Washington ESD unemployment benefits - are we getting the highest amounts available?

Thanks for clarifying! I guess I need to look at my wage history more carefully to understand the calculation.

Wait how do you find out what the maximum is? I've been getting $567 and wondering if that's right for my income level

Ugh yes the phone situation is horrible! I've been trying to call for weeks about a potential issue with my claim.

Have you tried using Claimyr? I found it at claimyr.com and it actually got me through to a Washington ESD agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

Never heard of it but I'm desperate at this point. Does it actually work for Washington ESD specifically?

Close but not quite right. It's actually based on your highest quarter in the base period, then they calculate using specific formulas. The 3.85% you're thinking of might be from a different calculation.

see this is why i can never figure this stuff out lol. too many formulas

That's awesome you're getting the max! Do you remember what your quarterly wages were to hit that level?

I think my highest quarter was around $26k but don't quote me on that. You can check your wage history in your Washington ESD account to see your base period earnings.

27k in a quarter?? that's like 108k a year, no wonder you get max benefits while people making 40k get scraps

Wow I had no idea other states were that low! Makes me feel better about what I'm getting.

Florida at $275 max?? How does anyone survive on that? That's criminal honestly.

Right? And some southern states are even worse. We complain about Washington ESD but at least the benefit amounts are reasonable.

You can request a wage protest if you think wages are missing. You'll need to provide documentation like pay stubs or tax forms. But good luck getting through to file it - the phone system is a nightmare.

This is exactly why I started using Claimyr for Washington ESD calls. Instead of spending all day redialing, it handles the calling process and connects you when an agent is available. Made dealing with my wage issue so much easier.

How much does something like that cost though? I'm already tight on money with reduced benefits.

This! I've been in adjudication for 6 weeks over something stupid and haven't seen a penny yet. High benefit amounts don't matter if you can't access them.

6 weeks in adjudication is brutal. Have you been able to reach anyone at Washington ESD to check on the status?

Nope, can't get through on the phone and the online system just says 'in progress' with no details.

Good point about cost of living. $844/week sounds decent until you factor in Seattle rent prices.

Exactly! My $750/week barely covers my mortgage payment, let alone everything else.

Because having high benefit amounts doesn't mean much if the system is impossible to navigate and takes months to get approved! It's the process that's the problem, not the payment amounts.

oh that makes sense. i haven't had to deal with them yet so i didn't realize how bad the system was

Consider yourself lucky! Once you have to call Washington ESD about anything, you'll understand why everyone complains.

This is really helpful context. I guess I should stop complaining about my $844 and focus on getting my claim issues resolved instead.

Arizona at $320 max is absolutely insane. How is that even legal when rent everywhere is so high now?

That's really interesting research! Do you know if there are any states considering raising their maximums to match Washington's level?

Several states have proposed increases but it's slow going. Political resistance to raising unemployment benefits is pretty strong in most places.

Meanwhile cost of living keeps going up but benefit amounts in most states stay the same for years. At least Washington adjusts theirs periodically.

How does that work exactly? I keep hearing about it but not sure if it's legit.

It's basically a callback service that handles the waiting and calling for you. Way better than sitting on hold for hours. Check out their demo video if you want to see how it works.

I'm definitely going to look into this. The phone situation with Washington ESD has been my biggest frustration.