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Oliver Becker

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

I'm thinking about filing for unemployment but honestly have no idea what to expect for weekly payments. I've been working retail for about 2 years making around $18/hour, usually 35-40 hours per week. Does anyone know how Washington ESD calculates the benefit amount? I've heard it's based on your earnings but not sure exactly how they figure it out. Also wondering if there's a maximum amount you can get regardless of how much you made. Any info would be helpful since I can't seem to find a straight answer on their website.

Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the past 18 months to calculate your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 per week, but most people get way less than that. With your salary of $55k, you're probably looking at somewhere around $500-650 per week depending on when you worked and how your wages were distributed.

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That's actually better than I expected! Do you know if they take taxes out automatically or do I need to request that?

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You can choose to have 10% federal tax withheld when you file your weekly claims. Washington doesn't have state income tax so you don't worry about that part.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the past 18 months to calculate your weekly benefit amount. They take that quarter's earnings and divide by 26 weeks. With your salary, you're probably looking at somewhere between $700-800 per week, but it depends on your exact quarterly earnings.

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That's higher than I expected! I thought it would be much less. Do you know what the maximum weekly benefit is in Washington?

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The maximum weekly benefit amount for 2025 is $1,015. So you'll get either your calculated amount or the max, whichever is lower.

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the formula is basically your highest quarter earnings divided by 26, but there's a minimum and maximum. i think minimum is like $295 per week right now

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Good to know there's a minimum! I was worried it might be really low.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings during your base period, which is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $999, but most people get somewhere between $200-$600 depending on their work history.

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Thanks! So they look at my earnings from like January 2024 through December 2024? That's helpful to know.

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Yeah exactly, and they take your highest earning quarter and divide by 26 to get your weekly amount. It's usually around 50% of what you were making weekly.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings in the base period, which is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. The maximum weekly benefit amount for 2025 is $999. Your benefit is roughly 3.85% of your total base period wages divided by 52 weeks, but there are minimum and maximum limits.

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Thanks! So if I made around $44k last year, what would that work out to roughly?

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With $44k in your base period, you'd likely qualify for around $650-700 per week, but Washington ESD will calculate the exact amount when you file your claim.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate benefits. For most people it's roughly 3.85% of your total wages in that quarter, but there's a maximum weekly benefit amount that changes each year. In 2025 the max is around $999 per week.

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So they don't just take my current hourly wage and multiply it? That's confusing.

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Nope, it's based on your actual earnings history over the past 15 months. If you've been consistent at $18/hour for 35-40 hours, you're probably looking at somewhere between $300-500 per week depending on your exact earnings.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount (WBA) based on your earnings during your base period, which is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed. They take your highest earning quarter and divide by 26 to get your weekly amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999, but most people get somewhere between $200-600 depending on their wages.

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Thanks! So if I made about $11,000 in my highest quarter that would be around $423 per week? That seems pretty reasonable.

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Yes, that calculation looks right! Just remember you'll need to file weekly claims and meet the job search requirements to keep getting benefits.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate benefits. The maximum weekly benefit amount in 2025 is $999 per week, but most people get way less than that. Your benefit amount is roughly 3.85% of your total wages from your highest quarter, up to the maximum.

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So if I made like $12,600 in my best quarter, that would be around $485 per week? That's actually not terrible.

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Yeah that sounds about right! Plus you might qualify for the additional $25 weekly if you have dependents.

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i filed last month and get $412 a week. was making about $16/hr at my warehouse job. the amount seemed fair but took forever to get approved because of adjudication issues

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How long did the adjudication take? I keep hearing horror stories about people waiting months.

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took like 6 weeks for me. couldn't get through to anyone on the phone to find out what was happening

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i think its like 60% of what you made but not sure about the max amount, mine was $567 a week when i filed last year

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It's not exactly 60% - the calculation is more complex and based on your quarterly earnings. The percentage varies depending on your income level.

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the easiest way is to just apply online and see what they offer you. took me like 20 minutes to fill out the application and then you get your monetary determination letter pretty quick

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How long did it take to get your first payment after applying?

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bout 3 weeks but that was because my claim went into adjudication for some reason. if everything goes smooth should be faster

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If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone, I found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to an agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's even a demo video showing how it works (https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ). Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.

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How much does that cost though? Seems like we shouldn't have to pay extra just to talk to someone about our own benefits.

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I get the frustration but honestly it was worth it for me. The alternative was spending entire days redialing and never getting through. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to sort things out.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest earning quarter in your base period. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $999 and minimum is $295. You can get up to 26 weeks of benefits. The formula is roughly 3.85% of your total wages in your highest quarter, but there's a calculator on the Washington ESD website that gives you a better estimate.

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Thanks! I'll check out that calculator. Do you know if part-time work counts the same as full-time when they calculate benefits?

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Yes, part-time wages count just the same. They look at your total earnings regardless of how many hours you worked each week.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the last 18 months to calculate your weekly benefit amount. It's roughly 3.2% of your highest quarter earnings, but there's a maximum weekly benefit of $999 as of 2025. With your salary, you'll probably get close to the max depending on when you worked those hours.

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Thanks! So they look at quarters, not just my annual salary? That's helpful to know.

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Yeah and make sure you have all your wage info ready when you file. Washington ESD will verify everything anyway but it speeds up the process.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the past year to calculate your weekly benefit amount. Generally it's about 60-70% of what you were making, but there's a maximum weekly amount that changes each year. For 2025 I think the max is around $1015 per week.

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That's higher than I expected! So they look at my best quarter, not just my most recent pay?

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Right, they take your highest earning quarter from your base period and use that to calculate your weekly benefit rate. Makes it fairer for people with seasonal work or recent raises.

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just filed last week and still waiting to hear back from washington esd about my weekly amount. the whole process is taking forever and i cant get through to anyone on the phone

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I had the same problem trying to reach Washington ESD. Spent hours calling and either got busy signals or got disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helps you get through to ESD agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me so much time and frustration.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest earning quarter in your base period. It's roughly 3.85% of your total wages in that quarter, but there's a maximum of $999 per week in 2025. So if you made good money consistently, you could get close to that max.

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Thanks! So it's not just based on my last job? They look at a whole quarter?

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Exactly. They use your base period which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. They take your highest earning quarter from that period and use that for the calculation.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount (WBA) based on your highest earning quarter in your base period. They take your highest quarter wages and divide by 26, then that's your weekly amount. Maximum weekly benefit is $999 in 2025. You can also use the benefit calculator on their website to get an estimate.

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Thanks! So if I made $13,000 in my highest quarter that would be $500 per week? That seems pretty good actually.

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Exactly! And you can collect for up to 26 weeks in most cases, so it's definitely worth filing if you qualify.

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I was making similar wages and got approved for $548 per week. The formula is kind of complicated but basically they divide your highest quarter earnings by 26. But you also have to meet the minimum earnings requirement over the whole base period.

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What's the minimum requirement? I've been working steady for about 8 months now.

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I think you need at least $3,850 in your base period and earnings in two different quarters. Since you worked 8 months you should be fine.

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Actually having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check my benefit amount. Their phone lines are always busy when I try calling.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base year to calculate benefits. They take that quarter's wages, divide by 13, then multiply by 0.0385 to get your weekly benefit amount. Maximum weekly benefit is $999 as of 2025.

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Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $14,000, that would be about $415 per week?

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That sounds about right based on the formula. You can also use the benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website to get an exact estimate.

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Your weekly benefit amount depends on your earnings during your base period, which is usually the first 4 quarters of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. Washington ESD calculates it as roughly 3.85% of your total base period wages, up to a maximum. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $999.

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Thanks! So if I made like $25,000 last year, what would that come out to roughly?

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Around $25,000 would get you roughly $480-500 per week, but you'd need to check your actual base period quarters on your Washington ESD account to be sure.

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Make sure you have all your wage info ready when you file. Washington ESD will verify everything anyway but it speeds up the process if you have accurate info from the start.

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Good point. I should probably gather my pay stubs before I start the application.

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You don't need pay stubs necessarily, Washington ESD gets wage info directly from employers. But having your employment dates and employer info ready helps.

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The formula is: (High Quarter Wages ÷ 26) × 0.0385 = Weekly Benefit Amount. But there are minimum and maximum limits. Minimum is $295/week and maximum is $999/week for 2025. You also need to have earned at least $7,500 in your base period to qualify.

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What's a high quarter? Is that my best 3 months of earnings?

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High quarter is your single best quarter (3 months) of earnings in your base period. The base period is usually the first 4 out of the last 5 completed quarters before you file.

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this is why the system is so confusing!! why can't they just say 'you get 50% of your average weekly pay' or something simple

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest earning quarter from your base period. The maximum weekly benefit amount for 2025 is $1,015 per week. To get a rough estimate, they look at your wages from the last 4 completed quarters before you filed. You can use the benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website to get a more accurate estimate.

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Thanks! Do you know if they automatically take out taxes or do I need to request that?

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You can choose to have federal taxes withheld when you file your weekly claims. Washington state doesn't have income tax so no state taxes are taken out.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate benefits. They take that quarter and divide by 26 to get your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 per week. So if you were making good money you might hit that cap.

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Thanks! So they look at my best quarter, not my average over the whole year? That's actually better than I thought.

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Yeah but remember they also look at your total base period wages to see if you qualify at all. You need at least $3,900 in your base period.

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Washington ESD uses your highest quarter earnings from your base period to calculate benefits. The maximum weekly benefit amount for 2025 is $999 per week, but most people get way less than that. They take your highest quarter wages, divide by 26, then you get about 50% of that amount.

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So if I made around $10,000 in my highest quarter, that would be about $385 divided by 2 = around $192 per week?

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That sounds about right, but you should use the Washington ESD benefit calculator on their website to get the exact amount. It's more accurate than doing the math yourself.

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Washington unemployment benefits are calculated at about 50% of your average weekly wage, but there's a maximum weekly benefit amount that changes each year. For 2025, the maximum is around $999 per week. Since you made $52k annually, that's roughly $1,000 per week, so you'd probably get close to $500 weekly in UI benefits. You can choose to have 10% federal tax withheld automatically.

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That's actually better than I expected! Is there a minimum amount you have to have earned to qualify?

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Yes, you need to have earned at least $7,000 in your base period and meet other work requirements. The base period is usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file.

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i think its like half your normal pay or something like that? i got around $400 a week when i was making about $800 weekly before

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That sounds about right from what I've heard. The percentage isn't exactly 50% but it's close to that for most people.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the past 5 quarters to calculate your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit in 2025 is $999 plus $25 for dependents. Your benefit is roughly half your average weekly wage during your highest quarter, but there's a formula they use. You should be able to get a rough estimate on their website before you file.

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Thanks! So if I was making around $5400/month that should put me close to the maximum right? That would actually help a lot with my mortgage.

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Yeah you'll probably get close to max benefits with that salary. Just make sure you have all your employment info ready when you file - they'll need dates and wages for all your jobs in the past 18 months.

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I've been getting unemployment for 2 months now and the whole process of figuring out your benefit amount is confusing at first. When I couldn't get through to Washington ESD to ask questions about my calculation, I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach a real person at the unemployment office. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Really saved me from spending hours on hold trying to get answers about my weekly benefit amount.

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How much does that service cost? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks about my benefit calculation.

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It was totally worth it for me since I was spending so much time trying to get through on my own. Way easier than the constant busy signals and getting disconnected.

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Never heard of that but might be worth checking out. The Washington ESD phone system is absolutely terrible.

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i think i get like $650 a week but i was making around $25/hour full time. the formula is weird but it worked out to about 50% of what i was making before taxes

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That's actually not too bad! I was worried it would be way less than that.

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Keep in mind you still have to pay taxes on unemployment benefits. A lot of people forget that and get surprised at tax time.

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You should definitely apply if you're eligible! With your salary you'll probably get a decent amount. Just make sure you have all your employment info ready when you file online. The process can take a few weeks to get your first payment though.

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Good to know about the wait time. I keep hearing about people having issues getting through to Washington ESD when they need help.

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Yeah the phone lines are always swamped. I had to call dozens of times last year when my claim got stuck in adjudication.

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they also look at ALL your jobs during the base period not just your most recent one, so if you had multiple employers that can help boost your benefit amount

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Good to know! I did have a part-time job for a few months last year so hopefully that helps.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings during your base period, which is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. They take your highest earning quarter and divide by 26 to get your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit amount for 2025 is $999 per week.

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Thanks! So if I made around $9,000 in my highest quarter, I'd get about $346 per week?

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That sounds about right. You can also check the Washington ESD website - they have a benefit calculator that gives you an estimate based on your earnings.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the past 15 months to calculate your weekly benefit amount. They take that quarter's earnings and divide by 26 to get your weekly amount. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $999 and minimum is $295. With your retail hours, you're probably looking at somewhere between $400-600 per week depending on your exact earnings.

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That's actually higher than I expected! So if I made like $8,000 in my best quarter, I'd get around $307 per week?

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Exactly right! Just remember you have to meet the job search requirements and file your weekly claims on time to keep getting benefits.

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I just got approved last month and I'm getting $445 per week. I was making about $22/hour before I got laid off. The amount depends on your work history over the past year.

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That's way more than I was expecting! How long did it take for your claim to get approved?

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About 2 weeks, but I had all my paperwork ready and didn't have any issues with my employer disputing it.

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retail work can be tricky for UI benefits because of the hours. you need to have worked enough hours and earned enough money in your base period. part time might not qualify you for much

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That's what I'm worried about. I usually get like 25-30 hours a week but it varies a lot.

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Even part-time can qualify you! The minimum weekly benefit in Washington is $295, and you need at least 680 hours in your base period. If you've been working 25-30 hours for 2 years, you should be fine.

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Your benefit amount also depends on if you qualify for the dependency allowance. If you have kids under 18 you can get an extra $25 per week per child, up to 5 kids maximum. So that could add $125 per week to your benefits if you have a family.

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I don't have kids but that's good to know for other people reading this thread.

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