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Thanks for all the helpful info everyone! This thread has been way more useful than the Washington ESD website for understanding how benefit amounts work. Glad I found this community.
Final tip: make sure you keep copies of all your pay stubs and employment records. Even if Washington ESD has the wage information, it's good to have your own documentation in case there are any discrepancies or questions later.
Hope everyone gets their claims sorted out quickly. The uncertainty is the worst part of being unemployed - at least once you know your benefit amount you can plan your budget accordingly.
This has been one of the most helpful threads I've read about Washington ESD benefits. Bookmarking this for future reference!
Glad this helped everyone! Remember that Claimyr is always there if you need to actually talk to Washington ESD about your specific situation - sometimes you just need to speak with a real person to get things sorted out.
If you worked in multiple states, make sure you file in the right state. Sometimes you can choose which state to file in depending on where you worked.
Just want to add that the benefit amount might seem low compared to your regular salary, but every bit helps when you're between jobs. Don't let the amount discourage you from filing if you're eligible.
I tried that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier and it actually worked. Got connected to Washington ESD in like 20 minutes instead of calling all day myself. Worth it just for the time savings alone.
Thanks everyone for all the info! This thread has been super helpful. I think I probably do qualify based on what you've all said, but I'll check my wage history first to be sure.
Miguel Castro
Another thing to consider is that your benefit amount affects how long you can collect. The maximum is usually 26 weeks but it depends on your benefit year and total benefit amount.
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Yuki Tanaka
•So someone with a higher weekly amount might run out of benefits sooner than someone with a lower amount?
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Miguel Castro
•Not exactly - everyone gets the same number of weeks potentially available, but your total benefit amount is calculated as your weekly benefit times the number of weeks. Once you exhaust that total, benefits end.
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Zainab Abdulrahman
Just remember that unemployment benefits are taxable income! A lot of people forget this and get surprised at tax time. You can have taxes withheld from your weekly benefits or pay quarterly estimated taxes.
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Connor Byrne
•Yeah I learned this the hard way last year. Owed like $3,000 in taxes because I didn't have anything withheld.
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Zainab Abdulrahman
•Ouch! That's why I always recommend having at least the federal taxes withheld. It's easier than owing a lump sum later.
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