


Ask the community...
If anyone's still confused about the monetary determination, Washington ESD has a handbook that explains the calculation formulas. It's on their website under resources for claimants.
I went through this exact same confusion last year. Spent way too much time trying to connect unemployment rates I saw on TV with my weekly benefit amount. They're completely separate things - one's about the economy, the other is about your personal work history.
Has anyone had luck appealing their benefit amount? Mine seems way too low based on what I was making.
For anyone still having trouble reaching Washington ESD, I second the Claimyr recommendation. Used it twice now and both times got through quickly. Worth checking out their demo video to see how it works.
The financial stress while waiting for adjudication is real. Make sure to look into other resources like food banks or utility assistance programs if you need help in the meantime.
Final UPDATE: My claim got approved! Took exactly 3 weeks and 2 days. The adjudicator determined that performance issues don't constitute misconduct. Thanks everyone for the advice and support!
One more thing - make sure you file within the first week after you lose your job if possible. There's a waiting period anyway but you don't want to delay the process any more than necessary. Benefits are calculated based on wages from your base period which is specific quarters.
The bottom line is there's really no way around filing online anymore. I know it sucks if you're not comfortable with computers but that's just how it is now. Maybe ask a friend or family member to help you through it the first time?
Ethan Wilson
The thing that helped me get over the guilt was realizing that refusing to collect unemployment doesn't help anyone. It doesn't create jobs, it doesn't help other unemployed people, it doesn't improve the economy. All it does is make your own situation worse for no reason.
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Miguel Castro
•That's a really logical way to look at it. There's literally no benefit to not collecting.
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Yuki Sato
•Exactly. You're not being noble by suffering unnecessarily.
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Carmen Flores
Just want to say thanks for asking this question. I'm in a similar situation and was feeling the same guilt. Reading all these responses has really helped me realize I should file my claim too. We shouldn't feel bad about using a system we've been paying into our whole careers.
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Miguel Castro
•I'm so glad this helped you too! We should both file our claims and stop feeling guilty about it.
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Carmen Flores
•Definitely! Good luck with your job search.
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