Why is unemployment benefits so low in Washington ESD - barely covering rent

So I'm stuck with this amount? There's no way to get it increased even though I can't pay my bills?

Unfortunately yes, your weekly benefit amount is fixed for your entire benefit year. The only exception would be if Washington ESD made an error in calculating your wages, which you could appeal.

So even if I was making good money before, they still cap it? That seems unfair when cost of living keeps going up.

Yeah, it's designed to replace only a portion of your income, not all of it. The idea is to provide temporary assistance while you look for work, not full wage replacement.

Did you apply for anything else? I'm not sure what other programs are available or how to apply.

Yeah I got SNAP benefits which helped with groceries. Also check with your county for emergency rental assistance - some have programs for people who lost their jobs.

Exactly! It's like they want us to be desperate enough to take any crappy job that comes along.

That's literally the point of unemployment insurance - it's not meant to be a comfortable replacement for work, just a safety net while you find new employment.

How did you get through to them? I've been trying to call for days but can't get past the busy signal.

It took me forever too. I finally used this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual person at Washington ESD. They have a website at claimyr.com and even a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Made the whole process so much easier.

Never heard of that but I'm desperate at this point. Anything has to be better than redial hell.

Don't use credit cards if you can help it! The debt will just make things worse when you do find work. Look into food banks and other community resources instead.

I know you're right but I've never had to use a food bank before and I'm embarrassed about it.

I understand the pride thing but food banks are there for exactly this situation. No shame in using resources when you need them.

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

Never heard of Claimyr but anything is better than spending hours on hold just to get disconnected.

I get the frustration but the job search requirements are actually important. The system is designed to be temporary assistance while you actively look for work.

Easy to say when you're not the one struggling to pay bills on $300 a week. Some of us are really trying to find work but the job market is tough right now.

How do I check if they calculated it right? I don't really understand all the quarters and base period stuff.

Log into your Washington ESD account and look at your monetary determination letter. It shows which quarters they used and your wages for each. If something looks wrong, you can appeal or ask for a redetermination.

How do I check what wages they used? My account doesn't show a breakdown of the quarters.

You should have received a monetary determination letter when your claim was approved that shows your wages by quarter. If you don't have it, you can request another copy through your eServices account.

That's what I'm worried about. I really don't want to have to move but I can't see how I'm going to make it work on these benefits.

it sucks but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. at least i could save money on rent and put that towards finding a better job

Easy to say when you're not the one facing eviction. Not everyone has the luxury of saving money when living paycheck to paycheck.

Some people really don't understand what it's like to work for barely above minimum wage with no extra money to save.

I applied for SNAP but haven't heard back yet. Didn't know about utility assistance though, where do I find that?

Check with DSHS for LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) and your local community action agency for rental assistance programs.

That actually makes sense with what I'm getting. My highest quarter was probably around $9,500 so $362 sounds about right with that formula.

Exactly. The system isn't designed to fully replace your income, just provide a safety net while you search for new employment.

Wait, what? I have to pay taxes on unemployment? That makes it even less money in my pocket!

Yeah, you can elect to have 10% federal taxes withheld from your benefits, otherwise you'll owe it all at tax time. Just something to keep in mind for planning.

This is why I always tell people to have the taxes withheld. Better to get a little less each week than get hit with a big tax bill later.

What savings? Most of us don't have any money saved up when we lose our jobs.

How does that work exactly? Do they take away a dollar for every dollar you earn or is it less?

It's not dollar for dollar. They have a formula where they reduce your benefits by a percentage of what you earn. So if you make $100 working part-time, they might only reduce your UI by $75 or something like that.

That makes more sense now. I was unemployed for about 2 months last year which probably hurt my calculation.

Yeah gaps in employment really screw you over with the benefit calculation. It's one of the worst parts of the system.

How much does something like that cost? Sounds too good to be true.

It's worth it just for the time saved. Check out their website for details - much better than the frustration of calling Washington ESD directly.

How do you appeal the benefit amount? Is there a deadline?

You have to file an appeal within 30 days of your monetary determination. There's an appeal form you can submit online through your eServices account.

That's terrible! Have you tried calling to check on the status?

Tried calling dozens of times, either busy signal or they hang up after 2 hours on hold.

Yeah I've been doing that. It's frustrating looking for jobs when you're stressed about money though.

I understand. Just make sure you keep good records of your job search in case Washington ESD audits your claim later.

Exactly! My rent has doubled in the last 5 years but unemployment benefits barely increased.

That's inflation for you. Everything costs more but wages and benefits stay the same.

I'm seriously considering that option. It sucks to be in your 30s and have to move back home.

Better than being homeless though. Swallow your pride and do what you need to do to survive.

I'll look into that, thanks. Every little bit helps right now.

Just tried it and got connected within 20 minutes. This is amazing!

Wish I had known about this months ago. Would have saved me so much frustration.

Too bad politicians don't care about actually fixing the system for working people.

Yes, I should get the full 26 weeks. Hopefully I find something soon though because this stress is killing me.

Hang in there. Use this time to maybe learn some new skills or look for jobs that pay better than what you had before.

Good advice. I've been keeping track of my job search activities but should probably save my weekly claim confirmations too.

That's such a backwards way to think about it. People don't choose to be unemployed.

Right? Like we're all just sitting around choosing to be poor and stressed out.

Really? That's a pretty good increase. How long did the appeal process take?

About 3 weeks from when I submitted the appeal to when I got the new determination. The Claimyr thing made it way easier to actually talk to someone and understand what I needed to do.

I've thought about that but I'm worried it will mess up my unemployment benefits. Don't want to do anything that gets me in trouble with Washington ESD.

As long as you report it honestly on your weekly claims you should be fine. The key is just being upfront about any income you earn.

That's true but cost of living here is also higher than a lot of other states so it evens out to being just as hard to survive on.

Fair point. $362 in Seattle is different than $362 in like rural Ohio or something.

You're not wrong. My grandmother always talks about how unemployment used to actually help people get by, not just barely survive.

exactly! it's supposed to be a safety net but it feels more like a thin rope at this point

Yeah I've been doing the job searches but it's hard when you're stressed about money. Makes it harder to interview well when you're panicking about rent.

I totally get that. It's like a vicious cycle - you need the benefits to survive while looking for work, but the stress of not having enough money makes it harder to find good work.

My layoff was permanent, not temporary, so I don't think I'd qualify for standby. They shut down our whole department.

Ah okay, then yeah you'd be on regular unemployment with the job search requirements. Standby is only for temporary layoffs where you expect to be called back.

I keep hearing about this Claimyr thing. Is it legit or is it some kind of scam?

It's totally legit. They just help you get through the phone system to talk to real Washington ESD agents. I was skeptical too but it actually worked and saved me hours of calling.

I get that it's temporary but when you can't afford basic living expenses it makes it really hard to focus on job searching effectively.

You're absolutely right. It's a catch-22 situation that a lot of unemployed people face. The stress of financial pressure makes everything harder.

That's good advice. I probably need to sit down and really look at what I can cut from my budget. I've been avoiding it because I don't want to face how bad it is.

I know it's scary but once you have a clear picture of your finances you can make a plan. Sometimes it's not as bad as you think, and if it is bad at least you know what you're dealing with.

I feel you on this - the system really does feel broken when you've been paying into it and then can't survive on what you get back. For roommates, I've had some luck with Facebook groups for my city and also Craigslist, though you have to be careful about scams. Some people post specifically looking for someone who lost their job and needs a temporary situation. Also check if your area has any housing assistance programs - some places have emergency rental help for people on unemployment. It sucks that we have to jump through all these hoops just to afford basic housing.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now - got laid off from my retail job and only getting $285 a week which doesn't even cover half my rent. It's so stressful trying to job hunt when you're worried about keeping a roof over your head. I've been looking into getting a roommate too but it's hard to find someone reliable on short notice. Have you tried any of the emergency rental assistance programs people mentioned earlier in this thread? I'm planning to apply for those and SNAP benefits this week. We shouldn't have to live like this after paying into the system for years.