How much unemployment will I get from Washington ESD - need to calculate weekly benefit

So they don't just look at my most recent job? They actually go back further than that?

Right, they need to see a full base period. Your recent warehouse job might not count if you haven't been there long enough to establish a quarter.

That sounds about right for what I was making. Do you know if they count overtime hours in the calculation?

Wait, there's actually a service that calls Washington ESD for you? How does that work exactly?

Yeah, you just tell them what you need help with and they handle the calling and waiting. Then they conference you in when they get an agent on the line. Saved me so much frustration.

I tried their calculator but I don't have all my old pay stubs. Is there another way to find out my wages from previous jobs?

Washington ESD should have your wage records from all your employers. That's what they'll use for the calculation anyway.

What does adjudication mean exactly? Should I be worried about that?

It just means they're reviewing your claim to make sure everything checks out. Could be employment verification, wages, reason for separation, etc. Most get approved eventually.

mine was in adjudication for 3 weeks too, they had to contact my old employer to verify i was laid off and not fired

I worked at my previous job for 6 months before this one, so I should have enough work history right?

Should be fine then. They need wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period and you sound like you'll meet that.

How slow are we talking? I really need to know when I can expect payments to start.

For straightforward claims maybe 2-3 weeks. But if anything gets flagged for review it could be 4-6 weeks or more.

Good point, I'll file tomorrow morning. Is there a best time to apply online to avoid system crashes?

Early morning or late evening seem to work better. The system gets overloaded during business hours.

What kind of job search activities count? Does applying online count as a contact?

Online applications count, but you need to log details like company name, position, date, method of contact. Keep good records.

Have you tried that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier? Might be worth it if you've been waiting that long.

Never heard of it before this thread but might give it a shot. Can't be worse than calling myself.

That would actually cover most of my basic expenses. How long can you collect benefits?

Up to 26 weeks for regular unemployment. Could be extended if unemployment rates are high but don't count on that.

Should I gather all my old W-2s and pay stubs before applying?

Having them helps but isn't required. Washington ESD gets wage info directly from employers. Just make sure you list all employers from the past 18 months.

What happens if you miss filing a weekly claim?

you can file late but might not get paid for that week. they're pretty strict about the deadlines

Which calculator did you use? The official Washington ESD one or a different site?

Just googled 'Washington unemployment calculator' and used the first one that came up. Seemed accurate enough.

Even small cash jobs? How would they know about those?

They cross-reference with other agencies and do audits. Not worth the risk. Just report any work even if it's only a few hours.

You're right, I'm overthinking this. I'll apply first thing tomorrow and figure out the details later.

Exactly! The sooner you apply the sooner you can start receiving benefits. The calculation will sort itself out.

How much does something like that cost though? Seems like it would be expensive.

I don't remember the exact cost but it was worth it to actually talk to someone. Way less than what I would have lost missing work to keep calling myself.

Thanks everyone for all the help! This thread answered way more questions than I expected.