Washington ESD unemployment payment amounts - how much is the benefit?

That's helpful, thanks! I worked pretty consistently throughout the year so my quarters should be fairly even. Do you know if they look at gross or net earnings?

They use your gross earnings reported by your employer on your wage records. Make sure all your employers properly reported your wages to Washington ESD or it could affect your benefit calculation.

Three weeks in adjudication sounds awful! What caused the delay in your case?

they needed to verify my work separation reason with my employer. kept trying to call Washington ESD but could never get through

How much does that cost? Seems like we shouldn't have to pay extra just to talk to Washington ESD.

I felt the same way initially, but after spending days trying to get through on my own, it was worth it. The service focuses on getting you connected quickly rather than having you waste time on hold.

Might be worth looking into if I run into issues. Thanks for the tip!

Wait, what do you mean it's not the most recent quarters? I thought they just looked at the last year of work?

Washington ESD uses your base period which is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, they'd look at quarters from January 2024 through September 2024, not October-December 2024.

That's confusing as hell. Why wouldn't they use the most recent earnings?

I understand the frustration, but unemployment is designed to be temporary assistance, not full salary replacement. The $520 you're getting is actually pretty decent compared to other states.

" Temporary is easy to say when'you re not the one trying to survive on it. Some of us'don t have other options while jobsearching.

seems like most people have some kind of delay these days. mine got flagged because i had a brief period of part-time work before getting laid off

My claim went through without any issues in about 10 days. I think it depends on your work history and separation reason.

Hoping for the best then. My layoff was pretty straightforward - company downsizing due to budget cuts.

Good point! I've been job searching already but haven't been keeping a formal log. I should start documenting everything now.

The job search log is super important. I know someone who got disqualified for not having proper documentation even though they were actively looking for work.

Your base weekly benefit amount stays the same, but if you work part-time while collecting unemployment, your weekly payment will be reduced based on your earnings. Washington ESD has specific formulas for calculating partial benefits.

Got it, thanks. I might pick up some freelance work so wanted to understand how that would affect things.

When do you usually file your weekly claims? I want to make sure I don't mess up the timing.

I file mine every Sunday morning. Washington ESD opens the weekly claim filing on Sundays and you have until the following Saturday to submit it. I just made it part of my weekend routine.

Was the agent able to explain exactly how they calculated your benefit amount?

Yes, they walked me through which quarters they used and showed me exactly how they got to my weekly amount. Much clearer than trying to figure it out from the website alone.

How did you find out about the late reporting? Did Washington ESD tell you or did you have to investigate yourself?

I noticed my wage history on the Washington ESD website was missing earnings from one job. Had to contact both the employer and Washington ESD to get it corrected. Took about 2 weeks but my benefit amount increased by $80/week once fixed.

What kind of salary would you need to get the maximum benefit?

I think you'd need to be making well over $100k annually with consistent quarterly earnings. The formula is complex but basically you need really high wages in your highest quarter.

Six months seems like a long time. How many weeks of benefits do you get total?

Standard unemployment in Washington gives you up to 26 weeks of regular benefits. I'm getting close to the end of my claim period so really hoping to find something soon.

That's good advice. I was laid off 3 weeks ago but just started the application process. Hopefully that's not too late.

Three weeks should be fine. The important thing is getting your claim filed and starting the process. Washington ESD can backdate benefits to when you first became unemployed if eligible.

I'm always skeptical of third-party services but if it actually works it might be worth it given how impossible it is to reach Washington ESD directly.

I was skeptical too but after wasting entire days trying to call on my own, I figured it was worth trying. Definitely made the process less stressful.