Washington ESD income requirements - how much do I need to earn for unemployment benefits?

Thanks! So it's $7,000 total across those 4 quarters? That seems doable with my part-time work.

Yes exactly, $7,000 total. But there's also a second requirement - you need to have earned wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period.

You're thinking of the weekly benefit calculation, not the basic eligibility. The $7,000 is the minimum threshold to qualify at all.

oh ok my bad, i was mixing up the requirements

That actually sounds really helpful. I've been trying to call for days with no luck.

I used Claimyr last month when I had questions about my base period wages. Definitely worth it if you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD directly.

$15,000 definitely meets the $7,000 minimum! The key is which quarters you earned it in. Washington ESD looks at specific calendar quarters, not just any 6-month period.

How do I figure out which quarters my wages were in? This is getting complicated.

Your employer should have records, or you can log into your SecureAccess Washington account to see your wage history by quarter.

I know it's frustrating, but the quarter system exists because they need to verify you had consistent work history, not just a one-time big paycheck.

Still doesn't make it any less annoying to calculate

Wait there's a THIRD requirement? This is getting more complicated than I thought.

Don't worry, if you made $7,000+ spread across multiple quarters, you'll likely meet all three requirements automatically.

yeah the 1.25 times thing usually works out if you had steady employment

The requirement has been $7,000 for several years now. You might be thinking of a different time period or possibly received benefits under different circumstances.

maybe i'm misremembering the amounts

Gig work can count if you paid into the unemployment system as self-employed, but most gig workers don't qualify for regular UI benefits unless they also had W-2 employment.

Ugh that's what I was afraid of. Guess I need to find a regular job.

You might want to call Washington ESD directly to ask about your specific situation. That's where Claimyr really helps - gets you connected to an actual person who can review your work history.

That's reassuring! I think I'm probably close to that amount with my part-time hours.

Yeah you should be fine. The hardest part is actually filing the claim, not meeting the wage requirements.

How do I know which base period to use? Do I get to choose?

Washington ESD will automatically use whichever base period gives you higher benefits, but you can request the alternate base period when you file if you think it would help.

Good point about the alternate base period. It uses the last 4 completed quarters instead of the first 4 of the last 5.

I guess that's one approach, but I'd rather know beforehand if possible.

fair enough, just saying the online application will walk you through everything

That sounds like exactly what I need. How quickly were you able to get connected?

Pretty fast actually, way better than trying to call on my own. They handle all the waiting and callbacks.

Good to know! I think my earnings were pretty consistent across quarters so hopefully that won't be an issue.

Yeah if you worked steady part-time hours you should be fine. It's people with seasonal work who sometimes get surprised by lower benefits.

Yes, Washington has interstate agreements. You can combine wages from multiple states to meet the requirements, but you'll need to file in the state where you worked most recently.

oh that's actually really helpful, thanks!

I guess that makes sense but it's still confusing for people trying to figure out if they qualify.

True, the Washington ESD website could definitely explain it more clearly.

I didn't know there was an online calculator! That would be really helpful to try.

Yeah it's buried in their website but if you search for 'benefit calculator' you should find it.

How would I check that? Through the SecureAccess Washington portal?

Yes, you can view your quarterly wage reports there. If something looks wrong, contact the employer or Washington ESD to get it corrected.

That's another good reason to use Claimyr if you need to talk to Washington ESD about wage discrepancies. Much easier than trying to explain complex issues through their online messaging system.

Thanks everyone! This has been super helpful. I think I probably qualify but I'll double-check my wage history to be sure.

Good luck! The application process itself is pretty straightforward once you know you qualify.