What is maximum weekly unemployment benefit amount in Washington ESD 2025?

Thanks! So even if I was making like $3000 a week, I'd still only get $999 max?

Exactly right. The $999 is the absolute ceiling regardless of how much you were earning.

No, $999 is correct for 2025. You might be thinking of the increase from last year when it went up from like $940 something.

Oh okay, that makes sense. I was getting confused.

Have you tried calling right when they open? I've had luck getting through around 8 AM.

I've tried everything - calling at 8am, during lunch, staying on hold for hours. Always get disconnected or the busy signal.

I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Basically they handle the calling and waiting for you.

Interesting, I'll check that out. At this point I'm willing to try anything to actually talk to someone.

That makes sense. I was making about $1800/week so I probably won't hit the max but should be pretty close.

Yeah you'll probably be in the $800-900 range based on that salary.

The dependent allowance is separate from the $999 maximum. You can get up to $25 extra per dependent child under 18, but there's a limit on how many dependents you can claim.

ok good to know, thanks!

It's typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. So if you file in January 2025, they'd look at January-March 2024, April-June 2024, July-September 2024, and October-December 2024.

That seems like it could really hurt people who had their highest earnings more recently.

There is an alternate base period option if the standard one doesn't work in your favor, but it's more complicated to qualify for.

If it's been 3 weeks and still pending, you probably have an adjudication issue that needs to be resolved. You really need to get someone from Washington ESD on the phone to find out what's holding it up.

I know I need to call but I can never get through! It's so frustrating.

This is exactly the kind of situation where Claimyr comes in handy. They specialize in getting through to Washington ESD when you're stuck in adjudication limbo. Way better than spending hours on hold yourself.

Good point, I should probably have them withhold taxes from the start.

Yeah, you can elect to have 10% withheld for federal taxes when you file your weekly claims.

Correct. Someone making minimum wage full-time would probably get around $300-400 per week, maybe less depending on their exact hours and earnings history.

That's barely enough to survive on. The system really favors higher earners.

Yeah it's pretty rough for people who were already struggling financially.

Yes, there's a minimum weekly benefit amount too. I believe it's around $295 per week for 2025, but you still have to meet the basic eligibility requirements to qualify for any benefits at all.

OK that makes sense. So it's not like you could qualify for $50 a week or something.

No, the maximum weekly benefit amount is the same regardless of whether you're on standby or regular UI. Standby just means you expect to return to your job within a specific timeframe.

Thanks for clarifying that!

They combine all your covered wages from all employers during your base period. So if you made $500/week at job A and $300/week at job B, they'd calculate your benefit based on the combined $800/week.

oh that actually makes it better than I thought. I was worried they'd only count one job.

Just make sure both employers were paying into the unemployment system. Some contractor positions don't qualify.

Yes, you can appeal your monetary determination if you think there's an error in how they calculated your wages or benefit amount. You have 30 days from when you received the determination to file an appeal.

How do I know if there's actually an error vs just the way the calculation works?

You'd need to review your wage history that Washington ESD has on file and compare it to your actual earnings. Sometimes employers don't report wages correctly or there are data entry errors. Claimyr can help you get through to verify your wage records if you're having trouble reaching someone at ESD.

Generally no, your benefit year is set when you first file. However, if you have qualifying wages that weren't initially included due to reporting delays, you might be able to get an adjustment. It's pretty rare though.

Got it, makes sense that they need to lock in the calculation at some point.

True, though the cost of living here is also higher than a lot of places. $999/week doesn't go as far in Seattle as it would in other cities.

Fair point about cost of living. Everything's relative I guess.

That's awesome! I might need to try that if I run into any issues with my claim.

Yeah it was way less stressful than trying to call myself over and over.