How much is the maximum unemployment benefit amount in Washington?

Thank you! That's helpful. So if I made $80,000 last year, would I get close to the maximum?

It depends on how your wages were distributed across quarters. Washington ESD looks at your highest quarter, not your total annual wages. If you made $80k evenly across 4 quarters, that's $20k per quarter, which would put you below the maximum threshold.

Wait, so even if I made $100k last year I might not get the maximum? This system is confusing.

Exactly. If you made $100k but it was spread evenly, you'd get less than someone who made $70k but had most of it in one quarter. The base period calculation is weird but that's how Washington ESD does it.

How much does that service cost? Seems like it might be worth it if it actually works.

They don't charge upfront or anything sketchy. It's way better than spending all day redialing the Washington ESD number. The video explains everything.

That's a good point. I guess I should focus on what I'd actually qualify for rather than the maximum.

Yeah the maximum sounds nice but you need to have made serious money in one quarter to get it. Most regular jobs don't pay that way.

I haven't set up a SecureAccess account yet. Do I need to wait until I'm unemployed to do that?

No, you can create one anytime. It's actually good to set it up before you need it so you can see your wage history and understand how your benefit would be calculated.

This is so important! I know someone who got the maximum but then got disqualified because they didn't do their job search activities correctly.

What are the job search requirements? I thought you just had to apply for jobs.

You need 3 job search activities per week minimum. Applications count, but so do things like networking events, career fairs, skills assessments. You have to log them all in WorkSourceWA.

That's awesome! Did you have any issues with your claim or did it go through smoothly?

It took about 3 weeks to get my first payment because they had to verify my wages with my employer. Nothing unusual, just the normal process.

26 weeks goes by faster than you think when you're job hunting. I used up almost all of mine before finding something.

Can you extend beyond 26 weeks if you still haven't found work?

Only if there's an extended benefits program active, which is rare. During the pandemic there were extensions but those ended. Now it's back to the standard 26 weeks maximum.

Like I mentioned earlier, claimyr.com is a game changer for this. They handle all the calling and waiting for you. I was skeptical at first but it really works.

I usually call right when they open at 8am. Still takes forever but slightly better chance of getting through.

This is super helpful! I'm going to try calculating mine using this formula.

Make sure you're using the right base period quarters. It's not always the most recent ones.

Exactly! The base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file your claim. So if you file in January 2025, your base period would be October 2023 through September 2024.

Washington doesn't have state income tax at all, so unemployment benefits aren't subject to state tax here. Just federal.

Good to know! So if I elect tax withholding, it would just be the 10% federal?

Yes, just the 10% federal withholding. You can choose to have it taken out automatically or pay it yourself when you file taxes.

They verify wages with your employers automatically. If there's a discrepancy, they'll contact you. Usually it's just a matter of providing additional documentation.

I had this happen. Took about 2 weeks to resolve but I got the correct amount retroactively. Washington ESD was actually pretty helpful once I got someone on the phone.

If you need to talk to someone about wage verification issues, definitely check out claimyr.com. Much easier than trying to get through their phone system yourself.

Do they announce the new amounts at the beginning of each year?

Usually Washington ESD publishes the new rates in December or January. They base it on wage data from the previous year.

That's true. Washington is definitely one of the better states for unemployment benefits.

The duration is good too. 26 weeks is more than some states offer.

Wait, so there's no payment for the first week at all?

That's correct. The first week is a non-payable waiting week. You still have to file the weekly claim, but you won't get paid for it.

Thanks everyone! This has been really helpful. I'm going to set up my SecureAccess account and see what my wage history looks like.

Good plan. Better to know ahead of time what to expect rather than be surprised later.