How much is unemployment per week in Washington - current benefit amounts?

Thanks! So if I made $52k last year, that would be around $77 per week? That seems really low.

No, you're calculating wrong. It's 3.85% of your total base period wages (not annual), then divided by 26. Plus there's a minimum benefit amount. You'd probably get somewhere between $200-400 per week depending on your exact base period earnings.

Thanks! So they look at my best quarter, not my total yearly income? That's helpful to know.

Yeah exactly. And don't forget you have to meet the job search requirements - 3 job contacts per week minimum.

That sounds more reasonable than what I calculated. Did you have any trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check your benefit amount?

yeah it was impossible to get anyone on the phone. kept calling for weeks

Did you have any trouble getting through to them to verify your amount? I keep hearing the phone lines are impossible.

Oh man, yes. I spent weeks trying to call. Eventually found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to an actual Washington ESD agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration.

Never heard of that service before. Is it legit? I'm hesitant to use third-party services for unemployment stuff.

Yeah it's legitimate. They don't ask for your personal information or anything sketchy. They just help you get connected to the ESD phone system more efficiently. I was skeptical too but it actually worked.

I used Claimyr too after spending days trying to call Washington ESD directly. Got through to an agent in like 20 minutes instead of the usual 3+ hour wait times. Worth it when you need actual answers.

So if my base period wages were around $38,000, that would be about $559 per week? That seems high compared to what others are saying.

That calculation looks right. Remember though, your base period might not include your most recent work if you just got laid off. The quarters have to be completed calendar quarters.

Good point about taxes. Should I have them withhold federal taxes from my benefits?

I always recommend having them withhold 10% for federal taxes. Better to get a refund than owe money at tax time.

Wait I thought it was based on just your highest quarter, not two quarters?

No, it's definitely two highest quarters averaged together. Common misconception though.

This is why I got confused when I first applied. The Washington ESD website could explain this better.

How long has it been since you filed? I'm worried about delays.

filed about 3 weeks ago, still shows pending. called a bunch of times but cant get through

Six weeks?? That's terrible. Have you been able to reach anyone at Washington ESD to find out what's going on?

tried calling probably 200 times, never get through. just busy signals or hung up on

What if you never get that letter? Mine has been pending for over a month.

Definitely call Washington ESD or use a service like Claimyr to get through faster. A month is way too long to wait for a monetary determination.

This is super helpful, thank you! Much clearer than anything on the Washington ESD site.

So if I made $15k in my best quarter and $13k in my second best, that would be $28k/26 = $1077 weekly average, times 60% = $646 per week?

Exactly! You've got it. That $646 would be your weekly benefit amount.

Good point. I hadn't even thought about the duration yet, just focused on the weekly amount.

That's a decent amount! Were you able to get through the application process smoothly or did you run into issues?

Pretty smooth actually, though I did have one issue with verifying my identity that required calling in. Used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier - definitely worth it if you need to actually talk to someone.

How much extra per dependent?

i think its like $25 per week per kid but not totally sure

I tried looking for it but got lost in all the different sections. Do you remember where exactly it was?

I think it was under 'File a Claim' somewhere but honestly their website navigation is terrible. Easier to just do the math yourself with the formula others posted.

Good to know. I wasn't planning on working part-time but it's good to understand how that works.

Yeah they have pretty specific rules about reporting income. You have to report it on your weekly claim or you can get in trouble for overpayment.

Good tip about filing weekly claims. I was wondering about that timing.

Yeah don't wait for approval. File every single week or you lose eligibility for those weeks permanently.

Two months is crazy. Did you ever figure out what the holdup was?

something about needing to verify employment history but they never told me what documents they needed. finally got through to someone who straightened it out in 5 minutes

What counts as a job search activity?

Applying for jobs, networking events, career fairs, informational interviews, etc. You have to log them in WorkSourceWA.

The job search requirement is such a pain. Half the 'jobs' posted aren't even real.

That helps give me a reference point. Thanks for sharing actual numbers.

What's standby status? I got furloughed but might be called back.

Standby is for temporary layoffs where you expect to return to the same employer within 8 weeks. You don't have to do job search activities but the benefit calculation is the same.

That's exactly why I used Claimyr - couldn't deal with the endless hold times. Got through to an agent same day and got my questions answered.

How much does that cost though? I'm already not getting paid, can't afford to pay extra services.

I understand the concern about cost when you're unemployed. The way I looked at it was that getting my claim resolved faster was worth more than continuing to wait weeks without any income.

Yeah I'm definitely not going to hit the maximum. Just trying to get a realistic estimate.

Good idea! I'll check that first before calling.

Yeah mine showed up online like 3 days before I got the letter in the mail.

Ugh, I did have one quarter where I was between jobs. That's going to hurt my benefit amount.

You might be able to use alternate base period if your recent quarters were higher. Worth asking Washington ESD about.

That's a helpful rule of thumb. Thanks for sharing your experience.

How do you know if you'll max out early?

Your monetary determination letter will show your maximum benefit amount and how many weeks you can collect. It's based on your total base period wages.

Good to know it actually works. I might try that if I can't get my questions answered through the online system.

Yeah it's legit. I was skeptical too but got connected to a real ESD agent who could see my file and everything.

I was laid off due to company downsizing so hopefully that won't be an issue.

Layoffs are usually pretty straightforward. It's when people get fired or quit that things get complicated.

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm planning to file this week. Nervous about the whole process but this thread has been really helpful.

You'll be fine! The hardest part is just getting through the initial application and then keeping up with the weekly claims.

What kind of documentation do they want? Just company names and dates?

Company name, contact person if you have it, date of contact, method (online application, email, phone), and position applied for. Keep it detailed.

That's really helpful to hear a real example. How long did it take from filing to getting your first payment?

About 2 weeks for me, but I had everything documented perfectly and didn't need any adjudication. The key is being super thorough with your application.

Yeah that sounds about right based on what I've seen from friends who filed recently.

Several people have mentioned Claimyr now. Seems like the phone situation is pretty bad if people are using services to get through.

The phone situation is absolutely terrible. I tried for weeks before giving up and using Claimyr. Worth every penny to actually talk to a human.