How to know how much unemployment you will get from Washington ESD
I'm trying to figure out my weekly benefit amount before I file my claim. Is there a way to calculate what Washington ESD will pay me? I made about $48,000 last year but had some periods where I wasn't working. My friend said it's based on your highest earning quarter but I'm not sure how that works exactly. Does anyone know the formula or is there a calculator somewhere?
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Madison Tipne
Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate benefits. They take that amount, divide by 26, then multiply by 0.0385 to get your weekly benefit amount. Your base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file.
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Finley Garrett
•Thanks! So if my highest quarter was $15,000, that would be about $222 per week? That's actually more than I expected.
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Holly Lascelles
•Don't forget there's a maximum weekly benefit amount too. For 2025 it's around $999 per week in Washington.
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Malia Ponder
You can also log into your Washington ESD account after filing and it will show your benefit amount right away. But yeah the calculation is confusing, I had to call them three times just to understand which quarters they were using for my base period.
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Kyle Wallace
•Good luck getting through on the phone! I've been trying for weeks just to ask about my adjudication.
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Ryder Ross
•Actually I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.
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Malia Ponder
•Interesting, never heard of that before. Does it actually work or is it just another scam?
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Gianni Serpent
they dont tell you about the waiting week either!! first week you file you dont get paid even if approved
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Madison Tipne
•Washington actually eliminated the waiting week a few years ago during COVID and never brought it back. You should get paid for your first week if you're eligible.
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Gianni Serpent
•oh really? thats good news then, i was dreading losing that first week
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Holly Lascelles
The monetary determination letter will show exactly what you'll get. It breaks down your base period wages by quarter and shows your weekly benefit amount. You get this after filing your initial claim.
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Finley Garrett
•How long does it usually take to get that letter? I filed yesterday but haven't seen anything yet.
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Holly Lascelles
•Usually within a few days if there are no issues with your claim. Check your eServices account regularly for updates.
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Henry Delgado
Just remember you have to be actively looking for work to keep getting benefits. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week and they do audit these occasionally.
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Olivia Kay
•What counts as a job search activity? I've been applying online but not keeping detailed records.
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Henry Delgado
•Job applications, networking events, attending job fairs, informational interviews. Keep a log with dates and details - you'll need it if they audit you.
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Kyle Wallace
ugh the whole system is so confusing. why cant they just make a simple calculator on their website instead of making us guess
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Joshua Hellan
•I think there used to be one but they removed it. Maybe because too many variables affect the final amount?
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Jibriel Kohn
•Most other states have benefit calculators. Washington ESD is just behind the times with their website functionality.
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Edison Estevez
Your benefit amount also depends on whether you have any disqualifying issues. If you were fired for misconduct or quit without good cause, you might not get anything even if you have sufficient wages.
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Finley Garrett
•I was laid off due to budget cuts so hopefully that won't be an issue for me.
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Edison Estevez
•Layoffs are usually straightforward approvals. You should be fine as long as you meet the wage requirements.
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Emily Nguyen-Smith
Don't forget to factor in taxes! UI benefits are taxable income. You can have taxes withheld or pay quarterly estimated taxes.
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James Johnson
•Wait, really? I thought unemployment wasn't taxed. That's going to make a big difference in my budget planning.
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Emily Nguyen-Smith
•Yep, federal taxes for sure and some states tax it too. You'll get a 1099-G at the end of the year showing how much you received.
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Sophia Rodriguez
I called Washington ESD last month to ask about my benefit calculation and the agent was actually really helpful. Took forever to get through though - had to use that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier to avoid the busy signals.
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Mia Green
•How much did that cost? I'm willing to pay if it actually works.
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Sophia Rodriguez
•It was worth it for me. Much better than spending hours redialing the same number over and over.
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Emma Bianchi
The formula is: (Highest quarter wages ÷ 26) × 0.0385 = Weekly benefit amount. But there's also a minimum of $295/week and maximum of $999/week in Washington. If you made less than about $19,000 in your highest quarter, you'll get the minimum.
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Finley Garrett
•This is super helpful! So basically if I made $15,000 in my best quarter, I'd get the minimum $295 since my calculation would be lower than that.
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Emma Bianchi
•Exactly right. The minimum ensures even lower-wage workers get a decent benefit amount.
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Lucas Kowalski
also make sure you understand the difference between your weekly benefit amount and your maximum benefit amount. weekly is what you get each week, maximum is the total you can receive during your entire claim year
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Olivia Martinez
•How do they calculate the maximum total amount?
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Lucas Kowalski
•its usually your weekly amount times 26 weeks, but it can also be limited by your total base period wages. whichever is less
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Charlie Yang
I've been getting benefits for 2 months now and my amount has stayed consistent. The calculation they do initially is what you'll get each week as long as you keep filing your weekly claims and meeting requirements.
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Grace Patel
•That's reassuring. I was worried the amount might change randomly.
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Charlie Yang
•Nope, very predictable once it's established. Just make sure to file your weekly claims on time every week.
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ApolloJackson
The hardest part for me was figuring out which quarters counted as my base period. I had some unemployment earlier in the year and wasn't sure if that affected the calculation.
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Isabella Russo
•Previous unemployment doesn't affect your base period wages. They only look at W2 wages from employers during those quarters.
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ApolloJackson
•Good to know! I was overthinking it then.
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Rajiv Kumar
Pro tip: if your wages were really low in the standard base period, you can request an alternate base period that uses more recent quarters. Sometimes this results in a higher benefit amount.
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Aria Washington
•How do you request that? Is it automatic or do you have to ask?
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Rajiv Kumar
•You have to request it specifically. Washington ESD doesn't automatically check both options for you.
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Ryder Ross
•This is exactly the kind of thing where calling and talking to an agent helps. I used Claimyr again last week to get through and ask about alternate base periods for my partner's claim.
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Liam O'Reilly
Remember that if you work part-time while collecting benefits, they'll reduce your weekly payment. You can earn up to your weekly benefit amount before they start deducting dollar for dollar.
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Chloe Delgado
•So if my weekly benefit is $400, I can earn up to $400 without any reduction?
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Liam O'Reilly
•Not exactly - there's a small disregard amount first, then they start reducing. Best to report all earnings honestly and let them calculate it.
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Ava Harris
Washington ESD's benefit year runs for 52 weeks from when you first file, but you can only collect up to 26 weeks of benefits during that year (unless there are federal extensions).
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Jacob Lee
•What happens if you find a job after 10 weeks but then get laid off again within that same benefit year?
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Ava Harris
•You can reopen your existing claim and continue receiving benefits up to your remaining balance, as long as you're still within the benefit year.
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Emily Thompson
The monetary determination will also show if you have any prior overpayments that need to be repaid. This can affect your benefit amount if they're doing collections.
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Sophie Hernandez
•How do overpayments happen? I want to make sure I avoid that situation.
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Emily Thompson
•Usually from not reporting work earnings properly or being found ineligible for weeks you already received benefits. Always be completely honest on your weekly claims.
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Daniela Rossi
Bottom line - file your claim and wait for the monetary determination letter. That's the only way to know for sure what your exact benefit amount will be. The calculation formulas are helpful for estimates but the official determination is what matters.
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Finley Garrett
•Thanks everyone! This thread has been incredibly helpful. I feel much more confident about filing my claim now.
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Ryan Kim
•Glad we could help! Good luck with your claim process.
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