How much money would I get from Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

That's more than I expected actually. How do they figure out which quarter was my highest earning one?

They look at the last 4 completed quarters before you file your claim. So if you file now, they'd look at your earnings from each quarter in 2024. They take your highest quarter and use that to calculate your weekly amount.

That's encouraging to hear. Did you have any trouble with the application process?

not really, just took some time to gather all my employment info. make sure you have your employer details and exact dates ready

I don't have kids or anything, so no dependents. Is there a way to estimate my quarterly earnings if I don't have all my pay stubs?

You can estimate by multiplying your hourly wage by hours per week, then by 13 weeks per quarter. Washington ESD will have your actual reported earnings from your employers anyway, so they'll use the real numbers when processing your claim.

How much does that cost? I'm already worried about money so I don't want to pay extra fees.

It's worth it when you consider how much time you save. I was calling for hours every day for weeks and getting nowhere. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to sort things out.

Good to know about that option. Hopefully I won't need it but I'll keep it in mind.

The base period uses completed quarters, so if you just started working more hours this quarter, those earnings won't count yet. Your benefit amount will be based on your previous earnings history.

That seems unfair. So if I was working part-time for most of last year but just got promoted, I'm stuck with the lower benefit amount?

That's how the system works unfortunately. It's designed to be based on your established earnings pattern, not recent changes. You might qualify for a higher amount if you file a new claim later after working at the higher wage for a full quarter.

I feel you. The benefits don't keep up with cost of living at all. But something is better than nothing I guess.

Barely! And then they make you jump through hoops every week with the job search requirements. It's like they want to make it as miserable as possible.

True, I'm trying to look at it that way. It would definitely help cover my basic expenses while I look for something better.

Oh I didn't think about that. So the $300-400 estimate would be before taxes?

Exactly. The weekly benefit amount is gross, not net. I'd recommend having them withhold the 10% so you don't get hit with a big tax bill later.

Good point. You can elect to have federal taxes withheld when you file your initial claim or change it later through your online account.

Definitely file as soon as possible. There's a waiting week before benefits start, and the longer you wait to file, the longer it takes to get your first payment.

Thanks for the tip. I'll get on that today.

The calculator can be tricky. You need your total gross wages for each quarter, not your net pay. If you don't have exact numbers, your best bet is to just file the claim and let Washington ESD calculate it based on their records.

That makes sense. I was trying to be exact but probably overthinking it.

Yeah, I should definitely meet that minimum. Good to know there are requirements though.

You're right, I'm probably overthinking this. I'll file this week.

I was planning to job search anyway, so keeping track shouldn't be too hard. Are there specific requirements about what kinds of jobs I have to apply to?

Generally you need to apply to jobs you're qualified for in your field or related fields. You can't just apply to random jobs you'd never take. Washington ESD has guidelines about suitable work on their website.

That's helpful to hear a real example. Did you have any issues with the weekly claims or anything?

Weekly claims were pretty straightforward once I got the hang of it. Just answer the questions honestly about your job search activities and any work you did that week.

Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true.

Totally legit. They just handle the calling part so you don't have to deal with busy signals and hold times. Check out their video demo if you want to see how it works.

I'll be totally unemployed, so that shouldn't be an issue for me.

Good advice, I'll definitely set up a weekly reminder. When during the week do you have to file?

You can file your weekly claim starting Sunday for the previous week. I always did mine on Sunday mornings so I wouldn't forget.

That's a good point I hadn't considered. The stress relief aspect is probably worth it even if the money isn't amazing.

Hopefully I won't need to appeal anything, but good to know there are options if things get complicated.

Yeah, hopefully everything goes smoothly for you. Just keep that in your back pocket in case you need it.

Thanks for all the helpful advice everyone! I feel much more confident about filing now. Sounds like it's definitely worth doing.