Washington ESD unemployment how much will i get - benefit calculation help needed
Just filed my unemployment claim with Washington ESD last week and I'm trying to figure out how much I'll actually receive. I worked at a retail store for about 18 months making $16.50/hour, usually around 35-38 hours per week. My manager said something about it being based on your highest earning quarter but I have no idea what that means. Does anyone know how Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount? I need to budget for rent and bills while I'm job searching.
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Diego Ramirez
Washington ESD uses your base period earnings to calculate benefits. They look at the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. Your weekly benefit amount (WBA) is roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings, but there's a minimum and maximum. For 2025, the max is $999/week and minimum is $295/week.
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ShadowHunter
•Thanks! So if I made around $8,500 in my best quarter that would be about $327/week? That seems reasonable but still tight.
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Diego Ramirez
•Yeah that sounds about right. Keep in mind you'll also need to meet the job search requirements - 3 applications per week minimum.
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Anastasia Sokolov
the formula is confusing but basically take your two highest quarters, add them together, divide by 2, then multiply by 0.0385. thats your weekly amount before taxes
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ShadowHunter
•Wait I thought it was just the highest quarter? Now I'm confused about which calculation is right.
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Sean O'Connor
•It's actually the average of your two highest quarters in the base period. The previous commenter had the right formula.
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Zara Ahmed
You can check your benefit estimate on the Washington ESD website once your monetary determination is processed. But honestly, trying to get through to them on the phone to ask questions is nearly impossible. I've been trying for days just to verify my claim status.
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Luca Conti
•Have you tried using Claimyr? I found out about it from another forum and it actually got me through to a Washington ESD agent in like 20 minutes instead of calling for hours. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Zara Ahmed
•Never heard of that before. Is it legit? I'm so desperate to talk to someone at this point.
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Luca Conti
•Yeah it's real, you can check it out at claimyr.com. They basically handle the calling and waiting for you so you don't have to sit on hold forever.
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Nia Johnson
DON'T COUNT ON GETTING THE FULL AMOUNT! Washington ESD always finds ways to reduce your benefits or delay payments. I've been waiting 3 weeks for my adjudication to clear and still haven't seen a dime.
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ShadowHunter
•Oh no, what's adjudication? Should I be worried about that happening to me too?
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Sean O'Connor
•Adjudication happens when Washington ESD needs to verify information on your claim. Common reasons include job separation issues, availability questions, or wage discrepancies. Most resolve within 2-4 weeks.
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Nia Johnson
•2-4 weeks is optimistic. Mine's been stuck for 3 weeks already and no one can tell me why.
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CyberNinja
i think retail workers usually qualify for benefits pretty easily since its rarely your fault when you get laid off or hours get cut. just make sure you report any part time work accurately on your weekly claims
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ShadowHunter
•Good point about reporting work. I might pick up some gig work while looking for a full time job.
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Diego Ramirez
•Just remember you can earn up to your weekly benefit amount minus $5 before they start reducing your UI payment. So if you get $327/week, you can earn up to $322 without any reduction.
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Mateo Lopez
The waiting is the worst part honestly. Even after you get approved it takes a few days for the money to show up in your account. Make sure you have direct deposit set up in your account.
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ShadowHunter
•How do I set up direct deposit? Is that through the SAW website?
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Mateo Lopez
•Yeah, log into your SecureAccess Washington account and look for payment options. Much faster than waiting for a debit card to arrive.
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Sean O'Connor
One thing to keep in mind is that unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have 10% withheld for federal taxes or pay quarterly/yearly. Also, your total benefit duration is typically 26 weeks unless there are extended benefits available.
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ShadowHunter
•I hadn't thought about taxes. Is it better to have them withheld or pay later?
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Sean O'Connor
•Depends on your situation, but having taxes withheld prevents a big bill at tax time. You can change this setting anytime in your online account.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•definitely withhold taxes trust me on this one. learned that lesson the hard way
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Aisha Abdullah
Your benefit amount also depends on having enough wages in your base period. You need at least $3,400 in wages during the entire base period to qualify, plus wages in at least two quarters.
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ShadowHunter
•With 18 months of work I should definitely meet that requirement. Thanks for mentioning it though!
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Ethan Davis
Just remember you have to be actively looking for work and able/available to work. The job search requirement is no joke - they can disqualify you if you don't meet it.
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ShadowHunter
•What exactly counts as a job search activity? Just applying for jobs or other things too?
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Ethan Davis
•Job applications are the main thing, but you can also count things like attending job fairs, networking events, or WorkSource workshops. Keep detailed records of everything.
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Yuki Tanaka
My sister got her first payment about 10 days after filing, but that was before the holidays. Might take longer now with all the people filing after New Year layoffs.
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ShadowHunter
•Good to know there might be delays. I'll try to be patient with the process.
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Carmen Ortiz
The monetary determination letter will show exactly how much you'll get per week and for how many weeks. That's the official document that matters, not just estimates.
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ShadowHunter
•When should I expect to receive that letter?
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Carmen Ortiz
•Usually within 7-10 business days after filing your initial claim. It'll either come by mail or be available in your online account.
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Luca Conti
If you need to talk to Washington ESD about your benefit calculation or have questions about your monetary determination, I'd seriously recommend checking out Claimyr again. Saved me hours of frustration trying to get through on the phone.
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MidnightRider
•How much does that service cost though? If I'm unemployed I need to watch every dollar.
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Luca Conti
•I get that concern but honestly the time saved was worth it for me. You can check their site at claimyr.com for details. Sometimes getting answers quickly is more valuable than saving a few bucks.
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Andre Laurent
retail workers usually have pretty straightforward claims unless there were disciplinary issues or you quit without good cause. sounds like you should be fine
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ShadowHunter
•I was laid off because they cut staff after the holidays, so hopefully that's straightforward enough.
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Zoe Papadopoulos
Don't forget to file your weekly claims every week even if you haven't been paid yet. Miss a week and you lose that week's benefits permanently.
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ShadowHunter
•When do I start filing weekly claims? Right away or after I get approved?
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Zoe Papadopoulos
•You can start filing weekly claims the Sunday after you submit your initial application. Don't wait for approval.
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Jamal Washington
The whole system is so complicated. I wish they just made it simple - you work, you pay into it, you should get benefits when you need them without jumping through hoops.
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Mei Wong
•Agreed! The bureaucracy makes an already stressful situation even worse.
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ShadowHunter
•At least there are people on here willing to help explain things. This forum has been really helpful.
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Liam Fitzgerald
Keep in mind your benefit year starts the week you file your claim, not when you actually lost your job. So if there was a delay in filing, you might lose some potential weeks of benefits.
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ShadowHunter
•I filed pretty quickly after getting laid off, so I think I'm okay on that front.
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PixelWarrior
Washington state has some of the better unemployment benefits compared to other states. The maximum weekly amount is pretty decent and they've improved the online system a lot over the past few years.
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ShadowHunter
•That's reassuring to hear. Hopefully the process goes smoothly and I can focus on finding a new job.
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Amara Adebayo
•The online system is definitely better than it used to be, but calling them is still a nightmare if you need help.
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Giovanni Rossi
Good luck with everything! The waiting and uncertainty is really hard but once you get your first payment it's a huge relief.
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ShadowHunter
•Thank you! This thread has been super helpful. I feel like I have a much better understanding of what to expect now.
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