How much of your income do you get on unemployment in Washington ESD?

It's not a straight percentage like that. Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount using your highest earning quarter from your base period (first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters). They take that quarter, divide by 13, then you get roughly 60-70% of that weekly amount. Maximum weekly benefit right now is $999.

So if I made $13,000 in my highest quarter that would be $1000 per week, but capped at $999? That's actually not too bad.

Exactly, but remember you also have to meet the minimum earnings requirement across all quarters in your base period to qualify.

the formula is confusing but basically if you were making decent money you'll probably get close to the max. i was making around $65k and get $999/week. just make sure you file asap because there's a waiting week

Good to know about the waiting week! I'll file this weekend.

Actually there's no waiting week in Washington anymore, they eliminated it during COVID and it stayed gone.

I've been trying to get through to someone at Washington ESD for three days to ask about my benefit calculation and can't reach anyone. Their phone system is impossible! Has anyone found a way to actually talk to a real person there?

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr.com - it's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. They have this demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

Never heard of that but willing to try anything at this point. Thanks!

The benefit amount depends on your earnings history but also your family size. If you have dependents you can get additional money on top of the base amount. It's called dependent allowance and it's $25 per dependent child up to 5 kids.

I don't have kids so that doesn't apply to me, but good info for others reading this.

Wait really? I've been getting unemployment for 2 months and have 2 kids but never got any extra money. How do I add them?

You need to update your claim through your SecureAccess Washington account or call them. You might be able to get back payments too if you qualify.

DONT COUNT ON GETTING THE FULL AMOUNT!! Washington ESD will find every excuse to reduce your benefits or put you in adjudication limbo for months. I'm supposed to get $850/week but have been waiting 6 weeks for them to approve my claim

That's frustrating but adjudication delays don't mean they're trying to reduce your benefits. They're just backlogged with complex cases that need manual review.

Backlogged for 6 weeks though? Something's wrong with their system

For adjudication issues you really need to speak with someone directly. That's another situation where Claimyr helped me - got through to an adjudicator who explained exactly what documents they needed to finish reviewing my case.

quick question - do they count overtime hours in the calculation? I worked a ton of OT last year

Yes, all wages including overtime count toward your base period earnings. That should help boost your weekly benefit amount.

awesome, that's what I was hoping to hear

The benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website is pretty accurate if you want to estimate your amount before filing. Just need your quarterly earnings from the last year and a half.

I tried that but couldn't find all my quarterly info. Do I need to request wage records from Washington ESD first?

You can check your wage records through your SecureAccess Washington account, or they should show up automatically when you file your claim.

been getting unemployment for 4 months now. started at $743/week which was about 65% of what I was making. not great but enough to get by with some budgeting

That helps me plan - sounds like I'll probably get around $650-700 based on my salary. Thanks for the real number!

That's actually pretty good compared to some other states I've heard about

Make sure you understand the job search requirements too. You have to apply for 3 jobs per week and keep detailed records or they can disqualify you and make you pay everything back.

Good point, I need to read up on all the requirements. Don't want to mess up and lose benefits.

The job search log is in your online account. Pretty easy to fill out each week when you file your weekly claim.

Also remember you have to report ANY income you earn while collecting unemployment, even like $50 from a side gig. They'll reduce your benefits dollar for dollar after the first $5.

I do some freelance work occasionally so that's important to know. Better to report it than get in trouble later.

Yeah they cross-reference with tax records so they'll catch unreported income eventually

I got laid off from a seasonal job and wasn't sure if I'd qualify since I only worked 8 months. Turns out I had enough earnings from my previous job to meet the requirements. Don't assume you won't qualify - just file and see.

That's encouraging. I've been at my current job for 2 years so I should definitely have enough earnings history.

Seasonal workers often qualify if they have other earnings in their base period. Good that you filed!

One thing nobody mentioned - if you get severance pay it might delay when your unemployment starts. Washington ESD treats it as wages for the weeks it covers.

I'm getting 3 weeks severance so I guess I should wait to file until after that period ends?

No, file right away but report the severance. They'll determine how it affects your claim eligibility week by week.

The whole system is set up to make it as difficult as possible to get benefits. Between the job search requirements, weekly reporting, and constant threats of overpayment notices, it's almost not worth the stress.

I understand the frustration but the requirements exist for a reason. Most people who follow the rules don't have major issues.

It's definitely bureaucratic but the benefits are there when you need them. Just have to play by their rules.

For anyone still having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone, I recently used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Worked great - got connected to an agent in about 10 minutes instead of calling all day. Worth checking out if you need to talk to someone urgently.

How much does that cost? Seems like we shouldn't have to pay extra just to reach a government agency.

I agree it's frustrating that it's necessary, but when you need answers about your claim it's worth it to actually get through to someone.

Just want to add that if you're getting unemployment benefits, you still need to pay federal taxes on them. You can have taxes withheld automatically or pay quarterly estimated taxes.

Oh right, I forgot unemployment is taxable income. Thanks for the reminder - I'll set up the withholding when I file.

Yeah it's 10% federal withholding if you elect it. Saves you from owing a big chunk at tax time.