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

So if my highest quarter was $15,000, that would be about $577 per week? That seems higher than I expected.

Yeah that sounds right. The formula is pretty straightforward once you know which quarter to use.

I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They basically get you through to an actual Washington ESD agent without all the waiting and getting hung up on. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Really? That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?

It's worth it compared to spending entire days trying to get through. I was able to get my benefit amount confirmed and resolve an adjudication issue all in one call.

No, it's definitely based on your highest quarter in the base year. Your total yearly earnings determine if you qualify at all, but the weekly amount comes from that highest quarter divided by 26.

Okay that makes more sense. So I need to look at each quarter separately and find the highest one?

Exactly. Look at your W-2 or pay stubs and add up each quarter's gross wages.

I tried using that calculator last month and it gave me three different amounts depending on how I entered the same information. Not very helpful.

Yeah the whole Washington ESD online system is a mess. Half the links don't work and the other half take forever to load.

Yes, Washington state has a dependency allowance. It's $24 per dependent child up to 5 kids, so maximum of $120 extra per week if you qualify.

Good to know! Every little bit helps when you're unemployed.

You'll need to file an interstate claim. Washington ESD will coordinate with Oregon to get your wage information. It can slow down the process but your benefits will still be calculated the same way using all your qualifying wages.

Will that delay my first payment? I really need to get benefits started as soon as possible.

It might add a week or two while they verify your out-of-state wages. File as soon as you can to get the process started.

They look at your base year which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. So if you file now, they'd look at Q1 2024 through Q4 2024 most likely.

So my layoff in March wouldn't affect my base year calculation? That's a relief.

Wow that's amazing! I've been trying to reach them for a month about my overpayment notice.

Yeah I was skeptical at first but it really works. Much better than sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected.

Good point. Can you have taxes withheld automatically or do you have to pay quarterly?

You can choose to have 10% federal tax withheld when you file your weekly claims. Washington doesn't have state income tax so that's not an issue here.

$64,000 in one quarter?! That's like $256,000 per year. I definitely won't be getting the maximum.

Yeah the maximum is really only for very high earners. The average benefit is probably closer to $400-500 per week.

Yes, all wages count as long as your employer paid unemployment taxes on them. Doesn't matter if it was part-time, full-time, or multiple jobs.

That's good news. I wasn't sure if student employment would be treated differently.

All taxable wages count, including commissions and bonuses. If taxes were withheld, it should be included in your benefit calculation.

Awesome, that commission will really help boost my benefit amount then.

I think it's designed to help people who had seasonal work or irregular income. Using the highest quarter protects people who might have had a bad year overall but still had some good earning periods.

I guess that makes sense. Still confusing though.

Yes, that's exactly what I used it for originally. The Washington ESD agent was able to walk me through which quarters they were using and how they calculated my weekly amount. Much clearer than trying to figure it out from the website.

Thanks, I'll check it out. Getting actual answers from a human would be so much better than guessing.

There's no minimum hours requirement, but you do need to have earned at least $1,000 in your highest quarter to qualify for benefits at all. Also make sure you're looking at gross wages, not net.

Ah, I was using my take-home pay. That explains the difference.

They can make mistakes, especially if you had complex employment situations or out-of-state wages. You can request a redetermination if you think there's an error.

How long does a redetermination take? I really need to get this sorted out quickly.

Usually 2-4 weeks, but you can try calling to escalate it. That's another situation where Claimyr might be helpful to actually reach someone.

Same here! I feel much more prepared to file my claim now.

Glad I could help explain the process. Good luck with your claims everyone!