How much do you get for unemployment benefits in Washington - confused about my weekly amount
I just got approved for unemployment after being laid off from my retail job last month and I'm really confused about how much I'm supposed to get each week. My determination letter says my weekly benefit amount is $362 but I thought unemployment was supposed to replace like 60% of your wages? I was making about $18/hour full time so that would be around $432 a week before taxes. Is this normal or did Washington ESD calculate something wrong? Also do I have to pay taxes on this money?
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Thais Soares
The weekly benefit amount is calculated based on your highest earning quarter from your base period, not your most recent wages. Washington ESD looks at the wages you earned during a specific 12-month period (your base period) and uses a formula to determine your weekly benefit. The maximum weekly benefit amount in Washington is currently $999 per week, but most people get less than that depending on their earnings history.
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Fiona Gallagher
•Oh that makes sense why it might be different from my last job then. I had a lower paying job for part of that base period.
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Nalani Liu
•Wait so they don't just look at your most recent job? That's confusing
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Axel Bourke
Yeah unemployment benefits are taxable income unfortunately. You can have them take out taxes automatically or you'll owe when you file your return next year. I learned that the hard way!
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Fiona Gallagher
•Ugh really? That sucks. How do I set up the automatic tax withholding?
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Thais Soares
•You can request tax withholding when you file your weekly claims online. There should be an option in your account settings.
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Aidan Percy
I've been dealing with Washington ESD for months trying to get my benefit amount corrected. They initially calculated mine wrong because they missed wages from one of my employers. If you think there's an error, you need to call them but good luck getting through. I've been trying for weeks and either get hung up on or sit on hold for hours.
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Fernanda Marquez
•Have you tried calling right when they open at 8am? I heard that's the best time to get through.
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Aidan Percy
•Tried that multiple times. The call volume is just insane. I actually found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Basically they handle the waiting and calling for you.
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Norman Fraser
•Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true honestly
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Kendrick Webb
Your weekly benefit amount also depends on whether you're eligible for any dependency allowances. If you have qualifying dependents you might get additional money on top of your base weekly amount.
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Fiona Gallagher
•I don't have any kids so I guess that doesn't apply to me
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Hattie Carson
•What counts as a qualifying dependent? Just children or other family members too?
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Kendrick Webb
•Mainly dependent children under 18, but there are some other situations that might qualify. Check the Washington ESD website for the specific requirements.
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Nalani Liu
I'm so confused by all this base period stuff. Why can't they just use your last job's wages like a normal person would expect??
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Thais Soares
•It's because they need time to process wage reports from employers. The base period ensures they have complete wage information. It's actually designed to be fair by looking at your highest earning period rather than just your most recent job.
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Destiny Bryant
•Still doesn't make sense to me but whatever lol
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Dyllan Nantx
The whole system is messed up honestly. I got laid off from a $25/hour job and I'm only getting $340 a week because of some complicated calculation they do. Meanwhile my rent is $1400 a month. How are people supposed to survive on this?
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TillyCombatwarrior
•Unemployment isn't supposed to fully replace your income, just provide temporary assistance while you look for work
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Dyllan Nantx
•Yeah well 'temporary' has turned into 4 months of job searching with no luck
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Axel Bourke
•Have you been meeting the job search requirements? You need to be actively looking and documenting your search activities.
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Anna Xian
Question about the monetary determination - mine shows I'm eligible for 26 weeks of benefits but I thought Washington had extended benefits available? How do I know if I qualify for more weeks?
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Thais Soares
•Extended benefits depend on the state's unemployment rate. Right now Washington doesn't have extended benefits available because the unemployment rate doesn't meet the trigger requirements. Regular UI is 26 weeks maximum.
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Anna Xian
•Damn, was hoping for more time. Job market is rough right now.
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Jungleboo Soletrain
Does anyone know if you can work part time and still collect unemployment? I might be able to get some freelance work but I don't want to mess up my benefits.
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Thais Soares
•Yes you can work part time but you have to report all earnings when you file your weekly claim. Washington has a partial benefit formula - they'll reduce your weekly benefit based on how much you earn but you might still get some unemployment money.
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Jungleboo Soletrain
•Good to know, thanks! Better than nothing I guess
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Rajan Walker
•Just make sure you report it accurately or you'll end up with an overpayment issue later
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Nadia Zaldivar
I used that Claimyr service the other person mentioned and it actually worked! Got through to Washington ESD in about 20 minutes instead of calling for days. They were able to explain exactly how my benefit amount was calculated and even found an error that increased my weekly amount by $50.
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Norman Fraser
•Okay now I'm curious about this. How much does it cost?
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Nadia Zaldivar
•It was worth it for me. Way better than wasting hours trying to get through on my own. The stress relief alone was worth it.
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Aidan Percy
•Glad it worked for you too! I'm planning to use them again if I have any other issues with my claim.
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Lukas Fitzgerald
For what it's worth, I think $362 sounds about right for retail wages. I was making similar money and got around $350/week. The formula they use takes your highest quarter earnings, divides by 26, then applies some percentage. It's not straightforward but it's consistent.
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Fiona Gallagher
•That's reassuring to hear someone else got a similar amount. I guess I was just expecting it to be higher.
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Ev Luca
•Yeah unemployment is never as much as you hope it'll be unfortunately
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Avery Davis
Make sure you're filing your weekly claims on time every week! I missed one week and it was a huge hassle to get it fixed. You have to call Washington ESD and explain why you missed it.
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Fiona Gallagher
•When are they due? I just filed for the first time yesterday
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Avery Davis
•You can file starting Sunday for the previous week. I always do mine Sunday morning so I don't forget.
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Thais Soares
•The deadline is usually Saturday night but don't wait that long. File as early in the week as possible.
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Collins Angel
One thing to keep in mind is that your benefit amount might change if Washington ESD gets updated wage information from your employers. Sometimes they do redeterminations that can increase or decrease your weekly amount.
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Fiona Gallagher
•How would I know if that happens? Do they send a new determination letter?
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Collins Angel
•Yes they'll mail you a new monetary determination if your benefit amount changes. Keep an eye on your mail and your online account.
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Marcelle Drum
Quick tip - if you're getting direct deposit, make sure your bank info is correct in your account. I had to wait extra time for my first payment because my routing number was wrong.
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Fiona Gallagher
•Good point, I should double check that. How long does the first payment usually take?
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Marcelle Drum
•Usually about a week after you file your first weekly claim, assuming there are no issues with your account.
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Tate Jensen
The whole monetary determination process is so confusing. I wish Washington ESD would just send a simple explanation of how they calculated your amount instead of all this technical jargon.
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Adaline Wong
•Right? I had to Google half the terms on my determination letter
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Thais Soares
•The Washington ESD website has some explanation of the benefit calculation but it's still pretty technical. The basic idea is they want to give you about 50% of your average weekly wage during your highest earning quarter.
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Gabriel Ruiz
Just remember you also have to pay federal taxes on unemployment benefits. State taxes too if your state has income tax. Plan ahead for tax season!
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Fiona Gallagher
•Ugh more taxes to worry about. This whole thing is way more complicated than I expected.
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Axel Bourke
•Yeah definitely have them withhold taxes if you can. I owed like $2000 in taxes on my unemployment income last year.
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