How much is the unemployment benefit in Washington - confused about weekly amount calculation

That makes more sense! I think my highest quarter was around $15,000 so I'm probably looking at closer to $577 per week then.

Don't forget they'll also calculate if you have enough hours and wages in your base period to qualify. Need at least 680 hours in base period.

Oh wow I didn't know about the 1.25 times requirement. I better double check my wage history on my account.

Wait, how do you check your wage history? I can't find it anywhere on the Washington ESD website.

Log into your eServices account and look for 'View Benefit Year Information' - it should show your base period wages there.

How long did it take from filing to actually getting your first payment? I'm worried about the timing.

About 3 weeks total, but I had to call Washington ESD to resolve an identity verification issue. If you have trouble getting through their phone lines, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you actually reach an agent - claimyr.com. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Actually the maximum for 2025 is $999 even without dependents. The dependent allowance is additional on top of that, up to $25 per dependent.

oh really? i thought it was lower, maybe thats old info

That sounds really frustrating! What kind of verification did they need?

They wanted pay stubs from my last employer but I was laid off and don't have access to the payroll system anymore. My employer is being super unhelpful too.

If your employer reported your wages to Washington ESD correctly, you shouldn't need additional verification. Sounds like there might be a discrepancy in their records.

Yes, if you don't qualify under the standard base period, Washington ESD will automatically check your alternative base period which uses the last 4 completed quarters. This helps people who recently started working or had gaps in employment.

That's probably what happened with my friend then. She had switched jobs recently.

Yes, overtime counts as regular wages for benefit calculation purposes. As long as your employer reported it correctly on their quarterly wage reports to Washington ESD, it should be included.

Good to know, thanks! I was worried they might not count it.

Oh no, I worked in Idaho for a few months last year. Will that complicate things?

It might add some time to the process. Washington ESD has to request wage information from Idaho's system. Make sure you mention all out-of-state work when you file your claim.

I had the same issue with California wages. Took forever but Washington ESD eventually got the information. Just be patient and keep filing your weekly claims even while they're working on the monetary determination.

Tips count if they were reported as wages to Washington ESD by your employer. If you received cash tips that weren't reported, those wouldn't be included in the benefit calculation.

Makes sense. Most of my tips were on credit cards so they should be reported.

Definitely call them. Like I mentioned earlier, if you're having trouble getting through, that Claimyr service really helped me. I was on hold for hours trying to reach Washington ESD until someone told me about it.

I'll check that out, thanks. Getting through to Washington ESD has been impossible.

Right, I've been reading about the job search requirements. Need to do at least 3 job search activities per week?

Yes, and you need to keep detailed records in case Washington ESD audits your job search activities.

If there's an error in your wage records or the calculation, you can request a redetermination. Washington ESD will review your case and make corrections if needed.

Good to know there's a process for that. I want to double-check everything when I get my determination letter.

So even if I qualify for the weekly amount, I might not get the full 26 weeks?

Right, your maximum benefit amount is usually around 30% of your base period wages. Once you exhaust that, your claim ends even if you haven't reached 26 weeks.

Good point! I didn't think about the tax implications. Probably smart to have them withhold something.

Yeah I learned that the hard way last year. Owed like $2000 in taxes on my unemployment benefits.

Same here! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences. Really appreciate the help.

Glad this thread helped others too. Always good to share knowledge about dealing with Washington ESD!

That's good to know. I might pick up some part-time work while job searching.

Just make sure to report all earnings when you file your weekly claims. Washington ESD is pretty strict about that.

That's actually a great suggestion. I hadn't thought of going that route if needed.

My cousin did that when Washington ESD was taking forever to process his claim. The representative's office got it resolved in like a week.