How much unemployment will I get calculator - Washington ESD benefit amount help

Thanks! So if I made around $12,600 in my highest quarter, that would be about $485 per week?

That sounds about right. The exact formula is your highest quarter divided by 26, then rounded down to the nearest dollar.

Same here! I thought I'd get like $600/week but only qualified for $412.

The confusion comes from not knowing which quarters count as your 'base period' - it's not always the most recent ones.

Never heard of that service but if it actually gets you through to someone at Washington ESD it might be worth it. The phone system is impossible.

Is that legitimate? Sounds too good to be true honestly.

Yeah it's real, they basically handle the calling and waiting for you. I was skeptical too but it actually worked.

Wow, so my recent earnings from October-December 2024 wouldn't even count? That's confusing.

Exactly. Those would only count if you qualify for an alternate base period, which has different rules.

This is why I got way less than expected. My highest earnings were in Q4 2024 but they didn't count towards my base period.

I definitely meet the wage requirements, just trying to budget for what I'll actually receive each week.

Don't forget you'll also need to be able and available for work and do job searches to keep getting benefits.

That would be super helpful! Can you post the formula here?

Sure! It's basically: IF((Q1+Q2+Q3+Q4)>=7854 AND HighestQ>=1.5*LowestQ, ROUNDDOWN(HighestQ/26,0), 0). Replace Q1-Q4 with your quarterly wages.

This is way more helpful than anything on the official site. Thanks!

Good point. I'm more worried about the weekly claim process than the amount at this point.

The weekly claims are pretty straightforward once you get used to them. Just be honest about any work or income.

I'm already laid off as of last week, so that shouldn't apply to me.

Standby is totally different - you might still get partial benefits even while technically employed.

I only had one employer during that time period so that shouldn't complicate things for me.

Lucky you! I had three different part-time jobs and it made the calculation way more complex.

Wait, so if I qualify for a higher weekly amount, I get fewer weeks total? That seems backwards.

No, you still get up to 26 weeks. I meant that your total benefit year amount is divided by your weekly amount to determine duration, but it's capped at 26 weeks regardless.

The total benefit amount is 30% of your base period wages, divided by your weekly benefit amount to get the number of weeks.

I get that, but I like to know what to expect before I start the process.

Fair enough, budgeting is important when you're unemployed.

Good to know. I have my final paystub and termination letter ready to go.

Also keep track of any severance pay - that can affect when your benefits start even if it doesn't change the weekly amount.

Yeah, I was hoping for something more straightforward. At least this thread has been helpful!

True, but at least Washington's benefit amounts are pretty decent compared to some other states.

Ugh, I forgot about taxes. Can you have them withheld automatically?

Yeah, you can elect to have 10% withheld for federal taxes when you file your weekly claims.

That matches what I calculated using the formula someone shared earlier. Thanks for the confirmation!

Remember that's before taxes if you choose to have them withheld.

Seems like a few people here have used it successfully. Might be worth trying if I have more questions after I file.

I'm always skeptical of third-party services but if it actually works...

I was skeptical too but desperate after weeks of busy signals. It actually delivered what it promised.