How much do I receive for unemployment benefits in Washington state?

Thanks! So they don't just look at my most recent salary? They look at the whole base year period?

Exactly. The base year is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if you file in January 2025, they'd look at January 2024 through December 2024.

How did you finally get through to them? I'm worried I'll need to call if there are any issues with my claim.

honestly I used this service called Claimyr that calls for you and gets you connected to an actual person. saved me hours of trying to get through. you can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works

Wait, I have two kids - does that mean I get an extra $50 per week on top of my regular benefit amount?

Yes, exactly! You'll need to provide documentation for your dependents when you file your initial claim.

Good to know about the minimum. I was worried my benefit might be really low since I had a gap in employment last year.

The online calculator can be tricky because it doesn't always account for all the variables. Your actual benefit determination will be more accurate once Washington ESD processes your claim and reviews your complete wage history.

ok that makes me feel better. i was stressing that i did something wrong

Oh wow, I didn't think about taxes. Should I have them withhold taxes now or just save money for tax time?

I'd recommend having them withhold 10% just to be safe. You can change this setting in your online account anytime.

yeah definitely do the tax withholding. learned that the hard way last year and owed a bunch at tax time

So if my base year wages were $45,000, my total benefit amount would be around $13,500 for the whole year?

That's right, assuming you don't hit the maximum. Then that total gets divided by your weekly benefit amount to determine how many weeks you can collect.

Yes, Washington ESD has partial benefit payments. If you work part-time and earn less than 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount, you can still receive some unemployment benefits. You must report all earnings on your weekly claim.

That's great! So I don't have to avoid all work while collecting benefits.

Just make sure you report everything accurately. Washington ESD cross-checks with employers and can catch unreported income, which could result in an overpayment.

I had the same issue with my benefit amount calculation. Finally got through using Claimyr - it's like $20 but totally worth it to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD instead of getting hung up on 50 times.

How would I know if my wages aren't reported correctly? Is there a way to check this?

You can request a wage transcript from Washington ESD that shows all the wages they have on file for you. Compare it to your pay stubs to make sure everything matches.

Good point! I need to start keeping track of my job applications for the weekly claims.

Yeah and make sure you document everything properly. Washington ESD can audit your job search activities at any time.

easier said than done when rent is $2000 and UI only covers half of that :

That's useful to know. Hopefully I won't need it, but good to understand how it works.

Yes, and if you exhaust your benefits and need to file a new claim, they'll look at more recent wages which might result in a different benefit amount.

When are the deadlines? I want to make sure I don't miss anything.

you have to file by 11:59 PM on the sunday after your claim week ends. set a reminder on your phone or something

I haven't worked for the government, but that's good to know for others reading this thread.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I feel much more prepared to file my claim now.

Good luck with your claim! The waiting is the hardest part but the benefits do help while you're job searching.