When will Washington ESD unemployment benefits increase this year?

The Washington ESD adjusts benefit amounts every October based on average wages from the previous year. The 2024 increases went into effect October 6th, so the next adjustment won't be until October 2025. Your $362 suggests you're already getting the current maximum weekly benefit amount.

I'm getting $847 a week right now and that went up from like $780 in September. The increases definitely happened in October like the other person said. You should check your monetary determination letter to see if your wages were calculated correctly.

Had the same problem trying to get through to Washington ESD about my benefit calculation. Spent weeks calling and getting nowhere. Finally used Claimyr to get connected to an actual agent. They have this system that calls for you and gets you through - worked way better than sitting on hold for hours. Check out claimyr.com, they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

The annual adjustment is tied to the state's average annual wage calculation. For 2024, the maximum weekly benefit increased to $999 from $929. If you're only getting $362, there's definitely something wrong with your wage determination. You'll need to request a redetermination with corrected wage information.

omg yes the benefit amounts are so low!! even at max its not enough to live on in seattle. when will they realize people need more than $999 a week to survive here

I work in HR and see this confusion a lot. Washington ESD bases your benefit on the highest quarter of earnings in your base period, not your most recent job. So if you had a really good quarter 18 months ago, that's what they use. If you've been making more money recently, those wages might not be in your base period yet.

Check if you qualify for an alternate base period. If your regular base period wages are low, you might be able to use more recent quarters. I had to do this when I got laid off right after getting a promotion.

Another thing to check - make sure all your employers reported your wages correctly. I had one job that didn't report my overtime hours and it messed up my whole calculation. Had to get them to file a corrected wage report.

The whole system is a joke. I've been fighting with them for months about my wages and getting nowhere. They make it impossible to reach anyone and then act like it's your fault when something's wrong.

For anyone confused about the calculation, here's the basic formula: Your weekly benefit is roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings in your base period, up to the maximum. So if your highest quarter was $20,000, your weekly benefit would be around $770.

Also worth noting that the next increase in October 2025 will depend on wage growth in Washington state during 2024. If wages grew significantly, we could see a decent bump in the maximum benefit amount.

If you're really struggling financially, don't forget to check if you qualify for other assistance programs. SNAP, housing assistance, utility help, etc. The 211 helpline can connect you with local resources.

One more thing - if you do get your benefit amount corrected upward, Washington ESD will pay you retroactively for all the weeks you should have received the higher amount. So it's definitely worth pursuing if you think there's an error.

Quick update for anyone reading this later - the Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator tool that can give you an estimate of what you should be getting based on your wages. Might be worth checking out before you call them.

Just want to mention again that if you do need to call Washington ESD about this, seriously consider using Claimyr. I wasted so much time trying to get through on my own before I found that service. Made the whole process way less stressful.