How much do you get for unemployment Washington ESD weekly benefit amount?

Thanks! So they don't just use my annual salary? They actually look at quarterly earnings?

Exactly. They use a 4-quarter base period that ends about 6 months before you file. So if you file in January 2025, they'd look at your wages from April 2023 through March 2024.

wow $999 is way more than I thought! I was expecting like $400 max

Yeah Washington has one of the higher maximums compared to other states. But you need to have been making around $130k+ annually to qualify for the max.

How much does that cost though? I'm about to be unemployed so I don't want to spend money I don't have

It's worth checking out their site for pricing info. For me it was way better than spending hours on hold or getting disconnected constantly.

I might look into that if I can't get through to them directly. The phone system seems really frustrating from what I've heard.

I tried that but couldn't find the calculator. Do you have a direct link?

It's buried in their site somewhere under tools or calculators. Sometimes the site is down for maintenance too which is annoying.

6 weeks?! That's crazy. How are people supposed to pay bills during that time?

That's the reality unfortunately. Some people get lucky and get paid within 2-3 weeks but others wait much longer, especially if there are any issues with their claim.

This is why I always tell people to have at least 2-3 months of expenses saved up. The unemployment system is not designed to be fast.

That's exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier - they specialize in getting through to Washington ESD agents when you can't reach them normally.

I'll check that out, thanks. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get answers.

Wait, so if I get $300/week for 6 months, I'll owe taxes on like $7,800? That could be a big tax bill next year.

Yep, and a lot of people forget about this and get surprised at tax time. You can have 10% withheld automatically when you file your weekly claims.

Always choose to have taxes withheld! I learned this the hard way and owed $1,200 in taxes on my unemployment benefits.

No, Washington doesn't add extra money for dependents like some other states do. Your benefit amount is based solely on your work history and wages.

that sucks, kids are expensive

So there's no incentive to work part-time while on unemployment? That seems backwards.

Actually there is some incentive - you can earn up to your weekly benefit amount without any reduction. So if you get $300/week UI, you can earn up to $300 from work and still get your full $300 UI payment.

But you have to report ALL work and wages when you file your weekly claim. Don't try to hide it or you could get in trouble for fraud.

How long do you have to file? I thought you could file anytime.

You can file anytime, but your benefit amount is based on wages from a specific time period. If you wait months to file, you might be stuck with lower wages from an earlier period.

So if my weekly amount is $300, I can get a maximum of $7,800 total?

Exactly, assuming you qualify for the full 26 weeks. But if you find work before then, you obviously stop collecting.

3 weeks! That's insane. Did you try calling at specific times?

I tried everything - early morning, lunch time, late afternoon. Sometimes I'd get through to the automated system but then get hung up on when trying to reach an agent.

This is exactly the kind of situation where Claimyr would have saved you weeks of frustration. They know when and how to get through to actual agents.

That makes me feel better about potentially needing to use it. At least Washington takes care of people who lose their jobs.

Yeah, the state really stepped up during COVID and kept a lot of the improvements. Just make sure you meet all the requirements and file your weekly claims on time.

What's adjudication? I keep seeing that word but don't understand what it means.

Adjudication is when Washington ESD has to investigate something about your claim - like if there's conflicting information about why you lost your job or if your wages don't match what your employer reported.

My claim was in adjudication for 5 weeks because my employer said I quit but I was actually laid off. Finally got it resolved but it was stressful.

That's why services like Claimyr exist - to help people cut through the bureaucracy and get real answers from actual Washington ESD staff.

I'm definitely going to look into that if I ever need to deal with unemployment again. Thanks for mentioning it.