What do you get for unemployment benefits in Washington state?

Thanks! So if I made $12,000 in my highest quarter, I'd get about $461 per week?

Exactly right! That's the basic calculation Washington ESD uses.

I tried looking for that but couldn't find it easily. Do you have a direct link?

It's buried in their site somewhere. I think it's under the 'Apply for Benefits' section.

Good point. I should be fine since I've been working steadily for 2 years.

What happens if you don't meet the earnings in two quarters thing? I worked part-time for a while.

If you don't meet regular UI requirements, you might qualify for alternative base period calculation or other programs, but it gets more complicated.

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr.com. They help you get through to Washington ESD agents by calling for you. I watched their demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ and it actually works. Got through to someone within a few hours instead of spending days trying myself.

Really? That sounds too good to be true. How does it work exactly?

You just tell them what you need to discuss with Washington ESD and they handle the calling. When they get an agent on the line, they connect you. Way better than spending your whole day redialing.

Oh man, I didn't even think about that. So if I get $461 per week, I should probably have them take out taxes?

Yeah, definitely consider it unless you want a big tax bill next year. The 10% withholding helps but might not cover everything depending on your tax situation.

I learned this the hard way last year. Owed like $2,000 in taxes on my unemployment benefits because I didn't have anything withheld.

I don't have kids so that doesn't apply to me, but good to know for others.

How much extra do you get for dependents? I have two kids.

I think it's like $25 per dependent per week, but don't quote me on that. You'd need to check with Washington ESD for the exact amount.

Yeah I read about that. Do they actually check up on your job search log?

They can audit your job search records at any time. If you can't prove you're looking for work, they can disqualify you and make you pay back benefits.

This happened to my neighbor. She got audited and couldn't provide documentation for her job searches. Had to pay back like $3,000.

Sounds like your claim is stuck in adjudication. That's when they need to verify information about your separation from work or eligibility. Unfortunately it can take weeks or even months.

Months?! How am I supposed to pay rent and buy food for months with no income?

I was in the same boat and used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Finally got through to an adjudicator who was able to explain what documents they needed from me. Claim got approved within a week after that.

What's the threshold where they start reducing benefits?

I believe you can earn up to your weekly benefit amount minus $5 before they start reducing it. So if your weekly benefit is $461, you could earn up to $456 without reduction.

That doesn't sound right. I thought there was a different formula for partial unemployment.

Good to know! When are the weekly claims due?

You can file them starting Sunday for the previous week. They're due by 11:59 PM the following Saturday. So you have a whole week to file, just don't wait until the last minute.

I always file mine on Sunday morning. Gets it out of the way and I don't have to worry about forgetting.

Yeah, their website is terrible. Try clearing your browser cache and cookies, or use a different browser. Sometimes that helps.

I'll try that. It's so frustrating when you can't even access your own account.

If you still can't get in, you might need to call the technical support line. Though good luck getting through to them either.

Wait, so even if I qualify for $461 per week, I won't get anything for the first week?

Exactly. You still have to file the weekly claim for that first week, but you won't receive payment for it.

That's such BS. When you're unemployed, you need help immediately, not after waiting a week.

So worst case scenario, I could collect for about 6 months?

Right, 26 weeks is about 6 months. After that, you'd need to find work or look into other assistance programs.

Are there any other programs after regular UI runs out? I'm getting close to my 26 weeks.

That's good to know. I hadn't thought about other assistance programs.

Yeah, definitely look into SNAP if you qualify. Every little bit helps when you're unemployed.

You can apply online through the DSHS website. It's a separate application from unemployment but the process is pretty straightforward.

What if the job pays way less than what I was making before?

For the first few weeks, you can be more selective. But as time goes on, they expect you to accept jobs that pay less than your previous position. The exact criteria can be complicated.

This is another thing that might be worth calling Washington ESD about through that Claimyr service. They could explain the suitable work requirements for your specific situation.