How much unemployment will I get from Washington ESD - need to plan my budget

That's actually higher than I expected! So it's not based on my average earnings over the whole base period?

Nope, just your single highest earning quarter. That's why it can be beneficial if you had a good quarter recently even if your overall earnings weren't consistent.

Did your actual benefit amount match what you calculated beforehand?

Pretty close, maybe $15-20 off from what I estimated. The hard part was getting through to someone at Washington ESD to ask questions when my claim got stuck in adjudication.

That sounds about right for my income level. Do you know what the maximum weekly benefit is in Washington right now?

Maximum weekly benefit amount in 2025 is $999 per week. But most people don't hit the max unless they were making over $100k annually.

How does that work exactly? Do they just call for you or something?

Yeah, they handle all the calling and waiting, then connect you when they get through. Way better than spending your whole day redialing.

That sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?

Good point, I definitely meet those requirements. Thanks for mentioning that!

It's not exactly 60% - that's a common misconception. Washington ESD uses a specific formula based on your base year quarters, not just a percentage of your last salary.

oh ok thanks for clarifying, the system is confusing

Oh wow, I didn't think about that. How much should I expect to owe?

Unemployment benefits are taxed as regular income, so it depends on your tax bracket. You can request 10% federal withholding when you file your weekly claims.

I tried using the calculator but it's asking for specific quarterly amounts and I don't have my pay stubs organized that way. Is there another way to estimate it?

You can request your wage and benefit statement from Washington ESD online or call them to get your quarterly breakdown. That'll give you the exact numbers for the calculator.

Good luck getting through to them on the phone though! I've been trying for weeks to get someone to explain my benefit calculation and keep getting busy signals or hung up on.

Really? How does that work exactly? I'm desperate to talk to someone about my claim status.

They basically handle the calling process for you and connect you when an agent becomes available. Much better than sitting on hold for hours or getting disconnected.

Sounds too good to be true but at this point I'll try anything to reach Washington ESD

That makes sense. $625 a week is still decent, better than I was expecting honestly.

Yeah and you can collect for up to 26 weeks in Washington, longer if you qualify for extended benefits during high unemployment periods.

I just filed last week so I'm still waiting too. Hopefully it doesn't take too long!

Mine took about 2 weeks to get approved, but I know some people wait longer if there are any issues with their claim.

I wasn't planning on working part-time initially but good to know. What's the limit before they reduce your benefits?

You can earn up to your weekly benefit amount plus $5 before they start reducing your unemployment payment. So if your benefit is $500, you could earn up to $505 in a week without any reduction.

Oh right, I forgot about taxes. So the amount they calculate isn't what I'll actually receive in my account?

Correct. If you don't have taxes withheld, you'll need to pay them when you file your tax return next year. I'd recommend having them withhold the 10% to avoid a big tax bill later.

learned this the hard way last year, owed like $2000 in taxes on my unemployment

So even if my benefit year is 52 weeks, I can only get paid for 26 of those weeks max?

Exactly. The benefit year is the timeframe during which you can use your claim. The 26 weeks is your actual benefit duration. Once you exhaust those 26 weeks, your benefits end unless extended benefits are triggered.

I signed up for WorkSourceWA already. Do I need to wait until my claim is approved to start the job searches?

No, start right away. The job search requirement begins with your first payable week, so better to get ahead of it.

Sorry to hear that. Are you close to running out of benefits?

Yeah, got about 8 weeks left. Really hoping to find something soon.

That's exactly the kind of situation where Claimyr really helps. You need to talk to an adjudicator to find out what's holding up your claim, but getting through normally is nearly impossible.

At this point I'll try anything. The uncertainty is worse than not having the money.

I feel your pain. Adjudication delays are getting ridiculous. Took them 8 weeks to approve my claim last year.

How much does that cost though? If I'm unemployed I don't want to spend money I don't have.

It's worth it when you consider how much time you save. Plus getting accurate information about your benefits is pretty important.

I only worked in Washington so that shouldn't be an issue for me, but good to know for others.

Yeah, it's a common issue that can really delay the benefit calculation process if you don't know about it upfront.

Yeah I tried the estimator but wasn't sure if I was entering the right information.

For a January 2025 claim, your base period would be April 2023 through March 2024 (the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters). If you don't have enough wages in that period, they can use the alternate base period which is July 2023 through June 2024.

Thanks! That helps clarify things.

What do you mean by waiting week?

The first week you're eligible for benefits is unpaid - it's like a deductible. You still have to file the weekly claim but won't get paid for that week.

That's reassuring to hear. I was worried about how long everything would take.

Yikes, I'll make sure to document everything carefully.

Yeah, it's a pain but better safe than sorry. I keep screenshots of every application I submit.

Good to know there are options if I run into problems. Hopefully everything goes smoothly though.

I had pretty consistent employment so hopefully that won't be an issue for me.

Sounds like you should be in good shape then. The $625/week estimate is probably pretty accurate for your situation.

So timing when you file your claim could make a difference in your benefit amount?

Potentially, yes. Your base year is determined by when you file. If you got a big raise recently, waiting until the next quarter might increase your benefit amount, but you'd also be going longer without any benefits.

That's a risky gamble though. Bird in the hand and all that.

Good point about the timing. I should probably file ASAP then even if I'm not sure about the exact amount I'll get.

Definitely file as soon as possible. You can't get benefits for weeks before you file your claim, even if you were unemployed during those weeks.

How much does it cost? I'm already tight on money being unemployed.

I'd rather not get into specific costs here, but for me it was worth it to actually reach someone and get my issue resolved quickly rather than wasting days trying to call.

I'm going to check out that video demo. At this point my time is worth more than repeatedly calling and getting nowhere.

I didn't get any severance unfortunately, so that won't be an issue for me.

That's common with layoffs vs. voluntary separations. At least it makes your benefit calculation straightforward.

This happened to me. I had a lot of overtime in one quarter that skewed my estimate higher than my actual benefit ended up being.

My wages were pretty consistent so hopefully the estimate will be close to accurate.

How long does it usually take to get that letter after filing?

Usually within a week or two if there are no issues with your claim. It comes by mail and also shows up in your SecureAccess Washington account.

Mine took 3 weeks but that was during a busy period when lots of people were filing claims.