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

So they look at my best quarter from last year? That would probably be around October-December when we had holiday hours.

Exactly! And your total benefit year amount is usually 26 times your weekly amount, but it can't exceed 30% of your total base year wages.

Yeah I'm worried it won't be enough to cover my rent and everything

UI is meant to replace about 50% of your previous income, so it's definitely less than working but it helps while you job search.

I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. They handle all the calling and waiting for you. There's even a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration.

Really? That actually works? I'm desperate at this point, the hold times are insane.

Yeah it really does work. They call the Washington ESD number for you and wait on hold, then call you back when they get an agent on the line. Much better than wasting your whole day trying to get through.

I tried that calculator but I wasn't sure which quarters to use for the base year calculation.

If you filed in 2025, your base year would typically be January 2023 through December 2023, unless you qualify for alternate base year which uses more recent wages.

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

Wait really? I have two kids and didn't know about this. Do I need to report them somewhere?

yeah you need to add them as dependents in your eServices account, there should be a section for that

Oh great, so the amount I see isn't even what I'll actually get after taxes?

Right, if you choose tax withholding you'll get 90% of your weekly benefit amount. But you can opt out of withholding and just pay the taxes later if you prefer the full amount now.

Thanks! That makes more sense. My highest quarter was probably around $12,000 so that would put me at around $230 weekly?

That sounds about right. The exact formula is highest quarter divided by 26, then 50% of that result. So $12,000/26 = $461, then 50% = about $230 weekly.

Same problem here! I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks to understand why my benefit amount seems low compared to what I calculated.

I ended up using this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to a Washington ESD agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Finally got my questions answered about the benefit calculation.

That usually happens if you report working some hours during the week or if there are issues with your weekly claim filing. Any earnings get deducted from your benefit amount.

I haven't worked at all though, that's why I'm confused. My claims show as paid but different amounts.

You should definitely call Washington ESD to clarify that. There might be an issue with how your claims are being processed.

That sounds terrible! What happened with the overpayment?

They claimed I didn't report some part-time work correctly even though I did everything by the book. Took forever to get it sorted out and prove I was right.

That's actually higher than I expected. Maybe mine will be decent too since I worked steady hours.

Yeah if you had good consistent earnings your benefit should be reasonable. The people who get really low amounts are usually part-time or seasonal workers.

Yes, there's a maximum weekly benefit amount that gets updated annually. For 2025 it's $999 per week in Washington. Most people don't hit the maximum unless they were making over $100k annually.

oh wow i had no idea there was a cap

Right, I need to register with WorkSourceWA too. There's so many requirements to keep getting benefits.

Exactly, and if you miss any of the requirements they can deny your weekly claim even if you're eligible otherwise.

Wait, that's different from what the other person said about highest quarter divided by 26?

You're right to be confused - I misstated that. The calculation I described is actually for Washington state's formula, but it's your highest quarter divided by 26, then roughly 50% of that weekly amount. The minimum is $295 and maximum is $999 weekly.

Thanks for the correction. Yes, it's based on your single highest earning quarter, not two quarters added together.

Good to know, I was thinking about trying one of those

The official Washington ESD calculator is pretty accurate though, just make sure you're using that one and not some random website.

All wages count the same whether regular time or overtime. They just look at your total gross earnings for each quarter.

Perfect, that should help my weekly benefit amount then since I put in tons of overtime last year.

If your claim is in adjudication, they won't determine your benefit amount until that's resolved. Adjudication can take 2-6 weeks depending on the issue.

6 weeks?! I can't wait that long without knowing what I'll receive. This is so frustrating.

That's exactly why I used Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD. Worth checking out if you need answers about your adjudication status and benefit calculation.

Where on the website is the calculator? I looked but couldn't find it.

I think it's under the 'File a Claim' section, but it might not be working right now. The Washington ESD website has been having issues lately.

I had luck using Claimyr to get through to them. They handle the calling process and get you connected to an actual agent. Way better than trying to call yourself.

How does that work exactly? I'm willing to try anything at this point.

You just go to claimyr.com and request a call back. They call Washington ESD for you, wait on hold, then connect you when they get an agent. Saves you from sitting on hold for hours.

Oh I didn't think about that. So the balance is how much total I have left to claim?

exactly! and once you use up your balance your claim year ends even if you haven't been unemployed for the full 26 weeks

What kind of deductions? I thought unemployment benefits weren't taxed in Washington?

Washington doesn't tax unemployment but the feds do. Plus if you have any overpayments from previous claims or child support they'll take that out too.

You can choose to have federal taxes withheld from your unemployment benefits, but it's optional. The base benefit amount shouldn't have random deductions unless there are specific reasons like overpayments.

That's something I hadn't considered. I should look into what other help might be available.

Yeah definitely worth checking out programs like SNAP or housing assistance if your unemployment benefits aren't enough to cover everything.

Good point, I'll definitely be looking for work while collecting benefits.

Yeah and make sure you report it accurately because they cross-check with employers and tax records. Getting caught not reporting work can create big problems.

That's reassuring! How long did it take from filing to getting your determination letter?

About 10 days, but my claim was straightforward with no adjudication issues.

The calculation is the same regardless of whether your wages came from one job or multiple jobs. They look at your total quarterly wages from all employers during your base period.

Good to know, thanks! I was worried they'd calculate it differently for part-time workers.

Yes! The whole base year vs benefit year terminology is confusing.

Base year is the period of earnings they use to calculate your benefits. Benefit year is the 52-week period when you can collect benefits. Two different things that sound similar.

Have you tried the Claimyr service? I used it last month to get through to Washington ESD about my benefit questions. Really helped clarify the calculation for me.

Never heard of it, is it legit?

Yeah, it's at claimyr.com. They basically help you get through the phone system to reach an actual Washington ESD representative. Saved me so much time and frustration.

I have two kids - how do I make sure I get the dependency allowance?

You should have been asked about dependents when you filed your initial claim. If not, you can contact Washington ESD to add them, but that usually requires calling or using their online system.

Each state has its own benefit calculation formula and maximum amounts. Washington's maximum is $999 per week which is actually higher than many states, but the calculation method varies by state.

interesting, maybe oregon just calculates it differently then

How long after you file your weekly claim do you usually get paid?

I file my weekly claim on Sunday and usually get the payment by Wednesday. Sometimes Tuesday if it's a short week.

Do most people choose to have taxes withheld or just deal with it at tax time?

I chose to have them withheld because I didn't want a surprise tax bill next year. It's 10% federal withholding if you elect it.

Your benefit determination letter should show the base period wages they used for the calculation. If you didn't receive one or need clarification, that's definitely worth calling about.

I got the letter but it just shows the final amount, not the quarterly breakdown. Maybe I need to call for more details.

That's exactly the kind of question the Claimyr service helped me get answered. Much easier than trying to call Washington ESD directly.

That's good to know! I was worried my benefit amount might be really low since I was only making $42k.

With $42k annually you should be well above the minimum. The minimum is really for people who worked very few hours or had very low wages during their base period.

So if I got a raise right before getting laid off, that wouldn't affect my unemployment benefits?

Correct, only the wages from your base period quarters count toward the benefit calculation. Recent raises or wage changes don't factor in.

That's an important point. Your benefit amount is locked in based on your base period wages, regardless of what you were earning most recently.

That's reassuring to hear! I was stressing about whether it would be enough.

Just make sure you're budgeting carefully since it's temporary. And keep up with the job search requirements so you don't lose benefits.

How do you know if you qualify for that?

Washington ESD should automatically check if you qualify when they process your claim, but you can also request it if you think your recent wages were higher than your regular base year.

Hopefully mine will be on the higher end since I worked full time with decent pay.

You should be fine if you had steady work. The people with really low benefits usually had sporadic employment or very low wages.