What does unemployment pay in Washington ESD weekly benefits?

Thanks! So if I made around $50k last year, what would that work out to roughly?

Around $50k would likely get you somewhere in the $400-500 range per week, but it depends on how your earnings were distributed across quarters.

Thanks! So they look at my highest earning quarter, not my annual salary? That's helpful to know.

yes exactly, and remember you can only collect for up to 26 weeks maximum in washington

How long have you been waiting? I'm worried about how long this whole thing takes.

been 8 days so far. my claim is still in adjudication which apparently means they're reviewing something

Perfect, I'll check out that calculator. Didn't know there was a minimum amount guaranteed.

just remember you have to pay taxes on unemployment benefits, so budget accordingly

That would actually help a lot! Do they look at just one quarter or the whole year?

They use your base period which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. So if you file now in January 2025, they'd look at quarters from July 2023 through June 2024.

This is helpful! Is there a way to estimate this before filing or do I just have to wait and see?

Washington ESD has a benefit calculator on their website, but it's pretty basic. Your actual amount might vary depending on your specific wage history.

How does that work exactly? Do they charge you to make the call?

They handle the wait time and callback process. Much better than sitting on hold for hours trying to get through to Washington ESD myself.

It's not a straight percentage like that. Washington ESD uses a complex formula based on your quarterly earnings. The maximum weekly benefit amount for 2025 is $999 but most people get much less than that.

oh ok that makes sense why i was confused about it

Never heard of that before but sounds useful. The ESD phone lines are always busy when I try to call.

I might need that if I can't figure out the benefit calculator. Thanks for sharing!

I'll check that out, thanks! The phone system is already driving me crazy and I haven't even filed yet.

Is that one of those services that charges you to call? I'm already broke from being laid off

They do charge but it was worth it for me to actually talk to someone instead of calling 50 times a day. Saved me weeks of stress.

That's actually more than I expected for $60k. Did you get the full amount right away or did it take time to process?

Took about 2 weeks after filing to get my first payment. Had to do the weekly claims and all that.

That's actually pretty close to what I was hoping for. Did it take long for your first payment to come through?

took about 3 weeks because they had to verify my employment. make sure you have all your employer info ready when you file

Good point, I almost forgot about that requirement. Is WorkSourceWA hard to use?

It's not too bad once you get used to it. Just make sure to log your activities every week or your claim might get flagged.

I hate that job search requirement, feels like busy work when you're already looking for jobs anyway

I do have 2 weeks of vacation pay coming. Should I wait to file until after that runs out?

No, file right away but report the vacation pay. ESD will just delay your benefit start date accordingly. Better to get in the system early.

same boat here. this waiting is killing me financially

Have you tried calling Washington ESD directly? Sometimes they can explain what's holding up the adjudication process.

Wow that's really specific, thank you! So if I made $15,000 in my two best quarters that would be about $22 per week? That seems really low.

You made an error in your math. $15,000 divided by 26 = $577, then times 0.0385 = about $22. But that's not right either - I think I mixed up the formula. Let me double check the exact calculation.

The formula is actually: (highest quarter + second highest quarter) ÷ 26 × 0.0385. So $15,000 ÷ 26 × 0.0385 = about $22 weekly. That does seem very low though.

You're absolutely right, I was confusing different parts of the calculation. The actual formula is much more straightforward - it's roughly 3.85% of your total base period wages, but there are minimum and maximum amounts.

ok that makes way more sense, 3.85% would be more like what I got when I was on unemployment

Yeah I heard about the weekly claims. Do you file them online or by phone?

online is way easier through your eServices account. phone system is a nightmare to navigate

That sounds about right for your income level. Make sure you're filing your weekly claims on time or you could miss payments.

Yeah I'm doing the weekly claims every Sunday. Fingers crossed the first payment comes through soon.

I tried that but couldn't figure out which quarters to use or where to find my exact wages for each quarter.

You can find your quarterly wages on your pay stubs or ask your HR department. The base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters.

i feel you, the washington esd website is not user friendly at all

It's complicated because everyone's situation is different. They have to account for people who worked multiple jobs, had gaps in employment, seasonal work, etc.

Yikes, 6 weeks delay sounds awful. I'll double check everything before submitting.

adjudication is the worst part of the whole process, they take forever to resolve anything

That's another situation where Claimyr really helps - if you get stuck in adjudication, their service can help you reach an actual ESD agent to check on the status instead of waiting weeks for a callback.

Good point! I signed up for WorkSourceWA already. What counts as job search activities?

Applying for jobs, networking events, job fairs, even some online training courses. Just make sure to log everything in your job search record.

How long is forever? I'm starting to get worried about timing.

like 3 weeks from filing to first payment. but once it started coming it was regular

That range sounds much more reasonable than the $22 we calculated earlier! I worked at this job for about 8 months.

Yeah, 8 months of steady work at $18/hour should put you in that range. Just make sure to file your claim as soon as possible since you can't backdate benefits in Washington.

That's actually really good to know. I was thinking it was just a one-time thing.

yeah but you have to make sure you earned enough in new employment to qualify for a new claim if your benefit year expires

Good reminder. I was actually considering some freelance work to supplement the benefits.

You can work part time and still collect partial benefits, just be honest about all earnings. The formula deducts from your weekly benefit but you might still come out ahead.

Oh I didn't think about taxes! Should I have them withhold the 10%?

I'd recommend it unless you want to deal with a big tax bill next year. It's easier to just have it taken out automatically.

Did it cost her a lot? I'm already broke from being unemployed.

She said it was worth it to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD instead of getting hung up on constantly.

How did he finally get through to talk to someone?

He used some service that calls for you - I think it was Claimyr or something like that. Cost him some money but he said it was worth it to actually get answers.

It's generally pretty accurate as long as you enter your wage information correctly. The actual amount might vary slightly based on how ESD interprets your work history.

mine was spot on when i filed last year, came out to exactly what the calculator predicted

I feel you but honestly once you get through the initial filing it's not too bad. The weekly claims become routine.

i guess, just frustrated because i need to know how much i'll get for budgeting purposes

Oh wow I didn't even think about taxes. Can I have them withhold taxes automatically?

Yes, when you file your claim there's an option to have 10% withheld for federal taxes. I'd recommend doing that so you don't get hit with a big tax bill next year.

What if I pick up a few hours of gig work like DoorDash? Do I have to report that too?

Yes, you must report ALL income including gig work, freelance, cash jobs, everything. Washington ESD will reduce your benefits dollar-for-dollar for earnings over $5 per week.

3 jobs per week seems like a lot. What if there aren't that many openings in my field?

You can apply for jobs that are reasonably related to your skills and experience. It doesn't have to be the exact same job title. You can also count things like attending job fairs or career workshops.

How long did it take to get your first payment?

About 3 weeks from when I filed, but that included the one-week waiting period. If your claim gets flagged for adjudication it can take much longer.

I have most of that but I'm not sure about the exact dates. Is it okay if I'm off by a few days?

Try to be as accurate as possible. They may verify the information with your employer, so significant discrepancies could cause problems.

I thought the maximum was lower than that? When did it go up to $999?

It gets adjusted annually based on the state's average weekly wage. The $999 is for 2025.

That's a good point. I keep thinking I'll find something in a week or two but it's probably better to be safe.

Exactly. Plus if you do find work quickly, you can just stop filing weekly claims. No harm done.

Good to know, though hopefully it won't come to that. How would I know if they calculated it wrong?

They send you a monetary determination letter that shows exactly how they calculated your benefits and what wages they used. Review it carefully when you get it.

Thanks for all the advice everyone! This has been really helpful. I'm going to file my claim tomorrow.

Good luck! Remember to file your weekly claims on time every week and keep good records of your job search activities.

I bookmarked their site just in case. Hopefully I won't need it but good to know it's there.

Yeah, hopefully your claim goes smoothly. But if you do need to reach an agent for any reason, it's a lifesaver.

26 weeks should hopefully be enough time to find something. That's about 6 months right?

Yep, about 6 months of benefits if you qualify for the full amount. Make sure you're actively job searching the whole time.

I hear you but stick with it. The benefits are there if you qualify, it's just a pain to navigate the bureaucracy.

True, I eventually got my benefits but it took way longer than it should have.

Multiple people have mentioned this service now. Might be worth trying if I run into issues.

Yeah, especially if you need to talk to someone about your specific benefit calculation or claim status. Way better than the regular phone runaround.

Good to know! So if I get $467/week in benefits, I could earn up to $467 from part-time work without losing benefits?

Exactly, but make sure to report all earnings when you file your weekly claims. They'll catch it eventually if you don't.

What happens if you miss filing a weekly claim?

you can usually file it late but it might delay your payments. better to just set a reminder and file every week on time

What exactly is the base year? Is it just the previous 12 months?

Not quite. It's the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. So it might not include your most recent earnings.

How would I know if they made an error?

Compare the wages they show in your claim to your actual W2s or pay stubs. If something looks wrong, you can request a redetermination.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! Feel much more prepared to navigate this process now.

Good luck with your claim! Remember the job search requirements and you should be fine.

Great advice! I definitely want direct deposit. Is that an option during the initial filing?

Yes, they ask for your bank info during the application process. Much more convenient than the debit card option.

Overpayments usually happen when people don't report work or earnings properly. As long as you're honest and report everything, you should be fine.

i got an overpayment notice once because my employer reported my final paycheck weird, but i appealed it and won

If you do get an overpayment notice, that's definitely a situation where calling through Claimyr can help you reach someone at ESD to understand what happened and discuss your options.

Yeah I'm planning to file this week. Thanks everyone for all the helpful information about what to expect!

good luck with your claim! the process seems scary at first but it's really not too bad once you get started

Smart thinking ahead. I'll start keeping a log right away.

WorkSourceWA has a built in job search log feature that makes it easy to track everything in one place