How much is unemployment benefits in Washington - confused about payment amounts

So it's not just based on my last job? That's confusing because I only worked at this warehouse for 8 months.

Exactly - they look at ALL your covered employment during that base period. If you had other jobs during those quarters, that income counts too.

That's really helpful! So it's not based on my annual salary but just my best quarter? I think my highest quarter was probably around $12,500 so that would put me at like $480 weekly if I'm doing the math right.

Exactly right! And you can receive benefits for up to 26 weeks in Washington, so long as you meet the work search requirements and file your weekly claims on time.

Did you check your monetary determination letter? It breaks down exactly which quarters they used and what wages they counted.

yeah i looked at it but still didnt make sense to me honestly

No, the weekly amount is calculated from your highest earning quarter, but you need sufficient work history in your entire base period to qualify for benefits at all. Two different things.

oh ok that makes more sense thanks

You've got the formula backwards! It's highest quarter divided by 26, then that amount becomes your WBA (with the max/min limits). So $8,400 ÷ 26 = about $323 per week, assuming that's within the benefit range.

That makes way more sense! So I need to add up my wages from my best 3-month period in the last year?

Thanks! So if my WBA shows $450, that's what I get before taxes? And I can request the 10% withholding?

Exactly. You'll see the tax withholding option when you file your weekly claim on the Washington ESD website.

Oh interesting, I've never heard of that service before. Was it expensive to use?

They don't charge you anything upfront, it's more about helping you get through the phone queue. Way better than spending hours redialing Washington ESD and getting nowhere.

I'm skeptical of third party services but honestly the Washington ESD phone system is so broken that I might try this if I can't get through myself.

Good to know! I definitely won't be hitting the maximum but $450-500 sounds about right for my situation.

Yeah the max is really high but like you said most regular workers won't see anywhere near that amount.

Oh no, that's confusing. How do I figure out which quarters count? I don't want to mess this up.

If you file in Q1 2025 (Jan-Mar), your base period would be Q1 2023 through Q4 2023. Washington ESD should have all your wage records if your employer reported them correctly.

Did you have to pay taxes on it later or did they withhold enough?

haven't done taxes yet but my friend said unemployment income counts as regular income so yeah you owe taxes on it

Thanks! I've been trying to call for days but keep getting disconnected. I'll check that out.

Never heard of that service but honestly anything is better than trying to get through their regular phone line

Oh that makes more sense when you put it that way. I was thinking it would be closer to my full wages.

Yeah unemployment is meant to be temporary assistance, not full wage replacement. Still helpful though!

Better than nothing but man it's tough living on half your income

I hadn't heard about that! What kind of training qualifies for the extra $25?

Has to be approved by Washington ESD beforehand. Usually trade schools, community college programs, or certain online courses. You have to apply for approval before starting the training.

Yeah I've been doing them every Sunday. The job search requirement is 3 per week right?

Yes, 3 job search activities per week and you need to keep a log of them in case they audit you.

that math seems complicated, is there like a calculator somewhere to figure it out?

Washington ESD has a benefit calculator on their website, but it's pretty basic. Your exact amount will show up once your claim is processed.

I tried the calculator but it gave me a range instead of exact amount. Guess I'll just wait to see what my actual WBA is.

I feel you on that. The job search requirements are ridiculous when there aren't even that many jobs in some areas.

I get the frustration but the system does serve a purpose. The requirements exist to encourage people to actively look for work.

Sure but when you're spending more time documenting job searches than actually searching it becomes counterproductive

Wait, there's actually a way to get through to Washington ESD without spending hours on hold? How does that work?

Yeah, Claimyr basically calls for you and navigates the phone system automatically. When they get a human on the line, they patch you through. Saved me so much frustration trying to get answers about my claim.

Sounds too good to be true but honestly the Washington ESD phone system is so broken I'd try anything at this point.

That's good to know. How much can you earn before they start reducing benefits?

i think you can earn up to your weekly benefit amount minus $5 before they start reducing it but don't quote me on that exact number

It's actually a bit more complex - you can earn up to 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount before you lose eligibility completely, but they start reducing benefits dollar for dollar after you earn more than 25% of your weekly benefit amount.

Wait what? I have to pay taxes on this money?

yep its considered income, you can have them take out taxes when you file your weekly claims though

Yeah there's an option to have 10% federal tax withheld when you do your weekly certification

How would I know if there was an error? The amount seems reasonable based on what others are saying here.

Check your monetary determination letter against your pay stubs from the base period. If wages are missing or incorrect, you can appeal.

Never heard of that before. Does it actually work or is it some kind of scam?

It's legit - they basically call the Washington ESD phone lines for you and get you connected to an actual agent. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.

How much does something like that cost? Seems like it could be expensive.

Worth checking out their site for details, but honestly after weeks of not being able to get through, it was worth it just to get answers about my claim.

I have one kid - where do I add that information? I don't remember seeing that option when I filed.

You should be able to update your claim information online or call Washington ESD to add dependents. It's not automatic.

The 10% federal withholding is optional and might not cover your full tax liability depending on your total income for the year. You can always pay estimated taxes quarterly if you're worried.

Ugh more paperwork. Why can't they just make this simple?

ikr the whole unemployment system seems designed to confuse people

This is exactly why I ended up using Claimyr to talk to someone at Washington ESD directly. The online calculators and websites just don't give you the full picture for your specific situation.

Yeah I might have to look into that service you mentioned. Getting actual answers seems impossible otherwise.

Good point about tips! We report them but I'm not sure if my manager submits everything properly. How would I check that?

You can log into SecureAccess Washington (SAW) and view your wage records there, or request a statement by mail. If wages are missing, you'll need documentation like pay stubs to prove what you actually earned.

Did you work for multiple employers? Sometimes people think their total annual income should determine their benefits, but it's really just based on that one highest quarter.

Yeah I had 2 jobs but one was just part time on weekends. Maybe that's why it seems low??

Yeah I'm definitely not planning to stay on it long. Already have a few leads from my job search activities.

Good attitude! Construction picks up in spring anyway so you should have more opportunities soon.

Good point about the job search thing. How many applications do I need to submit each week?

You need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week in Washington. Keep detailed records because they audit these.

I got audited last year and had to provide all my job search documentation. Pain in the butt but glad I kept good records.

6 weeks for adjudication?? That seems really long. Did they tell you why it took so long?

They said they had to verify my employment history with my previous employer. Apparently my former company was slow to respond to their requests.

Same thing happened to me! Adjudication took 5 weeks because of employer verification issues. So frustrating when you need the money.

No, it's based on your quarterly earnings during your base period, not your annual salary. The base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed.

that's really confusing. so if you got a raise recently it doesn't help your benefit amount?

Correct. If you got a big raise in your most recent quarter, it might not be included in your base period calculation.

26 weeks should be plenty of time hopefully. Thanks for all the help everyone!

You got this! The job market is actually pretty decent right now compared to a few years ago.

What counts as a job search activity? Just applying for jobs or other stuff too?

applying for jobs, networking, career counseling, job fairs, even informational interviews count. but you gotta document everything

And they do random audits where they ask for your job search log, so don't slack on keeping records!

Yes, unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have federal taxes withheld (10%) and state taxes withheld (varies) when you file your weekly claims, or pay when you file your tax return.

Thanks! I'll probably have them withhold taxes so I don't get hit with a big bill next year.