How much is unemployment benefits in Washington ESD - confused about weekly payment amounts
I just got approved for unemployment after being laid off from my warehouse job last month and I'm really confused about how much I'm supposed to get each week. My friend said Washington ESD calculates it based on your highest earning quarter but I can't figure out what mine should be. I made about $45,000 last year but it wasn't consistent - some months were really good, others not so much. When I check my account it just says my weekly benefit amount is pending calculation. Has anyone else had trouble figuring out what their actual payment should be? I need to know so I can budget properly.
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Shelby Bauman
Washington ESD uses your base period wages to calculate your weekly benefit amount (WBA). They take your highest earning quarter from your base period and divide by 26, then that amount can't exceed the state maximum. For 2025, the max weekly benefit is around $999. Your base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed.
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Josef Tearle
•So if my highest quarter was like $13,000, I'd get around $500 per week? That seems about right based on what I'm seeing.
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Quinn Herbert
•yeah that math sounds right, mine was similar and i get about $480/week
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Salim Nasir
The calculation can be confusing but Washington ESD should send you a monetary determination letter that breaks down exactly how they calculated your benefit amount. It shows your base period wages, your high quarter, and your weekly benefit amount. If you haven't received that yet, you should get it within a few days of your claim being approved.
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Josef Tearle
•I haven't gotten any letter yet but it's only been 3 days since approval. Should I be worried if it takes longer?
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Salim Nasir
•No, give it up to a week. The monetary determination usually comes a few days after the initial approval notice.
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Hazel Garcia
If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about your benefit calculation, I'd recommend checking out claimyr.com - they help people get connected to actual ESD agents without waiting on hold forever. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. I used it last month when I had questions about my weekly amount and got through to someone in like 15 minutes instead of calling for hours.
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Laila Fury
•How does that work exactly? Do they just call for you or something?
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Hazel Garcia
•Yeah they handle the calling and waiting, then connect you when an agent is available. Way better than sitting on hold all day.
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Geoff Richards
•Interesting, might have to try that if I can't get my overpayment issue resolved
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Quinn Herbert
the amount also depends on if you have any dependents to claim. washington esd gives you extra money for dependent allowances - i think its like $25 per dependent up to 5 kids or something. not a huge amount but every bit helps
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Josef Tearle
•I don't have any kids so that wouldn't apply to me, but good to know for others reading this.
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Shelby Bauman
•Actually it's a bit more complex - the dependent allowance is calculated as a percentage of your weekly benefit amount, not a flat rate.
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Simon White
DONT COUNT ON GETTING THE FULL AMOUNT they say you'll get!!! Washington ESD loves to find reasons to reduce your benefits or make you wait weeks for payments. I was supposed to get $650/week but half the time they hold up my payments for 'verification' or some other BS excuse.
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Salim Nasir
•While there can be delays, most people do receive their full calculated benefit amount once any issues are resolved. It's important to file your weekly claims on time and respond to any requests for information promptly.
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Simon White
•Easy for you to say when you're not 3 months behind on rent because they keep finding new hoops to jump through
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Josef Tearle
•That's exactly what I'm worried about - I can't afford to have my payments delayed.
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Shelby Bauman
One thing to keep in mind is that your unemployment benefits are subject to federal income tax. Washington state doesn't have income tax, but you'll still owe federal taxes on the benefits. You can choose to have 10% withheld automatically when you file your weekly claims, or you can pay estimated taxes quarterly.
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Josef Tearle
•Oh I didn't even think about taxes! Should I have them withhold the 10% or just save money separately?
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Shelby Bauman
•It depends on your tax situation, but having it withheld automatically is usually easier than trying to save the money separately and remember to pay quarterly.
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Hugo Kass
•I made the mistake of not withholding and owed like $2800 at tax time, definitely recommend the automatic withholding
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Laila Fury
Are there any other deductions that come out of the weekly amount? I heard something about union dues but I'm not sure if that applies to everyone or just certain jobs.
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Salim Nasir
•Union dues are only deducted if you were a union member and choose to continue paying dues while on unemployment. Most people don't have any deductions other than the optional tax withholding.
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Laila Fury
•Got it, thanks for clarifying that.
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Nasira Ibanez
The whole system is confusing honestly. I've been getting benefits for 2 months and I still don't fully understand how they calculate everything. Sometimes I get the full amount, sometimes it's less, and I can never figure out why. The explanations on the Washington ESD website are like reading a foreign language.
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Shelby Bauman
•The weekly amount can vary if you have any earnings to report from part-time work. Washington ESD has an earnings deduction formula that reduces your benefit if you work and earn money during a claim week.
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Nasira Ibanez
•That must be it - I did some gig work a couple weeks that I reported. Wish they explained that better in the system.
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Khalil Urso
•same here, the explanations are terrible. half the time i dont know if i did something wrong or if its just their system being weird
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Hazel Garcia
If anyone else is struggling to get clear answers about their benefit calculations from Washington ESD, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier has been really helpful for getting actual human explanations instead of trying to decipher the automated system messages. Worth checking out if you're stuck.
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Myles Regis
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already tight on money and can't afford to pay for help with my unemployment claim.
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Hazel Garcia
•They focus on the value of getting you connected to resolve your issues rather than keeping you stuck in phone loops. Check their website for current options.
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Brian Downey
Just want to add that if your benefit amount seems wrong compared to what you think you should get based on your wages, you can appeal the monetary determination. I had to do that when they used the wrong wage information and my weekly amount was way too low.
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Josef Tearle
•How long does an appeal take? I'm hoping my calculation is correct but good to know that's an option.
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Brian Downey
•Mine took about 6 weeks total but they did backpay the difference once it was approved. You have 30 days from the date on your monetary determination to file an appeal.
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Salim Nasir
•Appeals can take time, but it's definitely worth doing if the calculation is genuinely incorrect. Make sure you have documentation of your wages to support your case.
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Jacinda Yu
remember you also have to actively look for work to keep getting benefits. washington esd requires you to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log. that doesn't affect your weekly payment amount but you could lose benefits entirely if you dont do the job search requirements
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Josef Tearle
•Yeah I've been applying to jobs every day. Do I need to use WorkSource or can I just apply directly to employers?
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Jacinda Yu
•you can apply directly to employers, use job sites, whatever. just make sure you keep track of every application with dates and company names for your job search log
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Landon Flounder
•And make sure the jobs you're applying for are suitable work - can't just apply to random stuff that has nothing to do with your experience or pay way less than unemployment
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Callum Savage
Washington ESD also has a partial benefits program if you find part-time work while collecting unemployment. You can earn up to a certain amount each week before they start reducing your benefits. It's calculated as your weekly benefit amount plus $5, so if you get $500/week in unemployment, you can earn up to $505 before any reduction.
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Josef Tearle
•That's actually really helpful to know. I might try to pick up some part-time shifts if I can find them.
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Callum Savage
•Just make sure you report all earnings honestly when you file your weekly claims. They cross-reference with employer wage reports so any unreported income will eventually be discovered.
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Ally Tailer
The maximum benefit duration in Washington is 26 weeks for regular unemployment, but that can be extended during high unemployment periods. Right now I think we're just on the standard 26 weeks. Your monetary determination letter will show how many weeks of benefits you're eligible for based on your base period wages.
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Josef Tearle
•So I need to find a job within 26 weeks or I'm out of luck? That's kind of scary.
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Ally Tailer
•You might be eligible for other programs after regular unemployment ends, but 26 weeks should hopefully be enough time to find something. The job market is pretty good right now.
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Aliyah Debovski
•dont panic about the 26 weeks, most people find jobs before their benefits run out. just stay active with your job search and you should be fine
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Miranda Singer
One more tip - make sure your direct deposit information is correct in your Washington ESD account. I had the wrong routing number for the first month and my payments kept getting rejected. Had to wait for paper checks which took forever to arrive.
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Josef Tearle
•Good point, I'll double check that right now. How long do direct deposits usually take to hit your account?
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Miranda Singer
•Usually 1-2 business days after you file your weekly claim, assuming there are no issues with your claim.
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Cass Green
For anyone still struggling to get through to Washington ESD about benefit amounts or any other questions, I had good luck with that claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Got connected to an actual person who could look at my account and explain exactly how my weekly amount was calculated. Way better than trying to figure it out from the confusing letters they send.
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Josef Tearle
•I might try that if I don't get my monetary determination letter soon. Thanks for the recommendation.
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Finley Garrett
•Yeah I've heard good things about services like that. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to get clear answers.
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