What is the maximum unemployment benefit in Washington state 2025?

Thanks! That's higher than I expected. How do they calculate what percentage of your wages you get?

It's approximately 50% of your average weekly wage during your base period, but there are minimum and maximum caps.

Thanks! So it's based on my previous earnings? How do they calculate what I'll actually get?

Yes, they take your highest quarter earnings from your base period and divide by 26, then that's your weekly benefit amount up to the $999 maximum.

Wow that's higher than I expected! Do you know how they calculate that from your earnings?

It's roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings, but there are minimum and maximum caps. The minimum is $295 per week.

It was increased to $999 for 2025. The amounts get adjusted annually based on the state's average weekly wage.

Good to know! I have two kids so that would definitely help.

Wait, is the dependent allowance per child or just a flat $25 total?

It's a flat $25 total regardless of how many dependents you have

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents by phone. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works.

Is it legit? I'm desperate at this point but don't want to get scammed.

Yeah it's real. I used it last month and actually got to talk to someone at Washington ESD within a day. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

Washington doesn't have dependent allowances for regular unemployment insurance. You're thinking of some other states maybe.

oh ok my bad, I was confusing it with something else

That makes sense. I'm trying to figure out what my base period would be since I just filed last week.

If you filed in January 2025, your base period would be October 2023 through September 2024. They use the quarters that are completely finished when you file.

I had the same problem trying to reach them about my benefit calculation. I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual Washington ESD agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Basically they handle the calling for you and get you connected when an agent is available.

That sounds too good to be true, does it actually work?

Yeah it worked for me. I was able to talk to someone within a couple days instead of spending hours trying to call myself.

It gets adjusted each year based on the state average weekly wage. The 2025 amount is $999.

ok that makes sense, mine is way lower than that anyway lol

That's actually really good compared to other states. My brother lives in Florida and their max is only like $275 a week.

Yeah Washington is definitely on the higher end. The cost of living here justifies it though.

Makes me feel better about all the taxes we pay here!

Yes, unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have 10% withheld when you file your weekly claims, or you can pay estimated taxes quarterly.

Thanks! I'll definitely have them withhold the 10% then.

I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com. They help you get through to Washington ESD agents without the endless waiting. There's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of frustration.

Geez $3500 mortgage! Yeah the unemployment definitely helps but doesn't replace a full salary for most people.

That's why it's so important to find work as quickly as possible. The benefits are meant to be temporary assistance.

Absolutely. I'm applying to everything I can find and doing my job searches every week.

Yes, all wages including bonuses, overtime, and commissions count toward your benefit calculation as long as they were reported to Washington ESD by your employer.

Perfect, that should bump up my weekly amount then. Thanks!

You need to have earned at least $7,000 in your highest quarter to qualify for benefits at all. Then your weekly amount is calculated from that quarter.

I definitely earned more than $7000 but they're still giving me issues about my eligibility

Good point. What exactly is the base period? I'm still figuring out all these terms.

Your base period is typically the first four of the last five completed quarters before you filed your claim. So if you filed in January 2025, it would be October 2023 through September 2024.

No, the dependent allowance is separate. You can get an additional $25 per week for each dependent child under 18, up to 5 dependents maximum.

So theoretically someone could get $999 + $125 = $1,124 per week if they have 5 kids?

Exactly, assuming they qualify for the maximum base benefit amount.

yeah the job search thing is annoying but at least they dont make you go to WorkSource meetings anymore like they used to

The job search requirement is actually important for maintaining benefits. You need to be actively seeking work to continue receiving payments.

That's the gross amount before taxes. You can choose to have federal and state taxes withheld from your benefits, or you'll need to pay them when you file your tax return.

I recommend having taxes taken out. I got hit with a big tax bill because I didn't realize unemployment is taxable income.

Standby status doesn't change your benefit amount - you still get the same weekly benefit you would on regular UI. The difference is you don't have to do job searches while on standby.

Good to know. Though at this point I'm starting to think they're not calling me back and I should probably switch to regular UI.

8 weeks is a long time for standby. Most employers give you a better idea of when they expect to bring people back.

There actually used to be a benefit calculator on their site but I think they removed it. Now you basically have to file a claim to find out what you'll get.

That's annoying. Would be nice to know before going through the whole application process.

It depends on how your earnings were distributed across quarters. Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter, not your annual total. If you earned $20,000 in your highest quarter, your weekly benefit would be around $385.

That seems low compared to what I was making. Is there any way to get more?

The benefit formula is set by state law. The maximum of $999 only applies if you had very high quarterly earnings.

Good point, so maximum total would be around $26,000 if you qualified for the full amount and duration

Exactly, assuming you meet all the ongoing requirements like job search and weekly claims

How much does Claimyr cost? I'm already tight on money.

It's worth checking out their website for current pricing. For me it was worth it to get my benefits flowing again instead of waiting weeks longer.

Yes, Washington has a partial benefit formula. You can earn up to about $280 per week without any reduction in benefits, then they reduce your weekly benefit by 75 cents for every dollar over that amount.

That's actually not too bad. I was worried any work would completely eliminate my benefits.

Thanks for confirming! Did you have any issues during the application process?

Pretty smooth actually. Just had to wait for them to verify my employment with my last employer which took longer than expected.

Good point. Hopefully I'll find something before then!

26 weeks goes by faster than you think. I'm on week 20 now and getting nervous about finding something soon.

There are some extended benefit programs that kick in during high unemployment periods, but those aren't active right now in Washington.

I haven't gotten mine yet. How long after filing did it take to receive that?

About a week after I filed my initial claim. Should come in your eServices account and probably by mail too.

No, the weekly benefit calculation 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

How did you get that fixed? I think I might have a similar issue.

Had to contact the employer and get them to file a corrected wage report with Washington ESD. Took about 6 weeks to get straightened out.

This is another situation where Claimyr could help - they can assist with getting through to Washington ESD about wage reporting issues and benefit recalculations.

Partial benefits are calculated differently. You can earn up to your weekly benefit amount minus $5 without any reduction. After that, they reduce your benefit dollar for dollar.

So if I'm getting $600 a week in UI, I could earn up to $595 from part-time work without losing any benefits?

Exactly right. It's actually a pretty good deal if you can find part-time work that fits within that range.

This has been super helpful everyone! I feel like I have a much better understanding of how the benefits work now. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences.

Yeah this thread turned out to be really informative. Bookmarking it for future reference!

Yeah Washington has one of the higher maximum benefit amounts compared to most states

That's what I figured, I feel lucky to be here vs somewhere with lower benefits

Are you stuck in adjudication? That can take forever if they're reviewing your separation reason or wages.

Yeah it says adjudication in progress but no one will tell me what they need or how long it will take

This is exactly the kind of situation where Claimyr helped me. I was able to get through to someone who explained what documents they needed and got my claim moving again.

Regular unemployment benefits last up to 26 weeks in Washington, depending on your earnings during the base period. Some people qualify for fewer weeks if their earnings were lower.

There might also be extended benefits available during high unemployment periods, but that varies based on state unemployment rates.

This is helpful, so if I made $20,000 in my highest quarter that would be about $769 per week?

That's right, $20,000 ÷ 26 = $769.23 per week

The maximum gets reviewed annually based on average wages in the state, so it could go up if wages increased enough.

Makes sense, hopefully it keeps up with cost of living

How much does something like that cost? I'm already struggling financially.

It's worth checking their website at claimyr.com for current options. For me, the time saved was definitely worth it since I needed to resolve my claim quickly.

Correct, that's for regular unemployment insurance. Standby benefits and other special programs may have different calculations.

What's standby? I keep seeing that term but don't understand what it means.

Standby is for workers who are temporarily laid off but expect to return to the same employer within a specific timeframe. The job search requirements are different.

True, but the cost of living here is also higher than most states, especially around Seattle. $999 a week doesn't go as far as you'd think.

Still better than the $350 maximum I was getting in my previous state. At least it covers basic expenses.

Your benefit amount is determined when you initially file your claim based on your base period earnings. It won't change once set, assuming your claim is approved.

Six weeks in adjudication is really long. I used Claimyr to get through to an agent when my claim was stuck and they were able to explain what was holding it up. Might be worth trying if you can't get answers through regular channels.

It's set annually and typically announced in the fall for the following year. The 2025 maximum of $999 was set based on 2024 wage data and won't change until 2026.

Yeah I think you can earn up to your weekly benefit amount divided by 4 before they start deducting from your UI payment

Something like that, the partial benefit rules are complicated

Yeah most people get way less than the maximum, I think the average weekly benefit in Washington is somewhere around $550

That sounds about right based on what I've seen from friends who filed claims

Yes! This happened to me and I had to appeal their calculation. Turned out they were using the wrong base period for my claim.

How did you get that fixed? Did you have to go through the whole appeal process?

I actually used Claimyr to get through to someone quickly and they were able to correct it without a formal appeal once I explained the issue.

Good point, you can have taxes withheld automatically or pay quarterly estimated taxes

Yeah I learned that the hard way, owed a bunch at tax time

I tried using it but it kept giving me error messages, their website has issues sometimes

Try using it during off-peak hours, it works better when fewer people are on the site

Yeah and if you miss filing a weekly claim you can lose that week's payment permanently

Exactly, the system doesn't give you much room for mistakes

True, some states cap benefits at like $300-400 per week maximum

Yeah we're fortunate to be in a state with relatively good unemployment benefits

Thanks everyone, this has been really helpful. I'll wait for my determination letter to see what I actually qualify for.

You're welcome! Hope your claim goes through smoothly.

Thanks for the comprehensive breakdown! I'm new to the unemployment system and this really helps clarify things. Just to make sure I understand - the $25,974 minimum for maximum benefits, is that gross earnings before taxes and deductions? Also, do things like bonuses and overtime count toward that quarterly total?