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

Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $15,000, that would be about $577 per week? That seems higher than I expected.

That sounds about right for your income level. The maximum is $999 so you're well within range.

Did you ever get through to talk to someone? I've been trying to call for a week with no luck.

Actually yes! I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call.

Oh that makes sense! I was looking at my 2024 earnings but I need to look at the specific quarters they use.

Wait, so if I just started a new job in November, they won't count any of those wages? That seems unfair.

Correct, recent wages after your base period aren't included in the calculation. That's why it's important to understand the timing when you file.

The minimum is actually $295 for 2025, so you're right on that. And yes, you can get an additional $24 per week per dependent child up to 5 children.

I don't have kids so that doesn't apply to me, but good to know for others.

Is that 26 weeks from when you first file or from when you actually start receiving benefits?

It's from when your claim is effective, which is usually the Sunday of the week you filed. So if you have delays in adjudication, that time still counts against your 26 weeks.

That's frustrating. So if they take forever to process your claim, you lose potential weeks of benefits?

Good point! I didn't think about taxes. Can I have them withhold taxes automatically?

Yes, you can request 10% federal tax withholding when you file your weekly claims. Washington state doesn't have income tax so no state withholding needed.

It might be because your wages weren't evenly distributed throughout your base period. If you had a period of lower earnings or unemployment during those quarters, it affects the calculation.

That makes sense actually. I was laid off for two months in early 2024 so that quarter was probably really low.

You might want to double-check that Washington ESD has all your wage information correct. Sometimes employers don't report wages properly and it affects your benefit calculation.

Yeah their website tools aren't very reliable. Did your actual benefit amount match what you expected?

It was close but not exactly what I calculated. I think there were some wages from a part-time job that I forgot about.

How do you request that? Through their website or do you have to call?

You can submit a request through your online account or call them. Calling is usually faster if you can get through.

This is another situation where Claimyr really helps. Getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about your benefit calculation can take forever otherwise.

Is there a minimum amount you can earn before it affects your benefits?

You can earn up to your weekly benefit amount minus $5 before they start reducing your benefits. So if your weekly benefit is $500, you can earn up to $495 without any reduction.

Wait, that doesn't sound right. I thought there was a different formula for partial unemployment.

You're thinking of the formula for when you earn more than that threshold. Then they subtract your earnings minus the first $5 from your weekly benefit amount.

Have you had any issues with your weekly claims or has everything been smooth?

Pretty smooth once I got approved. The initial adjudication took 3 weeks which was stressful but after that it's been fine.

Good point! I was looking at a 2023 article that said $929 and was confused why my calculation was different.

Thanks for clarifying that. I want to make sure I'm using current numbers for my planning.

You'd need to have earned around $97,000+ in your highest quarter of the base period to reach the maximum. So basically you'd need to be making six figures consistently.

Wow that's way higher than I thought. I guess most people get nowhere near the maximum then.

Yeah most people get somewhere between $400-700 per week depending on their income level.

When do they usually send out the 1099-G forms?

Usually by the end of January for the previous tax year. But definitely keep your own records throughout the year just in case.

Same here! Much clearer now. I think I'll end up somewhere around $550-600 per week based on my wages.

Glad this helped! And remember, if you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD about your specific situation, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really does work for getting through the phone lines.

Absolutely. I'm already working on updating my resume and looking at job postings. The unemployment will help bridge the gap while I find something good.

WorkSource has some good resources too for job searching and skills training if you haven't checked them out yet.