How much is Washington ESD unemployment benefit weekly payment amounts?

Thanks! So if I made around $15,000 in my highest quarter, that would be about $1,150 divided by 13 which is like $88 per week? That seems really low.

No, you're mixing up the calculation. It's 3.85% of your TOTAL base period wages (all 4 quarters), not just the highest quarter. The highest quarter just determines if you qualify.

What was your total earnings for the base period if you don't mind me asking?

Around $45,000 for the whole base period. The formula worked out pretty close to what the calculator predicted.

I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com. They basically call Washington ESD for you and get you connected to an actual agent. I watched their demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ and decided to try it. Got through to an agent in like 20 minutes after weeks of trying myself.

Really? That actually works? I'm so desperate at this point I'd try anything to get my benefit amount clarified.

The calculator is pretty accurate if you enter your wages correctly. Make sure you're using gross wages, not net pay.

Mine was off by about $30 from the calculator but that might have been because I had some overtime that I wasn't sure how to include.

That's just the state maximum. There are no federal supplements right now like there were during the pandemic.

Got it, thanks for clarifying. I was confused because I kept seeing references to the old FPUC payments online.

Yes, it will definitely affect it because Washington ESD only looks at wages from your base period, which is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. If you only worked 6 months, you might not have enough wages in enough quarters to qualify.

Oh no, so I might not get anything at all? This is stressing me out so much.

Don't panic yet. You should still file and let Washington ESD determine your eligibility. Sometimes the alternate base period can help if your regular base period doesn't work.

Because they want to make it as difficult as possible so people give up and don't collect benefits they're entitled to.

The formula is actually designed to replace about 50% of your average weekly wage, but it's more complex because it has to account for seasonal workers, part-time workers, and people with irregular income patterns.

That's interesting. I had a better job about a year ago but got laid off and took a lower paying position. Would the higher wages from the better job count?

Potentially yes, depending on when exactly you worked those jobs and when you're filing your claim. The base period timing is crucial.

They automatically use the regular base period first. If that doesn't qualify you or gives you a very low amount, you can request they consider the alternate base period.

I had to specifically ask them to recalculate using the alternate base period. It increased my weekly benefit by $150.

Yes, they combine wages from all employers during your base period. That's actually one advantage of the Washington system - it looks at total wages regardless of how many jobs you had.

Good to know! I was worried they'd only count wages from one employer.

You should definitely try that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier. I used it again last month when I had questions about my job search requirements and got connected to an agent right away. Way better than spending hours on hold.

I'm willing to try anything at this point. The not knowing is driving me crazy and I need to budget properly.

Good point! I forgot about that. Can you have Washington ESD automatically withhold taxes or do you have to pay quarterly?

You can elect to have 10% federal income tax withheld when you set up your claim or change it later in your online account.

That helps give me perspective on what to expect. Sounds like it really is roughly half of what you were making weekly.

Yeah, it's definitely not enough to maintain the same lifestyle but it helps cover basic expenses while job searching.

That's important to know. So there's no advantage to waiting to file if you think you might get a higher paying job soon?

Right, and you also can't backdate benefits in most cases, so you'd lose weeks of potential benefits by waiting.

Yes! I had this exact problem. You need to contact Washington ESD with your pay stubs to prove what you actually earned. They can adjust your benefit calculation once they verify the correct wages.

Thanks! Did you have to mail in physical pay stubs or could you upload them online?

I had to upload them through the secure messaging system in my online account. It took about 2 weeks for them to review and adjust my benefits.

Good to know there's a minimum. I was worried mine might be really low since I only worked part-time for most of my base period.

As long as you meet the minimum wage requirements to qualify, you'll get at least $295 per week.

Ten days is pretty normal. Mine took about 2 weeks to get the monetary determination. The first payment usually comes a week or two after that if there are no issues.

Okay, I was starting to worry something was wrong with my claim. Thanks for the reassurance!

Yes, all wages reported on your W-2 count, including bonuses, commissions, and overtime pay. It's based on gross wages before any deductions.

Perfect, I had a decent bonus last year so that should help my benefit amount.

I'm definitely going to try this. I've wasted so many hours trying to call Washington ESD directly with no success.

Same here. I think I'll give Claimyr a shot since multiple people have mentioned it worked for them.

That's great news! Gives me hope that the calculator estimate I got will be accurate too.

Yeah, as long as you enter your wages correctly in the calculator, it should be pretty close to your actual benefit amount.