How much do you get for unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?

Thanks! That's way more helpful than the Washington ESD website. Do I need to set up the eServices account before I apply?

Yes, you'll need to create your account through SecureAccess Washington first. It's the same login for both filing your claim and doing your weekly claims later.

How long did it take to get someone on the phone? I'm worried I'll have questions too.

honestly like 3 hours of calling and getting hung up on, super frustrating

Never heard of this - does it actually work? Seems too good to be true.

I was skeptical too but it actually connected me within 20 minutes. Much better than the endless busy signals I was getting before.

This could be really useful if I run into issues. Thanks for sharing!

That's way more than I expected! So if I was making $4200/month that would be about $970/week, so I'd get close to the max?

Yeah you'd probably hit the maximum since your wages were pretty high. The exact calculation uses your base period wages divided by 52 weeks.

Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $15k, I'd get about $577 per week? That seems pretty good actually.

Yep, that sounds about right. Just remember you have to meet the job search requirements and file your weekly claims on time.

That's helpful thanks! So they look at my best quarter not my total annual income?

Exactly. They take your highest earning quarter, divide by 13 weeks, then calculate roughly 50% of that as your weekly benefit amount.

$384 weekly would actually work for me temporarily. How long did it take for your first payment to come through?

About 3 weeks total - one week waiting period plus two weeks for processing. Make sure you file your weekly claims on time or you'll lose those weeks.

Thanks! So they don't look at all four quarters, just the highest one? That's actually better than I thought since I had one really good quarter last year.

Wait, what's this additional $25 benefit? I never heard about that part.

Did you have any issues with the job search requirements since restaurant work can be so unpredictable with scheduling?

The job search part was actually easier than expected. You need to do 3 job search activities per week and keep a log in WorkSourceWA. Restaurant experience transfers to lots of hospitality jobs.

That formula is super helpful! So if my highest quarter was around $14,000, that would put me at about $207 per week? That seems low...

Yeah that sounds about right for your income level. Remember you also might qualify for the additional $25 weekly if you have dependents.

It's not exactly 60% of wages. Washington ESD uses the quarter method that the previous poster explained. The percentage varies depending on your earnings pattern.

oh ok thanks for clearing that up

So if I was making around $4,200 monthly that would be about $970 weekly, so I'd probably get close to the max?

Exactly! You'd likely qualify for the maximum benefit amount since your weekly wages were around $970. Definitely worth filing.

That's encouraging to hear. How long did it take for your first payment to come through?

took about 3 weeks for me but that was because they had to verify my employment history

Thanks! I'll check out the calculator. Do you know if they count overtime hours in the calculation?

Yes, overtime counts toward your base period wages. They look at all wages reported to Washington ESD during your base period quarters.

Is that legit? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks about my claim and can never get through.

Yeah it's legitimate. I was skeptical too but it actually worked when I needed to check on my adjudication status. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

That's actually higher than I expected! Do you know if they still have the waiting week requirement?

No waiting week anymore - that was eliminated a few years back. You can get paid for your first week of unemployment if you're eligible.

What happens if I don't have enough qualifying wages? I only started this job 8 months ago.

You should still be fine if you worked consistently for 8 months. Washington ESD needs you to have earned at least $4,840 in your base period, which sounds like you'd meet easily.

Wait, I'm confused about the base period thing. Is that the last 12 months or something different?

It's not exactly 50% - the formula is more complicated than that. It depends on which quarter you earned the most and how much you made in other quarters too.

This is really helpful! So if I made like $8000 in my best quarter and $6500 in my second best, that would be $14500 divided by 52 = about $279 per week? But that's under the minimum so I'd get $295?

Exactly right! The minimum weekly benefit amount ensures you get at least $295 even if your calculated amount is lower.

This is super detailed, thank you! What if I had multiple jobs during that time period?

All qualifying wages from all employers during your base period count toward the calculation. Washington ESD will pull wage records from all your W-2 jobs automatically.

What are the job search requirements? I heard they changed recently.

You need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep a log of your activities. Has to be genuine job search efforts, not just random applications.

That sounds too good to be true. How does it actually work?

It's legit - they basically handle the waiting and calling for you. When they get an agent on the line, they connect you directly. Much better than sitting on hold for hours.

It's actually calculated using your two highest earning quarters in your base period, not just 50% of your weekly wage. The formula is a bit more complex than that.

oh ok thanks for the correction. the whole base period thing is confusing to me

Tell me about it! I spent literally 6 hours on hold yesterday trying to get my adjudication resolved.

Have you tried Claimyr? It's this service at claimyr.com that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an agent. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much time when my claim got stuck.

Never heard of that but honestly anything is better than sitting on hold all day. Will check it out.

That's really helpful, thank you! So if I made $12,600 in my highest quarter, that would be about $470/week?

Actually, let me correct that - the multiplier is different. You'd divide $12,600 by 26 to get $484, then the benefit is based on that weekly average. You should definitely use the official calculator for accuracy.

Oh wow, I didn't even think about taxes. How do you request the withholding?

You can do it when you file your initial claim or change it later in your account. They'll withhold 10% for federal taxes if you elect it.

What's adjudication? Should I be worried about that when I file?

It's when they need to review something about your claim before approving it. Could be anything from verifying your reason for leaving your job to checking your work history. Just means it takes longer to get approved.

Adjudication is pretty common now. As long as you're honest on your application and have a valid reason for unemployment, you should be fine. Just takes patience.

Good point! Can you set up tax withholding when you file or do you have to do it later?

You can set it up when you file your initial claim or change it later through your online account. I'd recommend doing it right away to avoid a big tax bill.

What counts as a job search activity? Just applying for jobs?

Applying for jobs, networking events, career fairs, updating your resume, even some training programs. You have to log everything in WorkSourceWA.

Ugh the job search requirement is such a pain. I spend more time documenting my searches than actually searching sometimes.

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. I used it last month and actually got to talk to someone within 30 minutes. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They basically call Washington ESD for you and get you connected to an actual agent. I was skeptical at first but it actually worked - got through in about 20 minutes instead of spending all day trying. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Really? That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?

It's worth it when you're dealing with something important like getting your benefit amount figured out. Way better than wasting entire days trying to call yourself.

Never heard of Claimyr before. Did it actually work for getting through to someone?

Yes! I was stuck in phone tree hell for weeks trying to reach Washington ESD about my adjudication. Claimyr got me connected to an agent within a couple hours.

How much does that cost? I'm already worried about money if I have to file for unemployment.

It's worth it when you consider how much time you save not having to redial constantly. Plus getting accurate information about your benefit amount upfront can help you plan better.

How many job searches do you have to do per week?

3 per week minimum but honestly do more than that. keep detailed records of where you applied, when, and any responses you get

The job search requirement is 3 activities per week and you need to log them in your WorkSourceWA account. Can be applications, networking, job fairs, etc.

The Washington ESD website does have a benefit calculator tool, but it's pretty buried in their site navigation.

yeah i tried that thing and it was useless, gave me some huge range instead of actual numbers