How much would I get from Washington ESD unemployment benefits?
I'm thinking about filing for unemployment but have no idea what to expect for payment amounts. I was making $52,000 a year at my last job (about $4,300 per month before taxes). Does anyone know how Washington ESD calculates the weekly benefit amount? I've heard different things from friends but want to get accurate info before I file my claim.
61 comments
Join the conversation
AstroExplorer
Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the past 18 months to calculate your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit is currently $999, but most people get way less than that. For your salary range, you'd probably get somewhere around $400-500 per week, but it depends on how your earnings were distributed across quarters.
0 coins
Amara Nwosu
•That's actually higher than I expected! Do you know if that amount is before or after taxes?
0 coins
AstroExplorer
•That's before taxes. You can choose to have taxes withheld or pay them later when you file your return.
0 coins
Giovanni Moretti
I just went through this process last month. The formula is basically your highest quarter divided by 26, then they take about 50% of that amount. But there's also a minimum you have to have earned to qualify at all.
0 coins
Amara Nwosu
•What's the minimum amount you need to have earned to qualify?
0 coins
Giovanni Moretti
•I think it's around $3,000 in your highest quarter, but don't quote me on that exact number.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Farsi
If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about benefit amounts, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me connect with an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Really saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.
0 coins
Amara Nwosu
•Interesting, I hadn't heard of that. How much does it cost?
0 coins
Fatima Al-Farsi
•They focus on the value of actually reaching someone rather than the cost. For me it was worth it to get accurate information about my specific situation instead of guessing.
0 coins
Dylan Cooper
•I'm always skeptical of third-party services for government stuff, but if it actually works...
0 coins
Sofia Perez
The benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website is pretty accurate if you have your earnings information handy. You just plug in your quarterly wages and it gives you an estimate.
0 coins
Amara Nwosu
•I'll check that out, thanks! Do I need my W-2 or pay stubs for that?
0 coins
Sofia Perez
•Having your pay stubs helps but the calculator mainly needs your gross quarterly earnings. Your employer reports this to Washington ESD anyway.
0 coins
Dmitry Smirnov
Just be aware that there's a waiting period before you start receiving benefits. I think it's one week where you don't get paid, even if you're approved right away.
0 coins
Amara Nwosu
•Good to know! So even if everything goes smoothly, there's still a delay before the first payment?
0 coins
Dmitry Smirnov
•Exactly. And that's assuming your claim doesn't go into adjudication, which can add weeks to the process.
0 coins
ElectricDreamer
whatever you do dont count on getting the max amount. i made decent money and only got like $350 a week. the system is rigged against regular working people
0 coins
AstroExplorer
•The system isn't rigged, it's just based on a formula. Higher earners don't always get proportionally higher benefits because there's a cap.
0 coins
ElectricDreamer
•yeah well try living on $350 a week when your rent is $1800 a month
0 coins
Sofia Perez
Another thing to consider is that you can only collect benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks in most cases. So even if you qualify for $500 per week, that's still only $13,000 total over the full benefit period.
0 coins
Amara Nwosu
•26 weeks seems like it would go by pretty fast if you're looking for work. Is there any way to extend that?
0 coins
Sofia Perez
•Sometimes there are extended benefit programs during high unemployment periods, but those aren't available right now.
0 coins
Ava Johnson
I remember when I filed, the hardest part wasn't figuring out the amount but actually getting through to someone at Washington ESD to ask questions. The phone lines are constantly busy.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Farsi
•That's exactly why I used Claimyr - they handle the calling for you so you don't have to sit on hold forever.
0 coins
Ava Johnson
•Wish I had known about that when I was dealing with my claim issues!
0 coins
Giovanni Moretti
One thing people don't realize is that your benefit amount also depends on when you worked. If you just started a job recently, you might not have enough quarters of earnings to qualify for much.
0 coins
Amara Nwosu
•I've been at my current job for about 14 months, so hopefully that's enough time.
0 coins
Giovanni Moretti
•Yeah, you should be fine. They look at the past 18 months of earnings.
0 coins
Miguel Diaz
Does anyone know if overtime pay counts toward the benefit calculation? I worked a lot of OT last year.
0 coins
AstroExplorer
•Yes, overtime counts as regular wages for the calculation. Any gross wages reported on your W-2 are included.
0 coins
Miguel Diaz
•Great, that should help boost my benefit amount then.
0 coins
Dylan Cooper
The whole system is confusing tbh. I tried to figure out my benefit amount before filing and gave up. Just filed and waited to see what they said.
0 coins
Amara Nwosu
•That's kind of what I'm tempted to do too. How long did it take to get your determination?
0 coins
Dylan Cooper
•About 2 weeks, but this was before the busy season. Might take longer now.
0 coins
Zainab Ahmed
Don't forget you have to file weekly claims to actually get paid. The benefit amount is just what you're eligible for - you still have to certify every week that you're looking for work.
0 coins
Amara Nwosu
•What does the weekly claim filing involve exactly?
0 coins
Zainab Ahmed
•Just answering questions about whether you worked, looked for work, and were available for work that week. Takes like 5 minutes online.
0 coins
Connor Byrne
I hate to be negative but the job market is rough right now. Even if you qualify for good benefits, finding work within 26 weeks might be challenging depending on your field.
0 coins
Amara Nwosu
•What field are you in? I'm in marketing/communications which seems to have decent opportunities.
0 coins
Connor Byrne
•Tech industry. Lots of layoffs lately. Marketing might be better though.
0 coins
Yara Abboud
Pro tip: if your claim gets stuck in adjudication, don't just wait around. Keep calling Washington ESD until you get answers. I waited 6 weeks because I thought they'd resolve it automatically.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Farsi
•This is another situation where Claimyr really helps. They can get you connected to someone who can actually explain what's holding up your claim.
0 coins
Yara Abboud
•Exactly. Wish I had known about services like that when I was dealing with my adjudication mess.
0 coins
PixelPioneer
the benefit amount doesnt matter if you cant even get approved lol. washington esd will find any excuse to deny claims these days
0 coins
AstroExplorer
•That's not really accurate. Most claims that meet the eligibility requirements do get approved. The issues usually come from not having enough earnings or being fired for misconduct.
0 coins
PixelPioneer
•maybe your experience was different but ive seen plenty of people get denied for bs reasons
0 coins
Keisha Williams
I just went through this whole process. With a salary similar to yours, I ended up getting $465 per week. The calculation was pretty much what others described - they took my highest quarter and divided by 26.
0 coins
Amara Nwosu
•That's really helpful to know! Did you have any issues with your claim or did it go smoothly?
0 coins
Keisha Williams
•Pretty smooth. Took about 3 weeks from filing to getting my first payment.
0 coins
Paolo Rizzo
Make sure you understand the job search requirements too. You have to actively look for work and keep records of your job search activities.
0 coins
Amara Nwosu
•How many jobs do you have to apply to each week?
0 coins
Paolo Rizzo
•I think it's 3 job search activities per week, but that includes more than just applications - networking, attending job fairs, etc.
0 coins
Amina Sy
If you're planning to file, do it sooner rather than later. Benefits start from when you file, not when you actually lost your job (unless you file within a week).
0 coins
Amara Nwosu
•Good point. I'm still employed but expecting a layoff next month. Should I wait until I'm actually laid off?
0 coins
Amina Sy
•Yes, you have to be unemployed through no fault of your own to qualify. File as soon as you're laid off.
0 coins
Oliver Fischer
Has anyone dealt with the tax implications? I heard unemployment benefits are taxable income now.
0 coins
AstroExplorer
•Unemployment benefits have always been taxable at the federal level. There was a temporary exception during COVID but that's over now.
0 coins
Oliver Fischer
•Thanks for clarifying. So I should plan to set aside money for taxes or have them withheld.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Farsi
For anyone still struggling to get through to Washington ESD with questions about benefit amounts or eligibility, I really can't recommend Claimyr enough. The video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ shows exactly how it works, and their website claimyr.com has more info. It's been a game-changer for people I know who needed to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD.
0 coins
Amara Nwosu
•I bookmarked their site. If I run into issues after filing, I might give them a try.
0 coins
Natasha Ivanova
•I used them last year and it was worth every penny. Saved me probably 20+ hours of calling and redialing.
0 coins