How to calculate unemployment benefits - Washington ESD weekly benefit amount confusion

So they don't look at my most recent wages? That seems weird since my part-time job pays better per hour than my old full-time job.

Correct, they use completed quarters only. Your recent part-time work might not be in a completed quarter yet depending on when you file.

You're right! You need wages in at least 2 quarters AND wages outside your highest quarter must equal at least 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount to qualify.

This is getting confusing. Is there a calculator somewhere on the Washington ESD website?

How much does that cost? Seems like we shouldn't have to pay extra just to talk to Washington ESD.

I understand the frustration, but when you're dealing with benefit calculations that could affect months of payments, getting accurate info is worth it to me.

Good point! How do I check my wage history with Washington ESD?

Log into your SecureAccess Washington account and look for wage and potential benefits information. It should show all reported wages by quarter.

I feel you on the frustration but the formula is actually pretty standard. It's just not explained well on their website.

Standard doesn't mean simple! Why can't they just tell us upfront what we'll get instead of all this base period nonsense?

The calculation formula is the same regardless of separation reason. However, being fired for misconduct could disqualify you entirely from receiving benefits.

Oh no, attendance issues count as misconduct? I thought that was just for stealing or fighting at work.

It depends on the circumstances. Excessive unexcused absences can be considered misconduct, but medical issues or other valid reasons might not be.

That math checks out. $35,000 divided by 26 weeks is about $1,346, but there are weekly caps so $673 sounds reasonable for 2025.

Wait, I thought the max was $999? Why would it be capped lower?

The $999 is the maximum possible weekly benefit. Your actual amount is calculated from your wages, so most people get less than the maximum.

That's actually encouraging! I was worried it might be lower than the estimate.

Usually it's pretty accurate, but sometimes there are small differences. You won't know for sure until you file and get your monetary determination.

Yes, all reported wages including overtime and bonuses are included in the calculation. If it's on your W-2 and reported to Washington ESD, it counts.

Excellent! That should boost my weekly amount significantly then.

For January 2025, your base period would be October 2023 through September 2024. December 2024 wages wouldn't count because it's not a completed quarter yet.

So my new higher-paying job won't help my benefit amount at all? That seems unfair.

There's something called an alternate base period that might help if your regular base period doesn't qualify you. It uses more recent quarters.

Good point! I was using my take-home pay amounts and wondering why my calculation seemed off.

Yeah, it's always gross wages. Same thing for reporting part-time work while claiming - they want gross earnings, not net.

Yes, I used it last week and got through to an agent in about 20 minutes. Much better than spending hours redialing Washington ESD directly.

I'm skeptical about paying for something that should be free, but if it actually works...

I get the hesitation, but when you need accurate information about your benefits, sometimes it's worth it to actually talk to someone who knows the system.

How do they calculate the maximum total amount you can receive?

It's the lesser of: 26 times your weekly benefit amount, OR 30% of your total base period wages. So even if you qualify for $600/week, you might not get the full 26 weeks if your total wages were low.

Oh wow, I worked in Oregon for 6 months during my base period. Should I be worried about this affecting my Washington claim?

You'll probably need to file an interstate claim. Washington ESD can help coordinate with Oregon to combine your wages for a better benefit calculation.

That explains why my calculation came out lower than the max. My highest quarter was only around $13K.

Exactly. The formula is straightforward but the caps and qualifications make it seem more complicated than it is.

Self-employment income generally doesn't count toward your regular UI calculation unless you specifically elected to pay into the system as a self-employed person.

I never elected to pay in, so I guess that income won't help my weekly amount. Good to know before I get my hopes up.

That's great advice! I'll dig out my old pay stubs before I file my claim.

Also keep records of any severance pay or vacation payouts. Those might affect when your benefits can start even if they don't change the weekly amount.

Agreed! I'm going to file this weekend now that I understand how the calculation works.

Good luck to both of you! The process is smoother once you understand the basics.