What is the maximum amount of unemployment benefits in Washington ESD 2025?

The maximum weekly benefit amount for Washington unemployment in 2025 is $999 per week. This is based on your highest earning quarter during your base period. To qualify for the max, you'd need to have earned at least $4,995 in your highest quarter.

Thanks! How do they calculate what quarter counts as my highest earning quarter?

They look at the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed your claim. So if you filed in January 2025, they'd look at quarters ending March 2024, June 2024, September 2024, and December 2024.

wow $999 a week?? that seems like a lot. i thought unemployment was supposed to be way less than what you made working

It is less - unemployment replaces about 50% of your average weekly wage up to the maximum. So to get $999/week, you'd need to have been making around $2000+ per week at your job.

oh ok that makes more sense. i was thinking everyone just got the max amount lol

I've been trying to reach Washington ESD for weeks to verify my benefit calculation and it's impossible to get through! Their phone lines are always busy and I keep getting disconnected. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there?

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works. Saved me hours of frustration.

Really? How does that work exactly? Do they just call for you or what?

Yeah they handle all the calling and waiting. When they get an agent on the line, they conference you in. Way better than spending your whole day redialing.

Just want to add that there's also a maximum total benefit amount for your entire claim year. In Washington it's typically 26 times your weekly benefit amount, so if you're getting the max $999/week, your total claim would be around $25,974.

Good to know! So that's over 6 months of benefits if you use the full amount?

Exactly - 26 weeks is the standard duration for regular unemployment insurance in Washington. Some people qualify for extended benefits during high unemployment periods but that's rare.

The system is so confusing though. I applied last month and my weekly benefit amount shows up as $847 but I have no idea how they calculated that. My wages were all over the place last year because of commission.

Commission income can make the calculation tricky. Washington ESD looks at your total wages reported to them by employers, including commissions. Check your monetary determination letter - it should break down exactly which quarters they used.

I never got a monetary determination letter. Should I have received one by now?

Yes, you should have gotten it within a week or two of filing. Check your SecureAccess Washington account under correspondence. If it's not there, you definitely need to contact Washington ESD.

been on unemployment twice in the past 5 years and both times got different amounts even tho my salary was about the same. makes no sense

The base period changes each time you file a new claim, so different quarters get included in the calculation. Also, the maximum benefit amount increases slightly each year with cost of living adjustments.

ah ok didnt realize it changed every year

Does anyone know if the $999 maximum applies to everyone or are there different amounts for different types of claims? I'm on standby unemployment through my union.

Standby claims follow the same benefit calculation as regular UI claims. The $999 maximum applies to all unemployment insurance types in Washington. The difference with standby is you don't have to do job searches since you're expected to return to your employer.

That's what I thought but wanted to make sure. Thanks for confirming!

THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING!!! I've been trying for 3 weeks to get someone at Washington ESD to explain why my benefit amount is lower than I expected. Every time I call I get hung up on or the system says they're too busy. How is this legal??

I feel your pain. Same thing happened to me until someone recommended Claimyr. They actually got me through to an agent who explained my whole benefit calculation. Worth checking out if you're tired of the runaround.

Never heard of that. Is it some kind of paid service?

Yeah there's a fee but honestly it was worth it to finally get answers. Better than taking unpaid time off work to sit on hold all day.

For what it's worth, I just checked my account and I'm getting $743/week. I made about $85k last year so that seems about right for 50% replacement. The calculation actually makes sense once you understand how they do it.

That does seem reasonable. I'm hoping to get close to the max since my salary was around $130k.

You should be close then, assuming your income was consistent throughout the base period quarters they're looking at.

quick question - does the maximum benefit amount include the additional $25/week if you have dependents?

No, the $999 is just the base maximum. If you qualify for the dependent allowance, that gets added on top, so your total could be $1024/week with one dependent.

Good to know, thanks!

I'm confused about something. If the max is $999/week, why does my neighbor say he's getting over $1000? Is he lying or am I missing something?

He might have dependents which adds $25/week per dependent, or he could be confusing his weekly amount with his bi-weekly payment if he gets paid every two weeks instead of weekly.

Oh that makes sense. I'll ask him about the dependent thing.

The whole system needs an overhaul. It takes forever to get information and when you finally do get through to someone, half the time they give you wrong information. At least the benefit amounts are decent compared to some other states.

Agreed on the benefit amounts being decent. $999/week is actually pretty good compared to states like Florida where the max is only like $275.

Wow that's terrible. Makes me appreciate Washington ESD a little more, even with all their phone issues.

Just wanted to share that I finally got through to Washington ESD using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. The agent was actually really helpful and walked me through exactly how they calculated my benefit amount. Turns out I was getting the right amount all along, I just didn't understand the math.

That's great! Was it expensive to use that service?

There was a fee but honestly it was worth it for the peace of mind. Better than wondering if I was getting shortchanged.

does anyone know if you can appeal your benefit amount if you think they calculated it wrong? my determination letter shows wages that don't match what I think I earned

Yes, you can absolutely appeal your monetary determination if you think there are errors in your wage record. You have 30 days from the date of the determination to file an appeal. Make sure you have documentation of your actual wages.

thanks! i'll need to dig up my old pay stubs

Been reading this thread and wanted to point out that the $999 maximum is for 2025. It goes up slightly each year, so if you're reading this in future years the amount will be different. Just wanted to clarify that for anyone finding this later.

Good point! I should have specified that in my original question.

No worries, just wanted to make sure people don't get confused if they find this thread months from now.