How much unemployment can I receive from Washington ESD - benefit calculation questions

So if I made around $13,000 in my best quarter, that would be about $385 per week? That's actually better than I thought it would be.

That sounds about right for your earnings level. You can also use the benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website to get a more precise estimate before you file your claim.

Oh wow I didn't think about that. So they're looking at what I earned over a year ago, not my recent pay?

Exactly - the base period is the first 4 quarters of the last 5 completed quarters. So if you file now in early 2025, they'd look at your earnings from early 2023 through early 2024, not your most recent quarters.

How much does that service cost? I'm already stressed about money and don't want to pay extra fees just to talk to someone.

It's worth checking out their site for the details, but honestly getting through to ESD to understand your benefit calculation is so important that it's worth it. Plus they guarantee you'll reach an agent.

I might try that if I can't figure this out on my own. The whole base period thing is confusing me now.

I definitely meet those requirements since I've been working steadily. Just trying to figure out the actual dollar amount I'd get.

I understand the frustration, but the calculation is actually pretty straightforward once you know which quarters they're looking at. The confusion usually comes from not understanding the base period concept.

yeah the base period thing trips everyone up at first. took me forever to figure out why my benefit was lower than expected

I am still working maybe 8-10 hours a week. So they'd subtract that from my unemployment amount?

They have a formula - you can earn up to your weekly benefit amount plus $5 before they start reducing your UI payment. So if your benefit is $385, you could earn up to $390 in a week and still get your full UI amount.

Good point. I definitely don't want any overpayment issues down the road.

That's exactly what I'm worried about. My rent hasn't changed but my income is about to drop significantly.

Yeah it's rough. The good news is if you keep working even part-time, you'll build up better wages for a future claim if you ever need one again. The system just has this lag time built in.

I used them too when I had questions about my benefit calculation. Much easier than the endless busy signals from calling ESD directly.

So even the number of weeks I can collect depends on my old earnings? This is more complicated than I realized.

Yes, but with your work history you'll likely qualify for close to the maximum 26 weeks. The calculation looks at your total base period wages compared to your weekly benefit amount.

That's probably what I'll end up doing. At least then I'll have actual numbers to work with instead of trying to guess.

Good reminder. I've been putting it off because I wasn't sure about the amounts, but I should just get the process started.

My manager said they might bring me back to full hours eventually, but nothing definite. Would that count as standby status?

Standby status has specific requirements - your employer has to give you a definite return date within 6 weeks. If it's just 'maybe eventually' that probably wouldn't qualify.

I understand it's frustrating, but the job search requirement exists to help people find new employment if their previous job doesn't come back. It's actually helpful for keeping your options open.

Oh that's good to know. So if I go back to work after 10 weeks, I'd still have 16 weeks available if something else happened?

Exactly, as long as it's within the benefit year. The benefit year runs for 52 weeks from when you first filed your claim.

Will do. Thanks everyone for all the helpful info. This thread has been way more useful than trying to navigate the ESD website on my own.

Thanks! I'm feeling much more prepared now to actually file and see what happens.

I'll keep that in mind. Hopefully the online process goes smoothly but good to know there's a backup plan for getting help.

The base period system exists to ensure there's enough time for employers to report wages and for the state to verify earnings. Using more recent wages would actually create more delays and errors in the system.

True, I've heard some states have much lower maximums. Even if I don't get the full amount, it should help cover basic expenses.