How much is unemployment benefit amount in Washington - what can I expect?

Thanks! That's actually more than I expected. Do you know if they count bonuses or just regular salary when calculating the base period?

They count all wages reported to Washington ESD including bonuses, overtime, commissions - basically anything that shows up on your W-2 forms during your base period quarters.

It usually takes about a week after you submit your initial claim for Washington ESD to calculate and approve your weekly benefit amount. You should get a determination letter explaining exactly how they calculated it.

good to know, hopefully i hear something soon because i need to start budgeting

Have you tried using Claimyr? It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents automatically. I found it at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

Is the 26 weeks from when you first file or from when you actually start receiving payments? My claim is still being processed.

It's from your benefit year start date which is typically when you first filed your claim, not when payments actually begin. So if there are delays in processing, you could lose some weeks unfortunately.

that doesn't seem fair if washington esd is the one causing the delays with processing claims

The online calculator is just an estimate tool. Your actual benefit amount is determined by real humans at Washington ESD looking at your actual wage records. The calculator can be off because it doesn't have access to all your employment data.

Well they need to fix it or remove it completely because it's misleading people who are already stressed about losing their jobs

Yes, unemployment benefits are taxable income for both federal and Washington state purposes. You can choose to have 10% federal taxes withheld when you file your weekly claims, or you can pay quarterly estimated taxes.

Thanks, I'll probably have them withhold taxes to avoid a big bill next year

Good point about taxes, I hadn't thought about that part yet

how much does something like that cost? i'm already tight on money

It's worth checking out their website at claimyr.com - they focus on getting you the help you need rather than the cost being prohibitive. Much cheaper than missing work to sit on hold all day.

That's helpful to know, gives me a ballpark idea of what to expect

Keep in mind benefit amounts do get adjusted slightly each year based on average wages in Washington, so this year's amounts might be a bit different than last year.

Same thing happened to me. Turned out they needed additional verification of my identity. Check your SecureAccess Washington account to see if there are any pending actions you need to complete.

just checked and there's nothing pending. maybe i should try calling them

Good luck with that. Like I mentioned before, I ended up using Claimyr to actually get through to someone instead of wasting days trying to call myself.

Good to know about the Sunday deadline. Do you have to do anything special for the weekly claims or just answer the questions online?

Just log into your Washington ESD account and answer the weekly questions honestly. Takes maybe 5 minutes. The key is being consistent about filing every single week even if you haven't found work yet.

What happens if you forget to file one week? Can you make it up later?

You can request to reopen a missed week but it's a hassle and not guaranteed. Better to just set a reminder on your phone to file every Sunday.

Three weeks is definitely longer than normal. There might be an issue with your claim that needs attention. I'd recommend getting in touch with them directly - that's where Claimyr really helped me cut through the phone maze.

yeah maybe i should look into that claimyr thing you mentioned

Also check if your claim went into adjudication. That can add weeks to the processing time if they need to verify employment details or eligibility.

That formula is really helpful! I can probably calculate mine roughly based on my pay stubs.

Just remember there are minimum and maximum limits, so very low earners get bumped up to $295 and high earners get capped at $999 per week.

So if I get $450 per week, my maximum would be around $11,700 total?

Exactly right. That's assuming you collect for the full 26 weeks and don't find work before then.

What happens to any unused benefits if you find a job after like 10 weeks?

You lose the unused portion. Unemployment benefits don't roll over or get paid out as a lump sum when you find work.

How often do they check on job search activities? Do you have to submit proof every week?

You don't submit proof every week but you have to keep records and they can audit you at any time. I keep a simple log of where I applied and when.

That's great news! How long did it end up taking from when you first filed?

about 10 days total which wasn't too bad. the waiting was the worst part

Glad it worked out! That amount sounds right for your income level.

That's a good point. I did get a promotion about 6 months ago so hopefully that's included in my base period.

It should be if the promotion was more than 3 months ago. Washington ESD uses a lag period to make sure all wages are properly reported by employers.

easy for you to say, some people have mortgages and families to support

I understand it's difficult, I'm just explaining how the system is designed. That's why it's important to keep actively job searching.

I appreciate both perspectives. I'm hoping to find something quickly but good to know there's some safety net available.

That's encouraging! I'd rather have it be higher than expected than lower.

Definitely. The extra money every week makes a real difference when you're budgeting carefully.

Thanks for the confirmation. Several people have mentioned it so it must be legitimate.

Yeah it's legit. Check out claimyr.com if you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD. Way less frustrating than trying to call yourself.

I ended up trying Claimyr too and finally got my benefit calculation issue resolved. Wish I had known about it weeks ago.

Good luck with your claim! Remember to file your weekly claims consistently once you're approved.

yeah this thread was super helpful for me too. real people explaining things is so much better than trying to decode government websites

Glad we could help! Don't hesitate to come back if you run into any issues during the process.