What is the maximum unemployment benefit amount in Washington ESD?

Thank you! I think I made around $65K last year so I should qualify for close to the maximum. How do they calculate the exact amount?

They use your highest quarter of earnings in your base period and divide by 26. So if your highest quarter was $16,250, you'd get $625 per week.

The maximum gets adjusted every year based on the state's average wages. It goes up most years. In 2024 it was $929, now it's $999 for 2025.

oh ok that makes sense why mine was lower then

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. Saved me so much time and frustration. Check out claimyr.com - there's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

Good point. I already signed up for WorkSource and have been applying to jobs. How many job contacts do we need per week?

It's 3 job search activities per week. Can be applications, networking, interviews, job fairs, etc. Just make sure to log them in your WorkSource account.

You can check your monetary determination notice in your eServices account. It shows exactly which quarters they used and how they calculated your weekly benefit amount. Sometimes they don't use the most recent quarters if there's a delay in wage reporting.

I'll look for that. This whole process is more complicated than filing taxes!

Washington doesn't add dependency allowances to unemployment benefits like some other states do. Your benefit amount is based solely on your work history and wages, not family size.

bummer. that would have helped a lot

That's helpful! I just got approved so I'm still learning how to navigate the system. Where exactly do you see the remaining balance?

In your eServices account, there's a section called 'Payment Information' that shows your weekly benefit amount, total benefits paid so far, and how much you have left.

Interesting! So it's designed to replace about 2/3 of what you were making, up to that maximum. Makes sense why some people get way less than the max.

Exactly. If you were making $2000 a week, you'd still only get the $999 maximum. But if you were making $800 a week, you'd get about $500 in benefits.

Have you tried using Claimyr? I was in the same boat - couldn't reach anyone at Washington ESD no matter how many times I called. Claimyr got me connected to an agent who explained my whole benefit calculation in detail. Totally worth it.

The $999 is the gross amount before taxes. Unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have 10% federal tax withheld when you file your weekly claims, or you can pay taxes on it when you file your return.

Thanks! I'll probably have them withhold taxes so I don't get hit with a big bill next year.

That sounds about right for $50K annual income. Remember they use your base period which might not be your most recent year of work, depending on when you filed.

Yeah, I filed in January so they used Oct 2023 through Sept 2024 as my base period. Took me a while to figure out why the amounts seemed off.

I feel you. The cost of living adjustments never keep up with actual housing costs. But it's still better than nothing while looking for work.

True, I'm grateful to have it. Just frustrated that it doesn't go as far as it should.

You can apply for SNAP (food stamps) and potentially housing assistance through DSHS. Being on unemployment doesn't disqualify you from other programs. The income limits are separate.

Thanks, I'll look into that. Every little bit helps right now.

Correct. The 26 weeks is the standard duration for regular UI benefits in Washington. Extended benefits only kick in during high unemployment periods, which we're not in right now.

Good to know. Hopefully I won't need anywhere near 26 weeks to find something new.

Same struggle here! I finally used Claimyr after someone on Reddit mentioned it. They called Washington ESD for me and got me connected to an agent who answered all my questions about the benefit calculation. Definitely recommend checking out their website - claimyr.com has all the info.