What are the guidelines for unemployment benefits in Washington state?

That's really helpful! Do you know how they calculate what my weekly benefit amount would be?

It's based on your wages from the last 18 months. Washington ESD looks at your highest earning quarter and divides by 26, but there's a minimum and maximum. You can use their calculator on the website to get an estimate.

Wait, I thought it was 2 job searches per week? Did they change it recently?

It's been 3 per week for a while now. Some people get confused because it used to be different during the pandemic, but it's back to the standard 3 job search activities.

Good to know! And I assume these have to be for jobs I'm actually qualified for, not just random applications?

This is so important! I made this mistake early on and had to pay back like $800. Always report your earnings, even if you think it might reduce your benefits.

Thanks for the warning. So I report the gross amount before taxes, right?

Yes, report the gross earnings for the week you actually worked, not when you got paid.

Oh interesting, I didn't know services like that existed. Have you used it yourself?

Yeah, I used it when my claim was stuck in adjudication. Instead of calling 50 times a day, they handled it and got me through to someone who could actually help.

That sounds too good to be true honestly. How much does something like that cost?

What's WorkSourceWA? Is that different from just applying for jobs on my own?

WorkSourceWA is the state's job search website. You're required to create a profile there and keep it updated. Some of your job search activities can come from there.

I hate that WorkSourceWA site, it's so clunky and half the job postings are outdated. But yeah, you have to use it.

So even if I file right away, I won't get paid for the first week? That seems harsh.

Exactly. It's been that way forever in Washington. Plan accordingly because your first payment will be for week 2.

You report earnings for the week you actually worked, not when you got the paycheck. So if you worked Sunday through Thursday, those earnings get reported for that week.

Thanks, that makes sense. The weekly claim form asks about work performed during the week, not pay received.

Good point. I keep putting it off thinking I need to understand everything first, but maybe I should just file and figure it out as I go.

Exactly! The worst they can say is no, but if you wait and you did qualify, you might lose out on weeks of benefits.

Adjudication can happen for lots of reasons - previous employer disputes, questions about your availability, issues with your work history. The key is to respond quickly to any requests for information.

This is exactly when Claimyr was helpful for me. When my claim went into adjudication, I couldn't get through to anyone to find out what was happening. They got me connected to an agent who explained what documents I needed to submit.

I might have to look into that service. This waiting is killing me financially.

How does the appeal process work? Do you need a lawyer?

You don't need a lawyer but you can have one. It's basically a hearing where you present your side and your employer presents theirs. I represented myself and won.

In my case, my employer just cut everyone's hours due to slow business. That should count as a layoff situation, right?

Yes, hour reduction due to lack of work is typically treated the same as a layoff for unemployment purposes. You should be fine.

When do weekly claims need to be filed? Is there a deadline?

You can file your weekly claim starting Sunday morning for the previous week. The deadline is the following Saturday at midnight, but I recommend filing early in the week to avoid any technical issues.

Should I keep physical copies or are digital records okay?

Digital is fine, just make sure you back them up. I keep everything in a Google Drive folder organized by week.

Okay I'm actually curious about this Claimyr thing now. Multiple people have mentioned it. Is it legit?

Yeah it's legitimate. They don't ask for your personal info or anything sketchy. They just handle the calling part and conference you in when they get an agent.

It's not really an income limit, it's more about the calculation. If your weekly earnings exceed your weekly benefit amount plus $5, then you won't get any benefits that week. But you'd still have an open claim.

So it's week by week? If I have a good week and make too much, I just don't get benefits that week but can still claim the next week?

Exactly! It's calculated fresh each week based on what you actually earned.

Glad it helped someone else too! I feel much more confident about filing now.

Seriously, this is way more useful than the Washington ESD website which just gives you generic info.

Thanks for all the encouragement! Feeling much better about this whole process now.

This whole thread should be pinned honestly. So much better than trying to navigate the official site.