Washington ESD unemployment max benefit amount - what is the maximum weekly payment?

The maximum weekly benefit amount in Washington for 2025 is $999 per week. This is based on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period. To get the max, you'd need to have earned at least $74,925 in your highest earning quarter.

Thanks! That's higher than I expected. Do you know if that includes the additional $25 per week for dependents?

No, the dependent allowance is separate. You can get up to $25 extra per week if you have qualifying dependents, so technically the absolute max would be $1,024 per week.

wait thats way more than what im getting. i thought the max was like $800 something? my claim says im getting $743 a week and i made good money at my last job

The maximum changes every year based on the state's average weekly wage. It went up significantly for 2025. Your benefit amount depends on your earnings in your base period, not just your last job.

oh that makes sense. my base period might not include my highest paying months then

I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about my benefit calculation but can never get anyone on the phone. The online chat is always unavailable too. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there?

I had the same problem until I found claimyr.com - it's a service that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to get through myself.

Interesting, never heard of that before. Does it actually work or is it one of those scam things?

It's legit - they don't ask for any personal info about your claim, they just handle the calling part and connect you when an agent picks up. Way better than hitting redial for hours.

The whole system is rigged anyway. They say $999 max but most people never see close to that amount. I've been fighting with Washington ESD for months over my benefit calculation.

The calculation is actually pretty straightforward - it's based on your earnings in the highest quarter of your base period. If you think there's an error, you can request a redetermination.

Yeah right, 'straightforward' - took me 6 weeks just to get someone to look at my wage records

So if the max is $999, that means you'd need to earn almost $75k in one quarter? That seems like a really high threshold.

Remember that's quarterly earnings, not annual. So if you made $300k per year evenly distributed, you'd earn $75k per quarter and qualify for the maximum benefit.

most ppl dont make 300k a year lol. the average benefit is probably way lower than the max

You're absolutely right - the average weekly benefit in Washington is around $550-600. The maximum is there for high earners but most people get much less.

I'm confused about the base period thing. Is that the last four quarters before I filed my claim? Because I had a really good job that ended in December but only worked there for 3 months.

The base period is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed. So if you filed in January 2025, your base period would be January-December 2024. Your December job might not count toward your base period.

That's frustrating - so my highest paying job doesn't even count? This system makes no sense.

You might be able to use the alternate base period if the standard one doesn't give you enough credits. It uses the four most recent completed quarters instead.

Does anyone know if the maximum benefit amount is the same for all types of unemployment? Like regular UI vs standby vs whatever other programs there are?

The $999 maximum applies to regular unemployment insurance. Standby benefits follow the same calculation method, so the max would be the same. Other programs might have different maximums.

Good to know, thanks! I'm on standby status right now so wanted to make sure.

I remember when the max was only like $600 something a few years ago. Crazy how much it's gone up. Inflation I guess?

The maximum is tied to the state's average weekly wage, which gets recalculated annually. As wages across the state increase, so does the maximum benefit amount.

wish my actual wages went up as fast as the unemployment max lol

Quick question - if I'm getting the maximum benefit amount, does that mean I'll get benefits for the full 26 weeks? Or is there some other limit?

The duration of benefits isn't connected to the weekly amount. You can get up to 26 weeks of benefits regardless of whether you're getting $200/week or $999/week, as long as you have sufficient earnings in your base period.

That makes sense. Just wanted to make sure there wasn't some weird rule about high earners getting fewer weeks or something.

Been trying to call Washington ESD about my benefit calculation for days but keep getting hung up on after waiting for hours. Anyone else having this problem?

Same here! I finally gave up and used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier in this thread. Actually got through to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of wasting my whole day calling.

Really? I'm getting desperate enough to try anything at this point. Did they charge you a lot?

They focus on getting you connected rather than the cost. Check out claimyr.com - way less frustrating than the regular phone number.

For anyone wondering, you can see your benefit calculation breakdown in your SecureAccess Washington account under the monetary determination section. Shows exactly how they calculated your weekly benefit amount.

Thanks for the tip! I'll check that out. Hopefully it explains why my amount is what it is.

assuming you can actually log into SAW without it crashing or saying your account is locked for no reason

This is probably a dumb question but if the max is $999, why do I keep seeing people online talking about getting more than that? Are they including other benefits or something?

They might be including the dependent allowance ($25/week) or talking about benefits from other states that have higher maximums. Some people also confuse monthly amounts with weekly amounts.

Ah that makes sense. I was worried I was missing out on some extra benefit I didn't know about.

Just to clarify for everyone - the $999 maximum is BEFORE taxes, right? They still take out federal and state taxes from unemployment benefits.

Correct - $999 is the gross amount. You can choose to have taxes withheld (10% federal, varies for state) or pay them when you file your tax return.

learned that the hard way last year when i owed a bunch in taxes because i didnt have anything withheld

Does the maximum benefit amount ever get adjusted during the year or is it set once annually?

It's typically set once per year and remains the same for the entire calendar year. The 2025 maximum of $999 should be in effect through December 31, 2025.

Good to know, thanks. At least there's some predictability to it.

I'm still confused about the base period calculation. If I worked multiple jobs during that time, do they add up all the wages or just use the highest single employer?

They add up ALL wages from ALL employers during your base period. Then they look at your highest earning quarter from that total to determine your weekly benefit amount.

That's actually better than I thought. I had three part-time jobs last year so hopefully that adds up to a decent amount.