Washington ESD unemployment benefit amount - how much do you get paid weekly?

That's helpful! So if I made $13,500 in my best quarter, I'd get about $519 per week? That would actually cover most of my essential expenses.

Just remember you have to pay taxes on unemployment benefits too, so factor that in when budgeting.

Wait, so even if someone only worked part-time they'd still get at least $295? That seems like a lot.

You still have to meet the earnings requirements to qualify. The minimum is for people who qualify but had lower earnings.

Really? How does that work exactly? I've heard the wait times are insane right now.

It basically calls for you and waits in the queue, then connects you when someone picks up. Saved me so much frustration compared to sitting there listening to hold music for hours.

Oh wow, I didn't know timing mattered. Should I wait to file if I just finished a really good earning quarter?

Generally you want to file as soon as you're eligible since there's usually a waiting week. The base year calculation is set once you file, so if you wait too long you might miss including a high-earning quarter.

It's designed to use a full year of earnings data to calculate a stable benefit amount. Using just recent pay could be misleading if someone had a temporary pay increase or decrease.

i guess that makes sense but still seems backwards

So if my WBA is $400, I can earn up to $395 per week without it affecting my unemployment benefits?

Exactly. Anything over $395 in that example would reduce your $400 benefit by the same amount.

Have you tried appealing the benefit calculation? If you think there's an error in how they calculated your base year earnings, you can request a review.

How do you even start an appeal when you can't get anyone on the phone? The online system is useless for complex situations like this.

Is that some kind of paid service? Seems sketchy to pay someone to make a phone call for you.

I understand the skepticism but it's legit. They don't ask for your personal info or anything - just helps you get through the queue. Worth checking out their demo video if you're curious.

Good point! I was wondering why my calculation seemed higher than expected.

Also remember that unemployment benefits are taxable income, so you'll want to either have taxes withheld or set money aside for tax season.

They automatically pull your wage data from employers who report to the state. But if you think there's missing or incorrect information, you can provide pay stubs or other documentation.

That's reassuring. I was worried I'd have to track down old pay stubs from multiple jobs.

Unfortunately the base year is set when you file, so you can't go back and change it. But if you work more hours later, you might be able to establish a new claim with higher benefits.

How long do you have to work to establish a new claim? I'm hoping to find full-time work soon.

Extended benefits sometimes kick in during high unemployment periods, but it depends on the state's unemployment rate. Right now I don't think Washington has extended benefits available.

That's scary. 26 weeks seems like a lot until you're actually living on unemployment and realize how fast it goes.

Good point. A lot of gig workers found this out the hard way when they tried to file for unemployment.

Thankfully I'm a regular W-2 employee, so I should be covered. This thread has been really helpful in understanding how the benefit calculation works.

How long do you have to appeal a benefit determination?

I believe it's 30 days from when the determination is mailed, but don't quote me on that. Best to appeal as soon as you notice an error.

And this is where services like Claimyr become really valuable - getting through to ESD to discuss appeal issues or benefit calculations is nearly impossible otherwise. I've used them twice now when I needed to actually talk to someone about my claim.