Washington ESD federal unemployment benefit amounts - how much can I expect?

Thanks! So there's no federal money added anymore? Just the state calculation?

Correct, just your regular UI benefit calculated by Washington ESD from your base year wages.

The regular unemployment system is jointly funded by state and federal taxes, but there's no extra federal money being added to individual benefit amounts anymore. The pandemic programs ended.

oh ok that makes sense i guess. was hoping for more money lol

I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com - they actually got me connected to a real Washington ESD agent in under 30 minutes. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Made all the difference for getting my benefit amount questions answered directly.

Really? That sounds too good to be true but I'm desperate at this point.

I was skeptical too but it actually worked. Way better than sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected.

That's helpful! So around $950+ per week potentially? That would definitely help with bills.

Don't forget you still have to pay taxes on unemployment benefits though

Good point, I'll need to factor that in for budgeting

Adjudication delays are really common right now. Have you tried contacting them about the status?

TRIED CALLING A MILLION TIMES! Always busy or they hang up on me!

This is exactly why I used Claimyr - got through immediately and they explained my adjudication issue was just a routine verification that took 5 minutes to resolve once I actually talked to someone.

Your neighbor is thinking of the pandemic programs. All federal supplement programs (FPUC, PUA, PEUC) ended by September 2021.

That's what I thought. Thanks for confirming!

Should I have taxes withheld automatically or pay quarterly?

I'd recommend having 10% withheld to avoid a big tax bill next year

Thanks for the real world experience! Good to know from someone who's been through it multiple times.

That's really helpful to see an actual example! Sounds like I should expect something similar.

How long did it take for your benefit amount to show up in your account?

About 10 days after I filed my initial claim

Perfect! I'll check that out right now.

You need to request tax withholding when you file your claim or log into your account and update your tax preferences.

Thanks! I'll make sure to set that up.

Yeah that's what I'm understanding now. Just the regular Washington calculation.

Good reminder! I need to set up a weekly reminder so I don't forget.

Have you tried that Claimyr service? I saw someone mention it earlier and checked out their video demo - looks like it might actually work for getting through to Washington ESD agents.

might have to try it at this point, regular calling isn't working

That would be amazing if I qualify for close to the max! Fingers crossed.

Good point! I forgot about the waiting week. Thanks for the heads up.

Perfect summary! This thread has been super helpful for understanding what to expect.