Why is Washington ESD unemployment pay so low compared to actual wages?

That's so frustrating. 50% barely covers rent let alone food and other bills. Is there any way to appeal this amount?

You can't really appeal the calculation itself if it's correct, but you should double-check that Washington ESD used the right wage information from your base period quarters.

Exactly! The math just doesn't work for people living in expensive areas like Seattle or Bellevue.

Have you looked into food assistance or housing help? Sometimes there are other programs that can supplement unemployment.

Thanks, I'll check that out. I've been trying to call Washington ESD for days but keep getting busy signals.

How much does that service cost though? If I'm already struggling with low benefits I can't afford to pay extra just to talk to someone.

I found it worth it just to get actual answers instead of being stuck in phone queues for hours. The peace of mind was valuable to me.

Good point about the job search requirements. I've been logging my activities but wasn't sure if I was doing it right.

WorkSource has some decent programs but they're pretty limited. The training programs have long waiting lists in my experience.

I feel your frustration. It really does seem like the amounts haven't kept up with the cost of living at all.

The benefit amounts are set by state legislature and they do get adjusted periodically, but you're right that it often lags behind actual living costs.

Have you tried that Claimyr thing someone mentioned? I used it last month when I needed to talk to someone about my adjudication issue and actually got through.

I hadn't thought about SNAP. Do you know if unemployment income counts against the eligibility?

It does count as income but depending on your benefit amount and household size you might still qualify. Worth applying to see.

Easy to say when you haven't been laid off unexpectedly. Not everyone has the luxury of saving thousands of dollars.

I had some savings but when you're unemployed for months it runs out fast, especially with these low benefit amounts.

That's pretty tone deaf. Most people are living paycheck to paycheck these days.

Good idea about the gig work. How much can you earn before it affects your unemployment benefits?

I think it's like $5 per week you can earn without it affecting benefits, then after that they start reducing your weekly amount. But you have to report everything.

Actually it's more complex than that - Washington ESD has specific rules about how they calculate deductions from part-time work. Worth calling to get the exact details.

It really is. The stress of trying to make ends meet while job hunting is overwhelming.

At least you're getting something. My claim has been in adjudication for 6 weeks with no payments at all.

That's helpful context. Do you know if there's any discussion about changing the formula or raising the maximum?

There are occasional proposals in the legislature but any changes would need to be funded through employer taxes, so it's always controversial.

As a small business owner I can tell you we already pay massive unemployment taxes. Raising benefits would crush small businesses even more.

How did you get through to Washington ESD to provide the additional wage information? I can't seem to reach anyone.

I actually used a service called Claimyr that helped me get connected to an agent. It was worth it to get my benefits corrected - the difference was like $200 more per week.

That's the same service I mentioned earlier. Definitely saved me hours of trying to call on my own.

That's a good suggestion. I'll look into what's available in my county.

211 is a good resource for finding local assistance programs. Just dial 2-1-1 and they can tell you what's available in your area.

I just called 211 and they were really helpful! They connected me with a local rental assistance program that I didn't even know existed. Definitely worth trying if you're struggling with housing costs while on unemployment.

The website issues are so frustrating when you're trying to file your weekly claims.

At least the weekly claims usually work. Try dealing with adjudication or appeals - that's when you really see how broken the system is.

I am job searching actively but it's hard to focus when you're stressed about making rent. The low benefits make everything more difficult.

Easy for you to say. Some of us have been looking for months and the job market is terrible right now.

Job searching costs money too - gas for interviews, professional clothes, etc. Hard to do that effectively when benefits barely cover basic living expenses.

How would I know if there are issues like that? My account just shows my weekly benefit amount.

You should be able to see any notices or correspondence in your online account. If there's nothing there and you're still concerned, you'd need to call Washington ESD directly.

Good luck with that. I've been trying to reach them for three weeks about my adjudication. Might have to try that Claimyr service people keep mentioning.