Washington ESD weekly benefit amount with $600 weekly wages - how much unemployment will I get?
I'm trying to figure out what my Washington ESD unemployment benefits would be if I lose my job. I currently make $600 per week gross at my retail job, been there for about 8 months. Does anyone know how Washington ESD calculates the weekly benefit amount? I've heard it's based on your highest quarter but I'm not sure how that works with the $600 weekly income I have now.
64 comments
Join the conversation
Oliver Wagner
Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate benefits. With $600/week that's about $31,200 annually. Your weekly benefit amount would likely be around $310-320 per week, but it depends on exactly how your earnings were distributed across quarters.
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•That's higher than I expected! So it's really based on quarters not just my current weekly pay?
0 coins
Oliver Wagner
•Exactly. They look at your base period which is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. If you've only been at this job 8 months you might have lower earnings in earlier quarters.
0 coins
Natasha Kuznetsova
be careful because if you haven't worked long enough you might not qualify at all. washington esd requires earnings in at least 2 quarters of your base period
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•I worked part time at another place before this job so I should have earnings in multiple quarters
0 coins
Javier Mendoza
•You can check your wage history on the Washington ESD website to see exactly what quarters you have earnings in
0 coins
Emma Thompson
I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I needed to verify my benefit calculation last year. Spent hours on hold. Recently discovered Claimyr.com which actually got me connected to an agent in under 10 minutes. They have a demo video too: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Really helped when I needed clarification on my weekly benefit amount.
0 coins
Malik Davis
•How much does that service cost? I'm already worried about money if I lose my job
0 coins
Emma Thompson
•It's worth it when you consider how much time you'd otherwise spend trying to get through. Plus they guarantee you'll reach an agent.
0 coins
Isabella Santos
•Seems sketchy to me, why would you pay extra to call a government office?
0 coins
StarStrider
The maximum weekly benefit in Washington is currently $999 but most people don't get that much. With your income level you're probably looking at somewhere between $280-350 per week depending on your work history.
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•That would definitely help with my rent and bills while job searching
0 coins
Ravi Gupta
•Just remember you have to actively look for work and report it on your weekly claims or they'll stop your benefits
0 coins
Malik Davis
I make almost exactly the same amount and when I filed last year I got $312 per week. But I had been working steady for over 2 years so all my quarters were good.
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•That's really helpful to know! How long did it take for your claim to get approved?
0 coins
Malik Davis
•About 3 weeks but that was because they had to do some verification of my employment. Most claims go faster if everything is straightforward.
0 coins
Javier Mendoza
washington esd has a benefit calculator on their website but its not very accurate in my experience. better to just apply and see what they give you
0 coins
Oliver Wagner
•The calculator is just an estimate. Your actual benefit depends on the specific wage information in their system.
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•I'll try the calculator just to get a rough idea but good to know it might not be exact
0 coins
Ravi Gupta
Don't forget you can only collect for 26 weeks maximum in Washington unless there are extended benefits available. And you have to wait one week before you can start collecting.
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•Wait, so there's a week with no payment even if I qualify?
0 coins
Ravi Gupta
•Yeah it's called a waiting week. You file for it but don't get paid for that first week.
0 coins
StarStrider
•The waiting week got eliminated during COVID but I think it's back now
0 coins
Isabella Santos
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A MESS! I applied 6 weeks ago and still haven't gotten a penny because they keep asking for more documentation. Meanwhile my bills keep coming!
0 coins
Emma Thompson
•This is exactly why I ended up using Claimyr. When my claim got stuck I needed to talk to someone who could actually help resolve the issue instead of just waiting forever.
0 coins
Isabella Santos
•Maybe I should try that. I'm getting desperate here.
0 coins
Oliver Wagner
•Have you tried calling first thing in the morning? Sometimes you can get through around 8 AM when they open.
0 coins
Natasha Kuznetsova
if you quit your job you probably won't qualify. has to be a layoff or termination through no fault of your own
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•I'm not planning to quit, just worried about potential layoffs in my industry
0 coins
Natasha Kuznetsova
•ok good because they're really strict about that. even if you get fired for attendance or performance issues you might get denied
0 coins
Freya Pedersen
I think you're overthinking this. Just apply when you need to and deal with whatever amount they give you. The process is pretty straightforward.
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•I guess I just want to know what to expect for budgeting purposes
0 coins
Freya Pedersen
•fair enough, planning ahead is smart
0 coins
Omar Hassan
Keep in mind unemployment is taxable income. You can have taxes withheld or pay quarterly but don't forget about it come tax time.
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•Oh I didn't think about taxes! So the $300ish would be before taxes?
0 coins
Omar Hassan
•Exactly. You can choose to have 10% withheld for federal taxes when you set up your claim.
0 coins
StarStrider
•Washington doesn't have state income tax so at least you don't have to worry about that part
0 coins
Chloe Anderson
My sister went through this last year and the job search requirements are no joke. You have to apply to at least 3 jobs per week and keep detailed records.
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•3 jobs per week sounds doable. Do they actually check up on that?
0 coins
Chloe Anderson
•They can audit your job search activities so keep good records of where you applied and when
0 coins
Diego Vargas
whatever you do don't work while collecting without reporting it properly. they will find out and make you pay everything back plus penalties
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•Good to know. What if I pick up just a few hours here and there?
0 coins
Diego Vargas
•you have to report ANY work and earnings on your weekly claim. they'll reduce your benefits but you won't get in trouble if you're honest about it
0 coins
CosmicCruiser
I used Claimyr when my claim went into adjudication and I couldn't figure out why. Turned out there was an issue with my employer response that needed to be clarified. The agent I reached through their service was super helpful.
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•How long did adjudication take once you got it sorted out?
0 coins
CosmicCruiser
•About 2 weeks after I talked to the agent. Much faster than if I had just waited without calling.
0 coins
Anastasia Fedorov
The benefit amount also depends on whether you're married and have dependents. You might be eligible for additional dependency allowances.
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•I'm single with no kids so I guess that doesn't apply to me
0 coins
Anastasia Fedorov
•Then your calculation should be pretty straightforward based on your wage history
0 coins
Sean Doyle
been collecting UI for 3 months now and the weekly claims are easy once you get the hang of it. just answer the questions honestly and file every week even if you worked some hours
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•Do you file on the same day each week or does it matter?
0 coins
Sean Doyle
•you get assigned a filing day based on your SSN. mine is sunday but some people file on different days
0 coins
Zara Rashid
One thing to consider is that if you have any gaps in employment or worked for employers who didn't report wages correctly, it could affect your benefit calculation.
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•How would I know if wages weren't reported correctly?
0 coins
Zara Rashid
•You can request a wage and benefit history report from Washington ESD to verify what's in their system
0 coins
Luca Romano
honestly the hardest part isn't figuring out your benefit amount, its dealing with the washington esd phone system when you have questions. absolute nightmare to get through to anyone
0 coins
Emma Thompson
•This is why services like Claimyr are worth it. They cut through all that phone maze and get you to someone who can actually help.
0 coins
Luca Romano
•might have to try that if I run into issues with my next claim
0 coins
Nia Jackson
If you do end up filing, make sure you have all your employment information ready including exact dates and employer contact info. Speeds up the process.
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•Thanks for the tip! I'll start gathering that information just in case
0 coins
Nia Jackson
•Also keep your pay stubs if you still have them. Sometimes they ask for additional verification
0 coins
NebulaNova
Bottom line with $600/week you should qualify for a decent benefit amount assuming you have sufficient work history. The exact amount will depend on your specific wage pattern over the base period quarters.
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•This thread has been really helpful. At least now I know roughly what to expect if I need to file.
0 coins
NebulaNova
•Good luck! Hopefully you won't need to use the information but it's smart to be prepared.
0 coins