How much do you make from unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?

Thanks! That's really helpful. I think my highest quarter was around $7,200 so that would put me at about $277 per week if I'm doing the math right.

Don't forget they also look at your total base year earnings to make sure you qualify. You need at least 680 hours of work or $2,000 in wages during your base year.

So if I file now in January 2025, my base year would be January 2023 through December 2023?

Actually no, it would be October 2023 through September 2024. The base year ends with the quarter before the quarter you file in.

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service 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. Finally got my questions answered after using them.

Try calling right at 8am when they open. Sometimes you can get through if you're one of the first callers.

I don't have any kids so that doesn't apply to me, but good to know for others reading this.

Wait, I have two kids. Do I need to do anything special to claim them as dependents for unemployment?

Yes, you need to provide their Social Security numbers and birth certificates when you file your initial claim.

Ugh, I forgot about that. So if I'm getting $300 a week, I should probably have them withhold like $30-40 for taxes?

Yeah, federal withholding is 10% and you can also choose state withholding if you want. It's better to have it taken out upfront than owe a big tax bill later.

Did you check your wage history on your Washington ESD account? Sometimes employers don't report wages correctly and that can affect your benefit calculation.

How do I check that? I can log into my account but I'm not sure where to look for wage history.

When you log into your SecureAccess Washington account, go to the unemployment services section and look for 'View Benefit Year Information.' Your wage history should be listed there.

Good to know! How do you request a redetermination?

You can do it online through your Washington ESD account or call them. Though calling is nearly impossible these days.

That's where Claimyr really helped me. I needed to talk to someone about my wage calculation and couldn't get through on my own. They got me connected within a few hours and I was able to sort everything out.

Yes, all wages count including overtime, bonuses, and commissions. It's based on your gross wages before taxes and deductions.

That's great news! I was worried they might not count the overtime pay.

That does sound right. I make $20/hour and mine is $312 per week.

Thanks for sharing actual numbers, that helps me estimate what mine might be.

How many job applications do you need to do per week? I heard it was 3 but I'm not sure.

It depends on your situation but generally 3 job search activities per week. This can include applications, interviews, networking events, or attending workshops.

You'd need to have made about $25,974 in your highest quarter to get the maximum. That's roughly $100K+ per year, so it's not that common but some people do qualify for it.

I knew someone who got close to the max because they had a really high paying tech job before getting laid off.

You can file what's called an interstate claim. Washington ESD can use wages from other states in your benefit calculation. You'll need to provide documentation of your out-of-state wages.

Thanks! I was worried I wouldn't be able to count those Oregon wages.

Tell her not to wait too long to file. You can backdate claims but it's easier to just file as soon as you're eligible.

Yeah I told her the same thing. She's just worried about doing something wrong.

That's encouraging! I keep putting off filing because it seems so complicated.

It's really not that bad once you get started. The online system walks you through everything step by step.

It's generally fixed for your benefit year unless there's an error that gets corrected or you file a new claim with different wage information.

Got it, thanks for clarifying that.

Totally agree. Their website is not user-friendly at all. Everything is buried in PDFs and hard to navigate.

That's another reason I liked using Claimyr - instead of trying to navigate their confusing website, I could just talk to an actual person who explained everything clearly.

The dependent allowance is added to your calculated weekly benefit, but the total can't exceed the state maximum of $999. So if your calculated benefit plus dependents would be $1,020, you'd still only get $999.

That makes sense, thanks for explaining it.

Can you share the link to that calculator?

I don't remember the exact site but if you search for 'Washington unemployment calculator' you should find several options.

Agreed, thanks everyone for all the helpful information. I feel much more confident about filing now.

Good luck with your claim! The system has its frustrations but the benefits do help when you need them.