Washington ESD unemployment weekly benefit amount - how much does unemployment pay?

Thanks! So if I made $13,000 in my highest quarter, that would be $500 weekly, and I'd get around $200-250 per week?

Exactly right! And you can file up to 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits in Washington.

How long did it take to get your determination? I'm on day 5 and getting anxious about the wait.

still waiting actually, going on 8 days now. thinking about trying to call them but heard the wait times are brutal

Never heard of that service - is it legit? Washington ESD phone system is definitely a nightmare to navigate.

Yeah it's legitimate, just connects you with an actual agent faster than trying to call yourself. Saved me hours of redialing.

Interesting, might give that a try if my determination doesn't come through soon. Thanks for sharing!

Good to know the calculator is reliable! I'll check that out before filing my claim.

where do you find the calculator? cant seem to locate it on their website

It's under the 'Before You Apply' section on the Washington ESD homepage. Look for 'Estimate Your Benefits' link.

That's helpful to know about the timing! Do you have to do anything special for the weekly claims?

Nope, just log into your Washington ESD account and answer the questions about job search activities and any work you did that week. Takes maybe 5 minutes.

same boat here, the waiting is killing me. rent is due in a week and i have no idea when my first payment will come

Have you tried calling them? I know it's hard to get through but sometimes they can explain what's holding up your claim.

Tried calling like 50 times, either busy signal or they hang up after 45 minutes on hold. It's infuriating.

Really? How much does something like that cost? At this point I'm desperate enough to try anything.

I think it's pretty reasonable considering the time it saves. Way better than spending entire days redialing Washington ESD.

So if I made $13,000 in my highest quarter that would be around $500 a week? That seems pretty good actually.

Yeah that sounds about right, though you also have to meet the minimum earnings requirement across all quarters in your base period.

That's the gross amount before taxes. You can choose to have federal taxes withheld (10%) or pay them later when you file your tax return.

Got it, thanks! Probably better to have them withheld upfront to avoid a big tax bill later.

This is getting complicated... is there a calculator somewhere that just tells you the amount?

Washington ESD has a benefit calculator on their website but honestly it's not very user friendly. Most people just wait to see what they get approved for.

I had the same problem until someone told me about Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Interesting, I'll check that out. I'm getting desperate at this point, been calling for 3 weeks straight.

Agreed 100%. The bureaucracy is intentionally frustrating. But hang in there - once you get through the initial setup it gets easier.

yeah hoping so. just seems like they could make this whole process much simpler and faster

That's good to know! So I could work part-time and still get some unemployment benefits?

Yes! As long as you earn less than 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount, you'll still get partial unemployment. Washington ESD has a partial benefits calculator on their site.

Yeah I looked it up and some states max out at like $400-500 per week. Washington ESD is definitely more generous.

Exactly. Plus Washington doesn't tax unemployment benefits at the state level, which helps.

Congrats on getting through the process! That's a good weekly amount. Any tips for someone about to file?

Make sure you have all your employment history ready - exact dates, employer addresses, reason for separation. Speeds up the process a lot.

Also keep track of your job search activities from day one. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week.

That's the maximum if you were earning a very high salary. Most people get much less than that. The average is probably around $400-500 per week.

Yeah I was making good money and only got $650 a week. You have to be earning serious cash to hit that maximum.

Completely agree. Other states seem to process claims much faster. Washington ESD needs to improve their systems.

Heard they're understaffed too which doesn't help. Hopefully they hire more people soon.

Good to know! Is the appeal process complicated?

Not too bad, just have to submit documentation showing your correct earnings. Takes a few more weeks but worth it if the amount is significantly wrong.

Ugh I didn't think about taxes. So it's not really the full amount you get to keep.

You can have them withhold 10% for federal taxes when you certify each week, or just pay estimated taxes quarterly.

Thanks for the summary! That gives me a good idea of what to expect when I file.

Yep, and remember you can always use the benefit calculator on their website to get a rough estimate before filing your claim.

You should be able to see the calculation breakdown in your Washington ESD account under benefit year information. It shows your base period wages and how they calculated it.

I looked but it's just a bunch of numbers that don't make sense to me. Wish they would just explain it in plain English.

I've tried that but even at 8 AM I get the busy signal or it hangs up on me after being on hold forever.

Same here, I think their phone system is just overwhelmed. That's why services like Claimyr exist - they handle the calling frustration for you.

Wait, so if I get approved for a lower amount I might not get the full 26 weeks?

No, the duration is separate from the weekly amount. As long as you qualify, you get up to 26 weeks regardless of your weekly benefit amount.

Agreed! Other states have much better calculators. Washington's website feels like it was designed to discourage people from applying.

The reason it's complicated is because unemployment isn't based on your salary, it's based on your actual reported wages during specific quarters. Someone making $50k but only working part of the year would get different benefits than someone making $50k all year.

How do you check if your wages were reported correctly?

You can request a wage and benefit statement from Washington ESD, or check your Social Security statement online. If there's a discrepancy you can file a wage protest.

This happened to me! I rounded some numbers and it triggered an adjudication that took 6 weeks to resolve.

Six weeks?! That's terrible. Did you ever get through to ask about the status during that time?

Eventually I used Claimyr to get through to someone who explained what was happening. Worth every penny to finally talk to an actual person at Washington ESD.

The job search requirements are the same for everyone - 3 job contacts per week. The benefit amount doesn't change that requirement.

Actually I think it depends on your profession and benefit amount. Some people have to do 5 contacts per week if they're in certain fields or getting higher benefits.

You're right, I'm overthinking this. I'll just file this week and see what they approve me for.

Good call. And if you have questions after you file, services like Claimyr can help you get through to Washington ESD to get real answers instead of guessing.