. Their phone lines are always busy and when I finally get through I get disconnected. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there?
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KhalilStar
•I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr. They help you get through to Washington ESD agents by calling for you. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made my life so much easier.
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Connor Murphy
•That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?
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KhalilStar
•I'd rather pay something than waste hours of my life calling and getting nowhere. It's worth checking out their website for the details.
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Amelia Dietrich
Your benefit amount also depends on if you have any dependents. You can get additional money for dependent children but I think there's a cap on how much extra you can get.
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Benjamin Carter
•I don't have kids so that won't apply to me. Good to know though.
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Kaiya Rivera
Just a heads up - whatever amount you qualify for, you'll only get it for 26 weeks maximum unless there's some kind of extension program running. And you have to do job searches every week to keep getting paid.
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Benjamin Carter
•26 weeks seems like a long time but I guess it goes by fast when you're job hunting. How many job searches do you have to do per week?
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Kaiya Rivera
•I think it's 3 job searches per week but you should double check that on the Washington ESD website. They're pretty strict about the job search requirements.
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Maya Lewis
•It's actually 3 job search activities per week, not necessarily 3 applications. Can include networking events, job fairs, that kind of thing.
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Lucy Taylor
The restaurant industry can be tricky for unemployment because of inconsistent hours and cash tips. Make sure you have all your pay stubs when you apply because Washington ESD will verify your wages with your employer.
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Benjamin Carter
•I kept most of my pay stubs but I'm missing a few from last year. Will that be a problem?
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Lucy Taylor
•Washington ESD gets wage information directly from employers through their quarterly reports, so missing a few pay stubs shouldn't hurt you. They'll have the official records.
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Katherine Ziminski
DON'T expect to get the maximum amount unless you were making really good money. I was making $25/hour full time and I only get like $650 a week. Better than nothing but it's definitely not enough to live on long term.
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Benjamin Carter
•That's still more than I was making some weeks at the restaurant. I'll take whatever I can get at this point.
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Noah Irving
•Same here, I thought I'd get more but unemployment is only supposed to replace about 50% of your wages anyway.
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Vanessa Chang
Make sure you apply as soon as possible because there's a waiting week before you start getting paid. And if there are any issues with your claim it can take weeks to get sorted out.
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Benjamin Carter
•What kind of issues? I'm worried something will go wrong with my application.
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Vanessa Chang
•Could be anything - if your employer contests the claim, if there are questions about why you left your job, if your wages don't match their records. Just apply ASAP and answer everything honestly.
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Madison King
•The adjudication process can be a nightmare if they have questions. I was stuck in adjudication for 6 weeks last year.
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Julian Paolo
Pro tip: file your claim on Sunday night or early Monday morning. The system is less likely to crash and you'll avoid the rush of everyone trying to file during business hours.
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Benjamin Carter
•Good advice, thanks! I was planning to do it tomorrow during lunch but I'll wait until Sunday night.
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Ella Knight
If you have trouble with the online system, you can still file by phone but good luck getting through. I spent 3 hours on hold last month just to file my weekly claim because the website was down.
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William Schwarz
•That's exactly why I started using Claimyr. They handle all the calling hassle for you and actually get through to real people at Washington ESD. Game changer for me.
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Ella Knight
•I keep hearing about that service. Might have to check it out if I have more problems.
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Lauren Johnson
Remember that unemployment benefits are taxable income so don't spend it all thinking you're in the clear. You can have taxes withheld from your weekly payments or pay quarterly estimated taxes.
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Benjamin Carter
•Ugh I didn't even think about taxes. Thanks for the reminder.
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Jade Santiago
•Yeah I learned that the hard way. Owed like $2000 in taxes the year I was on unemployment.
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Caleb Stone
The benefit calculator on Washington ESD's website is pretty accurate. I used it before filing and my actual benefit amount was within $20 of what it estimated.
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Benjamin Carter
•That's reassuring. I'll definitely use the calculator before I file.
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Daniel Price
Just wanted to add that if you worked multiple jobs, all of your covered wages count toward the calculation. So if you had a second job even part-time, those wages matter too.
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Benjamin Carter
•I only had the one restaurant job so that won't apply to me, but good to know.
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Olivia Evans
One more thing - if your benefit amount seems too low, you can appeal it but you need to do it within 30 days of getting your monetary determination. Don't wait if you think there's an error.
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Benjamin Carter
•How would I know if it's wrong? I've never done this before so I wouldn't know what to expect.
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Olivia Evans
•Compare it to what the benefit calculator estimated. If it's significantly different, there might be an issue with how they calculated your wages.
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Sophia Bennett
The whole system is confusing but once you get through the initial filing it's pretty straightforward. Just make sure to file your weekly claims on time every week or you'll lose those payments forever.
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Benjamin Carter
•Thanks everyone for all the help! I feel a lot more confident about filing now.
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