How much is unemployment weekly benefit in Washington ESD 2025?

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

Yeah the base period calculation can be confusing. I thought it was based on yearly income too until I filed my claim.

That helps me estimate! I think my highest quarter was around $14,500 so I should be looking at about $550-580 weekly.

Don't forget you have to pay federal taxes on unemployment benefits. They don't automatically withhold it unless you request it on your weekly claims.

I had the same problem until someone told me about Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Never heard of that but I'm desperate at this point. Does it actually work for getting through to Washington ESD?

Yeah it worked for me. I was able to talk to an actual person about my adjudication issue within a day instead of calling for weeks.

The exact percentage can vary slightly based on your wage level but 3.85% is the standard rate for most people. The dependency allowance is $25 per dependent child under 18.

Ok thanks for clarifying. I have two kids so that would be an extra $50 per week if I qualify.

What are the minimum requirements? I worked full time for over a year so I should be good but want to make sure.

You need at least 680 hours of work during your base period and wages in at least two quarters. Since you worked full time for a year you'll definitely meet those requirements.

Also your total base period wages need to be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter wages to qualify for the full benefit duration.

The $999 is the base maximum, then you add the dependency allowance on top. So with 5 kids the absolute max would be $1,124 per week.

Damn that's actually pretty decent compared to other states. Though I doubt many people actually get the full maximum.

They can use an alternate base period if you don't qualify with the standard one, or if it would result in a higher benefit amount. You usually have to request this though.

Good to know. I had a big raise recently so my most recent quarters might be better than the standard base period.

Your benefit year starts the Sunday of the week you file your initial claim, not when you became unemployed. So don't delay filing if you're eligible.

Thanks! I was worried I waited too long but sounds like I just need to file ASAP.

Is Claimyr expensive? I'm already tight on money being unemployed.

I thought it was worth it considering how much time I was wasting trying to call myself. Check their site for current info - claimyr.com

That's helpful since I might do some freelance work while looking for full-time employment.

Yeah but make sure you report ALL earnings or you could get hit with an overpayment later. Washington ESD will find out eventually.

Your gross benefit is the full amount you're eligible for. Net is what you actually receive after any deductions like taxes, child support, or overpayment offsets.

Ah ok that makes sense. So the amounts everyone's talking about here are the gross amounts before deductions.

Totally agree! I wish Washington ESD would just have a simple calculator on their website where you could enter your wages and get an estimate.

Same here, everyone's explanations have been way clearer than the official information I found online.

Yes, all wages reported on your W-2 count including bonuses, commissions, tips, and overtime. It's based on your total earnings during the base period quarters.

Perfect, I had a good bonus last year so that should help my benefit amount.

You'd need to earn about $25,000+ in your highest quarter to reach the maximum. That's roughly $100k annually if consistent throughout the year.

I got close to the max when I was laid off from my software engineering job. Made around $28K in my best quarter and got $943/week.

That's really good! Definitely helps when you're making that kind of money and get hit with a layoff.

Good point! I'll make sure to set up the tax withholding when I file. Don't want to get surprised at tax time.

Yeah I learned that the hard way. Owed like $2000 in taxes on my unemployment benefits because I didn't withhold anything.

I'm getting desperate enough to try anything. The regular Washington ESD phone line just hangs up on me after being on hold forever.

That's exactly what was happening to me. Claimyr got me connected to an actual person who could help instead of dealing with the automated system.