Why did my Washington ESD unemployment benefits suddenly decrease?
My weekly benefit amount just dropped from $844 to $612 with no warning or explanation. I've been getting the same amount for 8 weeks and suddenly this week it's way lower. I haven't started working or had any income changes. My claim status still shows active and I'm filing my weekly claims the same way. Has anyone else had their Washington ESD benefits randomly decrease like this? I'm really confused about what could cause this.
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Ravi Patel
There are several reasons your UI benefits could drop. Did you receive any notices from Washington ESD in your online account or by mail? Sometimes there's a delay between when something changes and when they notify you.
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Isabella Oliveira
•I checked my SecureAccess Washington account and don't see any new notices or messages. That's what's so confusing about this.
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Ravi Patel
•Check your payment history details in the system. Sometimes it shows a breakdown of why the amount changed - could be taxes, overpayment recovery, or a benefit year issue.
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Freya Andersen
Did you maybe hit your maximum benefit amount for the year? Washington ESD has limits on total benefits you can receive in a benefit year, and once you approach that limit your weekly amount can decrease.
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Isabella Oliveira
•How do I check that? I've only been collecting for about 2 months so I don't think I'm close to any maximum.
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Freya Andersen
•Log into your Washington ESD account and look for 'Benefit Year Information' or 'Claim Summary' - it should show your maximum benefit amount and how much you've used so far.
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Omar Zaki
ugh the same thing happened to me last month and it took FOREVER to get anyone at Washington ESD on the phone to explain it. The phone lines are always busy and they hang up on you constantly. So frustrating trying to get answers about your own benefits!
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CosmicCrusader
•I had luck using Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD when my benefits got messed up. It's a service that helps you actually reach an agent instead of getting the busy signal. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Chloe Robinson
Did you report any income on your last weekly claim? Even small amounts of work or side gig income can reduce your weekly benefit amount. Washington ESD deducts earnings from your UI payment.
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Isabella Oliveira
•No, I haven't worked at all since I filed my initial claim. That's why this is so confusing - nothing has changed on my end.
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Chloe Robinson
•Then it's probably an issue on their end or some kind of adjustment they made. Definitely worth calling to get clarification.
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Diego Flores
Washington ESD sometimes makes retroactive adjustments if they determine your wages were calculated incorrectly initially. This happened to my cousin - they recalculated her base period wages and lowered her weekly amount.
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Isabella Oliveira
•That's awful! Did she get any notice before they changed it? And was she able to appeal or anything?
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Diego Flores
•She got a notice but it came AFTER they already changed her payment. She tried to appeal but it was a mess. Take screenshots of everything in your account right now in case you need them later.
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Anastasia Kozlov
Check if they started deducting taxes from your benefits. Some people opt out of tax withholding initially but Washington ESD can change it later.
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Isabella Oliveira
•Good point - where would I see that in my account? I did opt out of tax withholding when I first applied.
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Anastasia Kozlov
•Look at your payment details or payment history. It should show if they withheld federal or state taxes from your benefit amount.
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Ravi Patel
Another possibility is that you're transitioning between regular UI and Extended Benefits or there was an issue with your continued claim eligibility. Washington ESD sometimes reviews cases randomly.
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Isabella Oliveira
•What would trigger a random review? I've been doing everything correctly with my weekly claims and job search requirements.
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Ravi Patel
•It can be completely random, or triggered by data matches with other agencies. Don't panic - just get clarification from Washington ESD about what changed.
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Sean Flanagan
this happened to me too but turned out they were recovering an overpayment from earlier in my claim. They don't always explain it clearly in the system
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Isabella Oliveira
•How did you find out that's what it was? Did you have to call them?
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Sean Flanagan
•yeah I eventually got through after trying Claimyr like someone else mentioned. The agent explained they were taking back money from a week where I reported income wrong apparently
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Freya Andersen
OP, you really need to contact Washington ESD directly to get the specific reason for your benefit reduction. There are too many variables to guess accurately without seeing your account details.
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Isabella Oliveira
•You're right, I just hate the thought of spending hours trying to get through to someone. But this is a significant amount of money so I need to figure it out.
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Freya Andersen
•Definitely worth the effort. Document everything and ask for written confirmation of whatever they tell you about the benefit change.
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CosmicCrusader
Just want to follow up on the Claimyr thing - I used it last week when my job search requirements got flagged and I actually got through to a Washington ESD agent in like 10 minutes instead of the usual hours of calling. Totally worth it when you need real answers.
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Isabella Oliveira
•That's amazing! I'm definitely going to try it. Did they charge you a lot for the service?
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CosmicCrusader
•They focus on getting you connected rather than the cost. Much better than wasting your whole day redialing Washington ESD for nothing.
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Omar Zaki
UPDATE: I tried that Claimyr service and actually got through to Washington ESD! Turns out they were deducting for health insurance premiums I forgot I had elected. Problem solved!
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Isabella Oliveira
•Oh wow, health insurance deductions! I didn't even think about that. I should check if I signed up for anything like that.
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Omar Zaki
•Yeah check your benefit options when you first applied. Sometimes those deductions don't start right away which is why it seemed random.
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Chloe Robinson
For anyone else reading this, always save copies of your weekly claim confirmations and payment details. Washington ESD's system can be glitchy and having your own records helps when stuff like this happens.
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Isabella Oliveira
•Great advice! I'm going to start doing that going forward. Wish I had thought of it earlier.
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Diego Flores
Hope you get it figured out OP! Let us know what Washington ESD says when you contact them. These benefit reduction issues seem to be happening more often lately.
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Isabella Oliveira
•Will do! Thanks everyone for all the suggestions and help. At least now I have some ideas of what to ask about when I call.
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