How much does unemployment pay in Washington - need to know my benefit amount

Thanks! That helps a lot. I think my highest quarter was around $11,000 so looks like I'd get around $163 per week if I'm doing the math right.

don't forget you can also get the additional $25 per week if you have dependents

Yeah this is confusing me too. I've been trying to call Washington ESD for 3 days to get someone to explain my benefit calculation and I keep getting disconnected after waiting for hours.

I had the same problem trying to reach someone at Washington ESD about my benefit amount. Found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to a real person in like 20 minutes. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Definitely worth it when you need to talk to someone about your specific situation.

Never heard of that but I'm desperate at this point. The Washington ESD phone system is impossible.

That's not how Washington ESD calculates benefits at all. You might have gotten lucky with the math working out that way, but the actual formula is based on your base period earnings, not your most recent weekly pay.

Well that's what happened to me so I don't know what to tell you. Maybe they changed the rules?

The rules haven't changed. Your situation might just coincidentally worked out that way, but that's not the standard calculation method Washington ESD uses.

What kind of documentation did they ask for? I want to make sure I have everything ready when I file.

They wanted pay stubs from my last employer, then they wanted a separation notice, then they wanted me to verify my identity with more documents. It's like they keep finding new things to ask for every week.

I tried that calculator and it gave me a range that was like $200 difference between the low and high estimate. Not very helpful when you're trying to budget.

The calculator can only give estimates because it doesn't have access to your complete wage history. Washington ESD has to verify your earnings with all your employers before they can give you the exact amount.

Ugh I didn't even think about taxes. So if I get $163/week that's really only like $147 after taxes?

Depends on your overall tax situation but yeah, you'll owe something. Better to have it withheld than get hit with a big tax bill next year.

I learned this the hard way. Didn't withhold taxes and owed like $1,800 when I filed. Definitely opt for the withholding.

Glad it worked for you! I've used Claimyr a couple times now when I needed to talk to Washington ESD and it's always been way faster than trying to call directly.

How much does that service cost though? I'm already broke and can't afford to pay extra just to talk to someone.

It's worth it when you consider how much time you save not sitting on hold for hours. Plus you actually get to talk to a real Washington ESD agent, not some third party.

How long do the benefits last? I heard it was 26 weeks but I'm not sure.

It's up to 26 weeks in Washington but they have work search requirements you have to meet every week. Miss those and they'll cut you off.

The work search requirement is 3 job contacts per week minimum. You have to log them in WorkSourceWA and keep records in case Washington ESD audits your claim.

Same here. Went from $4,000/month to $1,800/month on unemployment. Had to make some serious budget cuts.

Exactly. People think unemployment is some kind of vacation but you're basically living in poverty compared to your working income.

Yes, overtime counts as regular wages for benefit calculation purposes. Washington ESD looks at your total gross earnings in each quarter, including any overtime pay you received.

That's good news then! I probably made an extra $8,000 in overtime last year so that should boost my benefits.

That's normal. Washington ESD uses completed quarters only, so they can't use the current quarter you're filing in. The base period is always the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file.

Oh okay that makes sense. I was worried they had the wrong information or something.

How do you check that? My benefit amount seems lower than I expected based on what I was making.

You can log into your SecureAccess Washington account and look at your wage history. If something looks wrong, you can appeal or ask Washington ESD to contact the employer for correct information.

This is another situation where calling Washington ESD directly through Claimyr might be helpful. You can have an agent look at your wage history right away instead of waiting for a callback or appeal process.

Washington unemployment isn't a percentage of your previous income. It's calculated using a specific formula based on your base period earnings. The amount you get depends on how much you made in your highest quarter.

That's weird. Other states do it as a percentage. Washington's system seems more complicated.

Mine took about 10 days but I think it depends on whether they need to verify your wages with employers. Some people wait longer if there are issues.

Ugh 3 weeks feels like forever when you have bills to pay. Might try calling them to see what's taking so long.

Definitely try Claimyr if you want to actually get through to someone at Washington ESD. Regular calling is basically impossible with their phone system.

True, I'm grateful there's at least some safety net. Just trying to figure out how to make it work with my budget.

Yeah it's definitely not luxury living but it helps keep you afloat. Good luck with your claim!