How much do u make on unemployment in Washington - weekly benefit amounts?

ok so its not a flat rate then? what if i only worked part time for like 8 months last year?

Part-time work counts too, but your benefit amount will be lower since it's based on total earnings. You need to have earned at least $5,265 in your base period to qualify for any benefits.

2 weeks isnt bad, what kind of adjudication issues do people run into?

Usually stuff like needing to verify your identity, or if you quit your job they have to determine if it was for good cause, or if you were fired they check if it was misconduct.

how does that work exactly? do they just call for you or what?

They help you get through the phone queue so you can actually talk to a real person at Washington ESD. Way better than hitting redial 200 times a day.

That's the maximum though - most people don't get close to that amount. You'd need to have been earning over $100k annually to hit the max.

oh ok that makes more sense lol

thanks ill check that out! do you know if it matters which quarter you file in?

Yes it matters because they look at your base period earnings. If you file now in 2025, they'd look at earnings from Q1 2024 through Q4 2024 typically.

what are the job search requirements like?

you have to apply to 3 jobs per week and keep a log of all your job search activities. its not hard just tedious to track everything

Make sure you're documenting everything properly - they do audits and if your job search log isn't complete you can get disqualified.

Yes, any earnings affect your weekly benefit. Washington has a partial benefit formula - you can earn up to your weekly benefit amount minus $5 before they start reducing your payment. Anything over that reduces your benefit dollar for dollar.

got it so if i get $300/week unemployment i can earn up to $295 without it affecting my payment?

Exactly right. And you have to report all earnings when you file your weekly claim.

That's exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier - they specialize in helping people reach Washington ESD agents when you can't get through normally. Might be worth checking out since you've been waiting so long.

at this point ill try anything, this is ridiculous

6 weeks is way too long for adjudication. something is definitely wrong with your claim

If you're making $4,200/month consistently, you'd probably get somewhere around $350-400 per week, but it depends on your exact earnings over the full base period. Use the calculator on the Washington ESD website for a more precise estimate.

thanks that helps me plan a bit better

Unemployment benefits are fully taxable as regular income. Washington ESD can withhold 10% federal tax if you request it when you file, but it's optional. You'll get a 1099-G form at tax time.

good to know, i'll probably have them withhold the 10% to avoid a big tax bill later

No, they only look at the most recent 4 quarters of your base period. If you just started working, you might not have enough recent earnings to qualify yet. You'd need to work and earn wages that get reported to Washington ESD first.

that sucks but makes sense i guess

Overpayments can definitely reduce current benefits. She should appeal if she thinks the overpayment determination was wrong - there's usually a 30-day window to appeal those decisions.

yeah she's trying to figure out how to appeal it, the paperwork is confusing

Roughly $330-350 per week if that income was spread evenly across your base period quarters. But use the official calculator for accuracy since the formula is pretty specific.

cool thanks

Standard unemployment in Washington is up to 26 weeks. Extensions depend on the unemployment rate and federal programs - there aren't any special extensions available right now like there were during COVID.

ok so basically plan for 26 weeks max right now

Exactly, unless something changes with the economy or federal policy.

It's not a loan - unemployment benefits are insurance that you and your employer paid into through payroll taxes. You don't have to pay it back unless there was an overpayment due to an error or fraud.

oh ok that makes me feel better about applying then

You can get unemployment if you quit for 'good cause' - things like unsafe working conditions, significant changes to your job, harassment, etc. But if you just quit because you didn't like the job, you probably won't qualify.

what counts as good cause exactly?

It's pretty specific - domestic violence, workplace safety issues, discrimination, significant reduction in hours or pay, employer violating labor laws. Washington ESD has a list of qualifying reasons.

I keep mentioning this service Claimyr because I had the exact same problem. 47 calls is insane but totally normal unfortunately. Check out claimyr.com - they actually help you reach an agent instead of getting busy signals all day.

at this point i'll try anything, thanks for the suggestion

It stays the same throughout your benefit year unless your circumstances change (like reporting part-time earnings). The maximum amounts do get adjusted annually by the state but your individual rate stays constant.

ok good to know for budgeting purposes

agreed! got way better info here than anywhere else

Happy to help! The unemployment system is confusing enough without having to figure it out alone.