What is unemployment pay in Washington - confused about how much I'll get

So if I was making $16/hour working like 35 hours a week, what would that come out to roughly?

That's about $560 a week gross, so you'd probably qualify for around $350-400 per week in unemployment benefits. But you need to file a claim first and they'll calculate your exact amount based on your work history.

Wait so I was already paying for this? I never knew that was coming out of my paycheck.

yep its a small deduction, you probably never noticed it. check your old paystubs, should say something like 'UI' or unemployment insurance

What's a base year? And how do they know if I'm actually looking for work?

Base year is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. For job search, you need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log that Washington ESD can request to see.

I had the same problem until someone told me about Claimyr. It's a service that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. I used it last month when my claim was stuck in adjudication and finally got answers. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true honestly.

I was skeptical too but it actually worked. They called me back within an hour and had me connected to a Washington ESD agent. Way better than sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected.

I got laid off because business was slow, so I think I'm good there.

Yeah that should qualify you. Make sure you file your claim ASAP though, there's a waiting period and benefits don't start immediately.

Thanks! Should I wait until Monday to file or can I do it on the weekend?

File as soon as possible! You can file online anytime but your claim effective date is based on when you file, so don't wait.

Ugh seriously? So even after I file I have to wait longer for money?

The waiting week is served during your first week of unemployment. You still file your weekly claim but won't get paid for that first week. It's just how the system works unfortunately.

Oh crap, I didn't think about tips. I probably made another $100-150 a week in tips that I reported on my taxes.

Yeah definitely include that when you file. It could increase your benefit amount significantly.

How long have you been on it? Are you required to take any job or can you be picky?

Been on for about 8 weeks now. You have to accept 'suitable work' but that usually means something reasonably close to your previous job in terms of pay and type of work. You can't just refuse everything.

What kind of documentation are they asking for? Sometimes they need employer verification or wage records.

They want some form from my old employer that apparently got lost in the mail. I've submitted it 3 times already!

This is exactly why I used Claimyr when I had issues. Sometimes you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD to sort out document problems, and their phone system makes that nearly impossible without help.

Good tip, thanks! How long does direct deposit usually take?

usually 2-3 business days after they process your weekly claim

Ugh I didn't even think about taxes. This is getting complicated.

It's not too bad - you can elect to have 10% withheld for federal taxes when you file your claim. Just one less thing to worry about later.

Generally you need to be available for full-time work to collect unemployment. Going to school might affect your eligibility unless it's job training approved by Washington ESD or you can work around your class schedule.

ok good to know, ill stick to just job searching for now

Do they actually check up on this stuff regularly?

They do random audits and if you can't provide your job search log, they can deny benefits and make you pay back what you received. Better safe than sorry.

So my old employer might try to block my claim?

If you were laid off due to slow business like you said, they probably won't contest it. Layoffs are pretty straightforward. It's usually only contested when the circumstances are unclear.

Yes, Washington has partial unemployment benefits. If you work part-time and earn less than your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you can still collect reduced benefits. They deduct your earnings from your benefit amount but you keep the first $5.

thats actually really helpful, thanks!

This happened to me and I waited 2 months thinking it would resolve itself. Finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and found out they needed one simple form from me. Got it sorted in a week after that.

Exactly! Sometimes it's something really minor that's holding up the whole claim, but you can't find out what unless you actually talk to someone.

Good luck! Remember to file your weekly claims every week even if your initial claim is still processing. Don't skip any weeks or you could lose benefits for those periods.

Will do, thanks for all the help everyone. This community is awesome!