What's the most you can get from Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

Thanks! So if I made $95k last year that should put me close to the maximum right?

Probably, but it depends on how your earnings were distributed throughout the year. Washington ESD looks at specific quarters, not your annual total.

Your friend might be confusing regular UI with some other benefit or she might be including something like partial unemployment. The standard maximum is definitely $999.

oh ok that makes sense, she does work part time while on unemployment so maybe thats it

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

Is that legitimate? I'm skeptical of paying for something that should be free government service.

I was skeptical too but after spending 3 weeks trying to call myself, it was worth it. They got me connected in 20 minutes and I finally got my benefit amount confirmed.

It's calculated as roughly 3.85% of your total base period wages, up to the maximum. So if you earned $60,000 in your base period, you'd get about $2,310 divided by 52 weeks, which is around $444 per week.

Wait that doesn't match what I'm getting at all. I earned way more than $60k in my base period but only getting $734.

There might be an issue with your wage records. You should definitely contact Washington ESD to verify they have all your earnings reported correctly.

That's exactly why I'm trying to get all this information upfront. Don't want any surprises after I file.

Smart move. File immediately and make sure you have all your wage records ready. Don't wait like I did.

Good point. Is there any way to extend beyond 26 weeks if you still can't find work?

There used to be extended benefits during high unemployment periods, but right now it's just the standard 26 weeks for regular UI claims.

You might qualify for other programs like job training benefits which can provide additional support, but that's separate from regular unemployment.

What counts as a job search activity? Just applying for jobs or other things too?

Applying for jobs, networking events, career fairs, informational interviews, updating your resume - lots of things count. Check the WorkSourceWA website for the full list.

So if I'm getting $800 a week, I can earn up to $800 without any reduction?

Not exactly. In Washington, you can earn up to your weekly benefit amount but they start reducing after a certain threshold. It's complicated - you should report all earnings on your weekly claim.

They're better at catching fraud than they are at processing legitimate claims quickly, that's for sure.

Seriously. They have all kinds of data matching systems to catch unreported income.

Standby status doesn't change your benefit amount, but you don't have to do job search activities since you're expected to return to your job within 8 weeks.

That's a relief. The job search requirement seemed overwhelming on top of everything else.

How much does something like that cost? If I'm about to be unemployed I need to watch every penny.

I can't remember the exact amount but it was reasonable compared to the stress and time it saved me. Plus I needed that benefit verification to plan my budget.

Good to know. Hopefully I won't need benefits that long but it's useful information.

When you say first week, do you mean the first day or can you wait until the end of the week?

File as soon as possible. There's a waiting week anyway, but you want to get the process started immediately.

You can estimate it using the benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website, but the official amount comes after they verify your wage records.

That's frustrating. So my current salary doesn't matter at all?

Not for the standard base period. There's an alternate base period that includes more recent wages but you have to qualify for that separately.

Okay you've convinced me to try it. I'm tired of getting nowhere with the regular phone system.

Ugh, I didn't even think about taxes. So the $999 maximum isn't what you actually take home?

Right, it's gross income. Federal taxes for sure, and I think Washington doesn't have state income tax but double check that.

How do you check if they have all your wage records?

You can see some of it in your eServices account, but for the complete picture you really need to talk to an agent.

Thanks everyone for all the information. This has been really helpful in understanding what to expect.