How much unemployment will I get from Washington ESD - need help calculating benefits

So if my highest quarter was like $14,000, I'd get around $538 per week? That seems higher than I expected.

Yeah that sounds about right, but remember they also look at your total base year wages to make sure you qualify. You need to have earned at least 680 hours worth of minimum wage during your base year.

So if my highest quarter was around $15,000, that would be about $577 per week?

That sounds about right, but Washington ESD also has to verify you meet the minimum earnings requirements in your base period.

Thanks! How do I know which quarters they're using as my base year? Is it the last four quarters I worked?

No, the base year is actually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed. So if you filed in January 2025, they'd look at Q1 2024 through Q4 2024.

Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $13,500, that would put me at about $520 per week? That's actually better than I thought.

yeah but dont forget they take out taxes if you elect to have them withheld, so your actual deposit will be less

Really? I've been trying to call for days. How much does that service cost?

It was worth it for me just to get real answers instead of guessing. The agent walked through my whole earnings history and explained exactly how they got my weekly amount.

Never heard of Claimyr but if it actually gets you through to Washington ESD that sounds amazing. The phone system is absolutely terrible right now.

Wait so they use two quarters not one? I'm getting conflicting info here...

Yes, it's your two highest quarters combined. The exact percentage depends on whether you have dependents and your total base year wages. Check the benefit table on the Washington ESD website.

You're right about the two quarters - I simplified it too much in my first response. The calculation can get pretty complicated.

This is getting confusing. So if I file in January 2025, what would my base year be?

If you file in January 2025, your base year would be October 2023 through September 2024. But if that doesn't give you enough wages to qualify, they can use an alternate base year.

Right?? I spent hours trying to figure this out and still wasn't sure until my first payment came through

exactly! and then if you call they put you on hold forever or hang up on you

How much does that cost? I'm already broke from being unemployed.

It was worth it for me to get my questions answered quickly instead of spending days trying to call. Much easier than the usual Washington ESD phone nightmare.

Do I need to wait for that letter before I start filing weekly claims?

No, you can start filing weekly claims right away. The monetary determination just confirms your benefit amount.

Make sure you file your initial claim as soon as possible though - benefits are only paid from the date you file, not from when you actually lost your job.

Oh wow, I didn't realize it was that far back. That might actually hurt me because I got a raise last summer that wouldn't be fully reflected then.

You might qualify for the alternate base period if your regular base period doesn't give you enough earnings. That uses the most recent 4 quarters instead.

Never heard of Claimyr before. Is it legit or just another scam?

It's totally legit. They don't ask for any personal info, just help you get through Washington ESD's phone system. I was skeptical too but it actually worked and I got my questions answered.

How much does something like that cost though?

I'd rather pay something reasonable than waste weeks trying to get through on my own. The peace of mind was worth it for me.

I worked the full year, pretty steady hours. Started in March 2024 so I guess that affects which quarters they look at?

Yeah that definitely matters for the base year calculation. If you started in March 2024 and filed recently, your base year might not include all your highest earning quarters.

You can request an explanation of your monetary determination if you think there was an error. Sometimes they don't include all your wages if employers didn't report them correctly.

how do i do that? do i have to call them?

I don't have any kids, so I guess that doesn't apply to me.

The dependent allowance is $25 per dependent child up to 5 kids, so it can add up if you have a family.

How much does that service cost? I'm already worried about money and don't want to pay extra fees just to find out my benefit amount.

It's worth it when you consider how hard it is to get through to Washington ESD normally. I spent weeks trying to call on my own. Check out claimyr.com for details.

What if one of my previous employers didn't report wages correctly?

You can submit wage protest forms with pay stubs or W-2s as proof. Washington ESD will investigate and adjust your benefits if needed.

This happened to me! Took forever to get resolved though. Had to keep calling Washington ESD multiple times.

I only worked in Washington, so that shouldn't be an issue for me.

Interstate claims can be a pain to process though. Takes longer to get approved.

How long did it take to get approved after you filed?

About 2 weeks for me, but I had a straightforward layoff with no complications. Some people wait longer if there are issues.

Perfect, this is exactly what I needed! So with $13,500 high quarter that puts me at $519.75 per week, which rounds to $520.

dont forget you have to be able and available for work and do job searches every week to keep getting paid

I tried that but couldn't find all my old pay stubs. My employer should have reported everything to Washington ESD though right?

Yes they report quarterly but sometimes there are delays or errors. You can request a wage transcript from Washington ESD to see exactly what they have on file.

Good point about the wage transcript - that's the most reliable way to see what Washington ESD will actually use in their calculation.

Yes, that's the monetary eligibility requirement. You need total base period wages of at least 1.5 times your high quarter wages to qualify for benefits.

Good point, I should add up all my quarters to make sure I hit that threshold.

How long did it take to get that determination letter? I filed my claim last week but haven't heard anything yet.

I think it was about 5-7 business days. If you don't get it within two weeks I'd definitely follow up with Washington ESD.

I used that calculator and it was pretty close to my actual benefit amount.

Mine was way off! The calculator said I'd get like $400 a week but I only got $280.

That usually means there was an issue with your wage records or base period calculation.

That's frustrating but the job search requirement is only 3 jobs per week, not 50. Sounds like there might have been another issue with your claim.

They said my job search activities weren't good enough quality or something. The whole system is designed to screw over working people.

Yeah I tried that calculator too and couldn't figure out which quarters to use.

The online calculator is basically useless unless you're really good at understanding their base year definitions.

Definitely want to withhold taxes. Learned that lesson the hard way with a previous job.

smart move, owing taxes on unemployment at the end of the year sucks

Definitely recommend trying Claimyr if you can't get through the regular way. Saved me so much frustration.

You can also try calling right when they open at 8am or during lunch hours when call volume might be lower.

Good point, I hadn't thought about the tax implications.

Yeah, I got hit with a big tax bill because I didn't have taxes withheld. Learn from my mistake!

That's really helpful to know since our salaries are similar. Did you have any trouble with the application process?

Nope, pretty straightforward since it was a clear layoff situation. Just make sure you have all your employer info ready when you file.

That's a good point. When I talked to the Washington ESD agent through Claimyr they explained that my commission-heavy quarter from last spring actually helped my weekly amount for the whole year.

Exactly! Sometimes seasonal work or bonuses can really help your calculation even if your regular pay was lower.

It's designed that way to ensure they have complete quarterly wage data. Most recent quarters might not be fully reported by employers yet.

I guess that makes sense from their perspective, just frustrating as a claimant.

Only reported tip income counts toward your base year wages. If your employer didn't report tips properly or you didn't report cash tips, Washington ESD won't include them in the calculation.

Ugh that's what I was afraid of. Guess I should have been more careful about reporting cash tips throughout the year.

How does that service work exactly? Do they just help you get through the phone queue?

Yeah, they handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when an agent is available. Way better than spending all day redialing the Washington ESD number.

That's helpful to know for planning purposes. Thanks for all the info everyone!

Just make sure to keep filing your weekly claims on time every week, even if you're working part-time or have other issues. Missing a week can mess up your benefits.

That's exactly why I'm asking here first. Don't want to waste time calling if I can get good info from people who've been through it.

Smart approach. The phone wait times are brutal right now and you often get inconsistent answers from different agents.

That's really helpful, thanks! $421 would definitely help with bills while I'm job searching.

Yeah it's not as much as working obviously but it takes some pressure off. Just make sure you keep up with your job search requirements or they'll cut you off.

Your weekly benefit amount is locked in for your benefit year unless there's an error in the original calculation. They can't just randomly change it because they feel like it.

Ok good, I was getting paranoid after reading horror stories about overpayment notices.

Overpayments usually happen when people don't report work income properly, not because Washington ESD changes your base benefit calculation.

Good point, I'll file this week then.

Exactly right. You can't get retroactive benefits for weeks before you file your initial claim.

So even though I might qualify for $520/week, I might not get the full 26 weeks if my base period wages are too low?

Exactly. With $52k annual income you should be fine for the full 26 weeks, but it's something to be aware of.

No, they use your gross wages before any deductions. So health insurance, 401k contributions, taxes, etc. don't reduce the amount used in the benefit calculation.

Perfect, that's what I was hoping. My gross was higher than what I actually took home each week.

Yes, if your regular base period doesn't qualify you or gives you very low benefits, Washington ESD will automatically check the alternate base period.

Good to know! I was worried I'd have to specifically request it.

And register with WorkSourceWA! That's required too.

I'll make sure to do that when I file my initial claim. This has been really helpful, thank you all.

This is exactly why I used Claimyr. Saved me so much time and frustration trying to reach them directly. They can help you get through to resolve discrepancies like that.

seconding claimyr, used them when my claim got stuck in adjudication and they helped me reach someone who could explain what was happening

Good advice! I was planning to wait until I had everything figured out but you're right, I should just file now.

yes definitely file asap, the waiting week is already built in so any additional delay just costs you money

I worked consistently for the past 3 years at the same company, so that shouldn't be an issue for me.

Then you should be in good shape for getting a decent benefit amount based on your steady work history.

You'd need to have earned over $25,000 in your highest quarter to get the maximum, which is pretty rare unless you're in a very high paying job.

Most people I know get somewhere between $300-600 per week depending on their previous wages.

Oh wow I didn't even think about taxes. Can you have them withhold taxes from the weekly payments?

Yes, you can elect to have 10% withheld for federal taxes when you file your claim or change it later online.

That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr. The regular phone system is basically broken with how many people are trying to call.

might have to try that. this is driving me crazy not knowing how much ill get

Really? I couldn't make heads or tails of that calculator. Maybe I was doing something wrong.

You have to know your exact wages for each quarter in your base year, which most people don't have handy. That's probably why it seemed confusing.

That's really helpful data. Seems like I should expect somewhere in that range too.

Yeah that matches what I'm seeing too. The calculation seems pretty consistent once you know your base year wages.

Since I worked full time all year that shouldn't be a problem, but good to know about that requirement.

Exactly, and if you don't meet the requirements with the standard base year, they'll check an alternate base year that's more recent.

26 weeks should hopefully be enough time to find something new. The job market seems to be picking up in my field.

Yeah and you have to actively look for work the whole time anyway, so most people find jobs before the benefits run out.

Good to know. I might pick up some freelance work while I'm looking for a full-time job.

Just make sure to report all earnings when you file your weekly claims. They will find out eventually if you don't report it.

You're absolutely right. I'm going to file online tonight and stop overthinking it.

Smart move. And if you need to talk to someone about your specific situation, Claimyr can help you get through to Washington ESD without the usual hassle.

Thanks everyone for all the advice. This thread has been super helpful!

Overtime counts the same as regular wages for benefit calculations. It's all just reported as total quarterly earnings by your employer.

Perfect, that should help boost my benefit amount then.

Yeah I read about that. Do you know what counts as a valid job search activity?

applying for jobs, going to job fairs, networking events, career counseling sessions, stuff like that. keep good records

Yeah those calculators are pretty rough estimates. The actual calculation has more variables than they show.

Good to know, I'll keep my expectations realistic then.

I'm planning to look for full-time work but good to know in case I need to take something part-time temporarily.

you can earn up to about 30% of your weekly benefit without any reduction, after that they start deducting

I was definitely laid off due to company downsizing, so that shouldn't be an issue for me.

good, that's the easiest type of separation for getting approved quickly

My former employer seemed pretty understanding about the layoffs, so I'm hoping they won't contest it.

most employers dont contest legitimate layoffs, its usually only when theres a dispute about the reason for separation

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I feel much more prepared to file my claim now.

youve got this! the hardest part is usually just getting started

Any specific calculator you'd recommend? I've seen a few different ones online.

I think I used the one on some benefits website but honestly the Washington ESD calculator is probably most accurate since it uses their actual formula.

Yeah I felt the same way! Was kicking myself for not finding it sooner. Would have saved me so much stress and wasted time.

Definitely bookmarking that for next time. Hopefully won't need unemployment again but you never know these days.

Good to know! I'll stop trying to figure it out myself and just wait for that letter then.

Smart move. Plus if there's any error in their calculation you can appeal it, but that rarely happens if your employer reported wages correctly.

Already doing that! Filing every Sunday even though I don't know my exact amount yet.

Perfect. That's the most important thing. The benefit calculation stuff will sort itself out but missing weekly claims can cause real problems.

Absolutely right. Keep filing those weekly claims no matter what. That's your lifeline to getting paid once everything is processed.

Yeah I'm dreading that part too. Have to apply to 3 jobs per week and keep detailed records right?

Yep, and they can audit your job search activities at any time. Better to over-document than get caught short. Keep screenshots, contact info, everything.

That's what I'm hoping! Already applying places but want to make sure I have some income coming in while I search.

Smart thinking. Having that weekly benefit takes a lot of pressure off so you can be pickier about which jobs you take.

Exactly. When you're not desperate for any paycheck you can actually find something that's a good fit instead of just taking the first offer.