What is the unemployment pay rate in Washington ESD right now?

Thanks! That helps a lot. I think my highest quarter was around $11,000 so that would put me at around $420 per week if I'm doing the math right.

Wait, is that before or after taxes? I always get confused about whether the weekly benefit amount is gross or net.

That's the gross amount before taxes. You can choose to have taxes withheld or pay them later when you file your return.

OMG yes! The phone system is absolutely terrible. I tried calling every day for two weeks straight and never got through to a human.

I ended up using this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual Washington ESD agent. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that explains how it works. Basically they handle all the calling and waiting for you.

Never heard of that but honestly anything that helps with those phone calls sounds worth it. How much does something like that cost?

They focus more on the value than pricing from what I remember. But considering I was losing sleep trying to call Washington ESD every morning, it was totally worth it for me.

Good to know about the 26 weeks limit. Is that 26 weeks total or can you extend it if you're still looking for work?

It's 26 weeks total for regular unemployment insurance. There used to be extended benefits during COVID but those programs ended. Now it's back to the standard 26 weeks maximum.

This is super important! I learned this the hard way when I did some freelance work and didn't report it properly. Washington ESD sent me an overpayment notice months later.

Exactly. And if you earn more than your weekly benefit amount in any given week, you won't get unemployment pay for that week at all.

Thanks for the heads up. I wasn't planning on working while collecting but good to know just in case something comes up.

YES! I spent forever trying to find clear info about payment amounts. The whole website feels like it was designed to confuse people.

Right? And don't even get me started on trying to navigate the SecureAccess Washington login system. Half the time it doesn't even work properly.

I hadn't thought about the tax implications. Is it better to have them withhold taxes or just deal with it at tax time?

Depends on your situation. If you're not good at saving money for taxes, having them withhold might be safer. But if you can manage it, you might prefer to get the full amount and handle taxes yourself.

I always have them withhold because I don't trust myself to save that money lol. Better safe than sorry come tax season.

I'm definitely going to look into that service. I've been dreading having to call Washington ESD about my claim.

It really made the whole process so much less stressful. No more getting up at 6 AM to start calling and hoping to get through.

There's a one-week waiting period for your first unemployment claim in Washington. So you won't get paid for the first week you're eligible, but you'll get paid starting from the second week if you continue to qualify.

That's what I thought but wasn't sure. Thanks for clarifying!

Wait, so even though you file your weekly claim for that first week, you don't get paid for it? That seems harsh when people are already struggling financially.

Yeah, it's been that way for years. The waiting week is unpaid but you still have to file the claim and meet all the requirements like job search activities.

I was wondering about that. Do they actually check your job search activities or is it just something you have to track?

They can audit your job search log at any time, so you definitely need to keep detailed records. If you can't provide proof of your job search activities, they can disqualify you from benefits.

This happened to my neighbor. She got audited and couldn't prove some of her job search activities, and they made her pay back like 6 weeks of benefits.

Tell me about it. I'm dealing with an adjudication issue right now and can't get anyone on the phone to explain what's happening with my claim.

Have you tried using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier? Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to an actual person at Washington ESD.

I'll definitely look into it. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get some answers about my claim status.

Good advice! I actually started gathering all that information after I got laid off but before I filed my claim. Made the whole process much smoother.

I wish I had done that. I ended up having to contact old employers to get wage information and it delayed my claim processing.

Yeah, that's because they use what's called the 'base period' which is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. It's confusing but that's how they determine eligibility and benefit amounts.

Exactly. So someone could be making $30/hour at their most recent job but if they were making $15/hour during their base period, their benefits would be calculated on the lower amount.

How do you even know if it's calculated wrong though? The whole process seems like a black box.

You can request a copy of your wage records from Washington ESD and compare them to your pay stubs. If there are discrepancies, you can file an appeal or request a wage correction.

This is exactly why I ended up needing to talk to someone at Washington ESD. My wage records were missing a whole quarter of earnings from a previous job.