Washington ESD unemployment benefit amount calculation - what would my unemployment be?

So if my highest quarter was like $17k, that would be about $325 per week? That seems low for someone making decent money.

Yeah that sounds about right. The 50% replacement rate isn't great but it's better than nothing. Make sure you're looking at gross pay not take home.

It's actually more complicated - you need to earn at least $5,265 in your base period AND have earnings in at least two quarters. Plus your total base period earnings have to be at least 1.25 times your highest quarter.

wow thats more complicated than i thought, good thing i dont need to worry about it right now

That's interesting - is it legit? I hate trying to call government offices.

Yeah it's real, they basically handle the calling and waiting for you. Way easier than sitting on hold for hours just to ask a simple question about your benefit calculation.

Did it end up being higher or lower than you expected?

Lower unfortunately. I had some overtime in one quarter that I thought would help but apparently it didn't count the way I expected.

Overtime definitely counts toward your base period wages. You might want to check if they calculated it correctly.

Good point, I should research that too. How many jobs do you have to apply for per week?

I think it's 3 job search activities per week, but they can be different things like applications, networking events, job fairs, etc. Check the current rules on the Washington ESD website.

I get that but I like to plan my finances if possible. Even a rough estimate helps with budgeting.

Planning ahead is smart. The benefit calculation affects how long your claim lasts too since there's a maximum total benefit amount.

Wait that doesn't make sense. If I file in January 2025 wouldn't Q4 2024 be completed?

Sorry, let me clarify - if you file in January 2025, your base period would be Q3 2023 through Q2 2024. They need time to process employer wage reports so there's always a lag.

This is why the system is so frustrating! The most recent quarters when you actually need help aren't even counted.

How much does it cost? I might need to do that if I can't get through normally.

not sure about cost but it was worth it to actually talk to someone instead of getting hung up on constantly

Ugh I didn't even think about taxes. So the weekly benefit amount is before taxes?

Exactly. The weekly benefit calculation doesn't account for taxes at all. Federal taxes for sure, and I think WA doesn't have state income tax but double check that.

Good point, I should check our employee handbook. I know we have some kind of severance policy but never looked at the details.

Severance can definitely complicate things. Sometimes it's considered wages and sometimes it's not, depending on how it's structured.

How long did it take from application to getting your first payment?

about 6 weeks total but 4 of that was waiting for adjudication to finish. the actual calculation part was quick once they had all my employer info

I tried that calculator and got confused by all the quarter selections. Didn't seem very user friendly.

The online calculator is more of a marketing tool than an actual calculation. Better to just gather your pay stubs and do the math yourself or wait for the official determination.

Good to know there's an appeal process. How long do you have to file an appeal?

I think it's 30 days from when you get your monetary determination letter. Don't quote me on that though, check the letter for the exact deadline.

It's definitely complex but once you get through the initial application process it's pretty straightforward. The weekly claims are easy and the job search requirements aren't too bad.

i guess i'll cross that bridge when i come to it. hopefully it won't be necessary

I'm skeptical of these third party services but if so many people are having success maybe it's worth looking into

I was skeptical too but after spending weeks trying to get through to Washington ESD myself, I figured it was worth a shot. Glad I tried it.

Yeah I'm starting to realize there's way more to this than just the weekly dollar amount. Definitely need to do more research.

The good news is that once you're in the system, the ongoing requirements become routine. It's just the initial learning curve that's steep.

Thanks for the tip! I'll keep that in mind if I need to call them.

8am calling worked for me too but honestly claimyr was easier than setting alarms and speed dialing

That range sounds reasonable for budgeting purposes. Thanks everyone for all the helpful info!

Just remember to file your weekly claims on time and keep up with the work search requirements. Those are the two things that trip people up most often.