Washington ESD unemployment how much will i get - weekly benefit calculation help needed

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount using your highest earning quarter from your base period. They take that quarter's wages, divide by 26, then you get about 2.9% of that amount. So if your highest quarter was $13,000, you'd get around $500 per week before taxes.

I was in the same boat last month trying to figure out my benefit amount. The Washington ESD monetary determination letter takes forever to arrive and calling them is impossible - I tried for weeks and never got through.

The benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website is pretty accurate once you know your base period wages. Your base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed your claim.

I HATE how complicated they make this whole process!! Why can't they just tell you upfront what you'll get instead of making you wait weeks for some determination letter?? The whole system is designed to frustrate people into giving up.

For what it's worth, I used Claimyr.com to get through to Washington ESD when I had questions about my benefit calculation. The agent was able to tell me exactly what my weekly amount would be based on my wage history. Saved me weeks of waiting for the determination letter.

just wanted to say i got $425 a week when i made about 48k last year so sounds like youll probably get around 500 or so

One thing to keep in mind is that your weekly benefit amount also depends on whether you have any disqualifying issues. If everything is straightforward with your layoff, you should get the full calculated amount. But if there are any red flags they might reduce it or delay payment.

Update: I tried that Claimyr thing someone mentioned and actually got through to Washington ESD today! The agent confirmed my weekly benefit amount and said my first payment should process next week. Way better than the 2+ weeks I spent trying to call on my own.

Just remember that whatever your weekly benefit amount is, they'll take out federal taxes unless you opt out. So if you qualify for $500, you'll actually receive less than that. You can change your tax withholding settings in your online account.

The whole base period thing screwed me over because I started my job in the middle of a quarter. Even though I was making good money when I got laid off, my benefit amount was way lower because my base period wages were from when I was making less at my previous job.

i think the max weekly benefit in washington is like 999 now but most people dont get close to that unless they were making really good money

The waiting is the worst part. I filed 3 weeks ago and still haven't gotten my monetary determination. At least the weekly claims are easy to file online once you get set up.

For retail managers making around 50k, you're probably looking at somewhere between $450-550 per week depending on how your wages were distributed across quarters. That's just a rough estimate though.

does anyone know if they count overtime wages differently? i worked a lot of OT last year and wondering if that affects the calculation

The hardest part is budgeting when you don't know exactly what you'll get. I ended up having to borrow money from family while waiting for my determination letter. Really wish Washington ESD was more transparent about the timeline.

I got my determination letter last week and my benefit amount was exactly what the online calculator predicted. So that tool is pretty accurate if you can figure out your base period wages correctly.

Still think the whole system is designed to be confusing on purpose. Why make people wait weeks just to find out their benefit amount? Other states tell you right away when you apply.

Just wanted to share my experience - I made about $48k last year and my weekly benefit amount ended up being $432 after taxes. Took about 2.5 weeks to get my determination letter. Hope that helps with your planning!

Final update - got my first unemployment payment today! Ended up being $478 per week after taxes, which is pretty close to what people estimated based on my salary. Thanks everyone for the help and advice.

The benefit calculator is at secure.esd.wa.gov if anyone needs the direct link. You just need your quarterly wage info to use it effectively.