How much is the unemployment benefit in Washington - confused about weekly payment amounts

That's actually higher than I expected! Do they take taxes out of that amount or is that what I'd actually receive?

You can choose to have federal taxes withheld (10%) but it's optional. State of Washington doesn't have income tax so no state withholding. Most people opt for the tax withholding to avoid owing at tax time.

It's actually the higher of two calculations: either your high quarter divided by 26, OR your total base year wages divided by 52. They use whichever gives you the higher weekly amount, up to the maximum.

ok that makes more sense, thanks for clarifying that

Never heard of that service before. Did it actually work for you? I've been trying to call Washington ESD all morning and keep getting busy signals.

Yeah it worked great. I was able to talk to someone within a couple hours instead of spending days trying to get through. You can check it out at claimyr.com if you want to see what they offer.

Interesting, might have to try that myself. I've been trying to reach them about my adjudication status for over a week now.

Good point! I need to make sure I'm looking at the right quarters. I started my current job in March 2024 so some of my base year might be from my previous lower-paying job.

Exactly, that could definitely affect your benefit amount. Washington ESD will use all qualifying wages from all employers during your base year period.

I agree it's confusing, but there's actually a benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website that can give you an estimate if you plug in your wage information.

tried that calculator and it gave me like 3 different estimates depending on what i put in, still confusing

That would definitely help with bills while I'm job searching. Do I need to be actively looking for work to keep getting benefits?

Yes, you need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and log them in your WorkSourceWA account. It's a requirement to maintain eligibility.

And make sure you're doing the weekly claims every week even if you haven't heard back about your initial application yet!

That sounds about right for $35k annual income. The benefit amount is directly tied to your earnings history, so lower wages result in lower weekly benefits unfortunately.

ugh ok that makes sense i guess, just wish it was more

hey at least you're getting something, better than nothing during job search

You can work part-time and still collect partial benefits. Washington ESD deducts 75% of your gross earnings from your weekly benefit amount. So if you normally get $600 and earn $200 that week, you'd get $450 in benefits.

That's actually not bad! Thanks for the info, I was worried any work would disqualify me completely.

How did you get through to them? I keep trying to call but never get anyone on the line.

Honestly I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Saved me hours of trying to get through on my own. Was definitely worth it to get my wage issue resolved quickly.

I'm definitely going to look into this. I've been trying to get answers about my claim for two weeks with no luck.

same here, might be worth trying since regular calling isn't working

Good to know! When do the weekly claims need to be filed by?

You need to file by 11:59 PM on Saturday for the week that just ended. Don't wait until Sunday or you'll miss that week.

The maximum changes each year and also depends on when you filed. $899 might be correct for your filing date. The maximums I mentioned earlier are for claims filed in 2025.

ah ok that makes sense, i filed in december so probably different rate

Great advice! I'll make sure to set that up once my claim is approved.

yes definitely do direct deposit, the debit card option is a pain

Extended benefits sometimes become available during high unemployment periods, but they're not currently active in Washington. You might want to look into other assistance programs or see if you qualify for a new claim if you've worked since your last filing.

thanks, i'll look into other options then

Same here! This has been really helpful. Feeling much less stressed about the whole process now.

glad this thread helped! always nice when people share their experiences

That's good to know for planning purposes. Hopefully I won't need all 26 weeks but it's reassuring to know how it works.

good to hear a real review of it, was wondering if it was legit

yeah definitely legit, they have the video demo at that youtube link someone posted earlier if you want to see how it works first

That's reassuring! I was worried I'd have to figure out all the calculations myself. Looking forward to seeing what my actual amount will be.