Washington ESD unemployment benefit amounts - how much money do you get?

Thanks! So they look at quarterly earnings, not just my final salary? That's good to know.

Yeah the base year calculation can be confusing. They use the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim.

It's actually not quite 60% - Washington's replacement ratio is closer to 50% of your average weekly wage, subject to the maximum benefit amount.

oh ok thanks for the correction, i just remembered it being around half

That's really helpful to know! I'll try to find that calculator. Did you have any issues with the initial claim process?

The filing itself was straightforward, but I did get stuck trying to reach someone at Washington ESD when I had questions about my benefit amount calculation. I actually ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that explains how it works.

I understand the frustration, but the benefit calculation formula is actually pretty consistent. The issues usually come up during adjudication or if there are questions about your work history.

Same here with the runaround. It's like they don't want to pay out benefits even when you qualify.

Good point about multiple employers. I did have a part-time job earlier in the year along with my main job. Will that help or hurt my benefit amount?

It should help because it adds to your total base year earnings. Washington ESD will include wages from all covered employers during your base year when calculating benefits.

Exactly right. Higher total base year earnings generally mean higher weekly benefits, up to the maximum of $999.

The $999 is just the regular state unemployment benefit. There's no additional federal supplement like there was during the pandemic. That ended in 2021.

Oh okay, thanks for clarifying. I wasn't sure if there were still any federal add-ons.

Is that the same service someone mentioned earlier? How does it work exactly?

Yeah, same one. You basically tell them what you need to discuss with Washington ESD and they handle getting you connected to an actual person. Way better than the phone tree nightmare.

Three weeks seems long for just the benefit calculation. Usually that's determined within a few days of filing. You might want to check if your claim is in adjudication for some reason.

Same thing happened to me! Turns out there was an issue with one of my previous employers not responding to Washington ESD's request for wage information. I had to call to find out what was holding things up.

How did you manage to actually get through to someone? I keep getting disconnected.

That's really helpful! So I probably won't hit the maximum but $606/week would definitely help cover my basic expenses.

Exactly. And remember you can work part-time while collecting benefits, though they'll reduce your weekly amount if you earn more than a certain threshold.

Oh right, I forgot about taxes. Can you have them withhold federal taxes from the payments?

Yes, you can elect to have 10% withheld for federal taxes when you file your weekly claims. It's optional but might save you from a big tax bill later.

Totally agree about the phone situation. I ended up finding out about this thing called Claimyr that basically gets you to the front of the line to talk to Washington ESD. Worked great when I needed to sort out a disqualification issue.

interesting, never heard of that but definitely could have used it last time

Yes, bonuses are included in your base year earnings as long as they were reported to Washington ESD by your employer. This could definitely increase your weekly benefit amount.

Awesome, that should help my calculation then. Thanks!

Good to know! I'll definitely try that calculator before filing to get a better idea of what to expect.

I had trouble accessing that calculator during peak hours. The website gets overloaded pretty easily.

So even if I qualify for $600/week, I might not get the full 26 weeks?

You'd get 26 weeks as long as your base year earnings support it. The cap is usually around 30% of your total base year wages, which for most people allows the full 26 weeks.

Correct. Very few people hit the total benefit cap before reaching 26 weeks, so you'll likely get the full duration if you remain eligible.

Glad this thread was useful! Just remember to file your weekly claims on time and keep up with the job search requirements. Those are the main things that trip people up.

Will do. Thanks everyone for all the helpful information!