Washington ESD unemployment how much will I get weekly - need to know benefit amount

Thanks! So if I was making around $720/week that would be like $400-500 maybe?

Yeah somewhere in that range, but Washington ESD uses a specific formula based on your base period wages. You won't know the exact amount until they process your claim.

It's not just half your paycheck though. They look at your earnings over 4 quarters and use the highest quarter to calculate it. Plus there's a minimum and maximum amount.

oh ok that makes sense why mine was so low then

I had the same problem trying to call Washington ESD! Spent hours on hold just to get disconnected. Actually found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to them faster. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ

Interesting, never heard of that. Did it actually work for you?

Yeah it did! Got connected to an actual person within like 20 minutes instead of calling for days. Worth it when you need answers about your claim.

Adjudication can take forever unfortunately. If you're in adjudication it means they're reviewing something about your claim before they can determine your benefit amount.

Do you know what they're usually reviewing? I reported everything correctly when I filed.

Could be anything - verifying your employment, checking if you quit vs got laid off, making sure you meet the work requirements. They have to verify all the details before approving benefits.

This is really helpful! So if my highest quarter was like $9,400 that would be around $376 plus $15 = $391/week?

That sounds about right based on the formula. Remember you'll also need to do your weekly claims and job search requirements to keep getting benefits.

No it's based on what you earned at your job. Someone who made $15/hour gets less than someone who made $25/hour. That's why they ask for all your wage info when you apply.

Yeah the replacement rate isn't great but it's better than nothing. Are you doing the job search requirements? That's the part that really gets me - having to apply to jobs just to keep getting benefits.

Yeah I'm doing the 3 job contacts per week thing. It's annoying but I need the money so whatever.

Good to know! I might try to pick up some gig work while I'm looking for full-time jobs.

Just make sure you report all earnings honestly. Washington ESD will find out anyway and you don't want to deal with an overpayment situation.

3 weeks isn't that unusual unfortunately. But if you're worried about the status, that's exactly when I used Claimyr to get through to someone at Washington ESD. They explained what was happening with my claim and gave me a timeline.

Maybe I should try that. I'm just worried something went wrong with my application.

That's a good point. The base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. So recent job changes can definitely affect your benefit amount.

Exactly. I wish I had understood that better when I filed. Would have saved me a lot of confusion.

It's not based on your yearly total, it's based on your highest quarter. So if you made $30k evenly across the year, your highest quarter would be around $7,500, which would be roughly $288 + $15 = $303/week.

oh ok that actually sounds about right for what i got

Their website has been having issues lately. Sometimes it works better if you try it during off-peak hours like early morning or late evening.

I'll try that, thanks. Just want to get a rough idea before my claim gets processed.

Oh wow I didn't think about that. How much do they withhold if you choose that option?

I think it's 10% federal withholding. You can change it in your online account or when you file your weekly claims.

I feel the same way! It's so stressful when you're already worried about money.

That's exactly why I started using Claimyr when I need to talk to someone. Takes the stress out of trying to get through their phone lines.

That's encouraging! What was your experience like with the weekly claims?

Pretty straightforward once you get used to it. Just answer the questions honestly and report any work or earnings. The job search log is kind of a pain but not too bad.

So if my weekly amount is $400, my maximum would be $400 x 26 = $10,400 total?

Exactly. And if you find work before using up all 26 weeks, you don't lose the remaining balance - you just stop filing claims.

Government websites are notoriously confusing. That's why forums like this are so helpful for getting real answers from people who've been through it.

Good luck with your claim! Hope it goes smoothly for you.

Feel free to come back if you have more questions once your claim gets processed. We're all here to help each other navigate this system.