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This was really helpful! I bookmarked this thread because I might need to reference it later. The Washington ESD website has a lot of this info too but it's not explained as clearly as you all did here.
Hope this helps! Unemployment can be stressful but at least Washington has decent benefit amounts compared to some other states. Just make sure you follow all the rules and keep up with your weekly claims and job search requirements.
Filed mine at 11 PM on a Wednesday and it went smoothly. I think the late night hours are underrated - most people aren't up filing claims at that time.
Don't overthink the timing too much. Yes some times are better than others but the most important thing is just getting it filed. I stressed about the perfect time for three days before just doing it, and it worked fine.
This thread has been super helpful! I was worried about how to handle child support while on unemployment but it sounds like Washington ESD takes care of it automatically. One less thing to stress about.
One more tip - if you think there's an error in your child support withholding amount, document everything and don't wait to address it. I waited 3 months thinking it would sort itself out and it just got worse.
Contact both Washington ESD and your local child support office. Sometimes the error is on the enforcement side, sometimes it's on the unemployment side. That's when services like claimyr can be helpful for actually reaching someone at ESD.
I second the claimyr recommendation. Used them twice now when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD about payment issues. Worth checking out their demo video to see if it would help your situation.
One more thing - keep records of everything! Screenshot your weekly claim confirmations and keep your job search log updated. If Washington ESD ever audits your claim you'll need documentation to back up what you reported.
This thread has been really helpful! I feel much more confident about the weekly claim process now. Thanks everyone for all the detailed explanations.
CosmicCaptain
The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator tool that's pretty accurate if you want to estimate your weekly amount. You just need your quarterly wage information from the past 18 months or so. Much easier than trying to do the math yourself.
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Freya Thomsen
•I'll check that out. Do I need my exact pay stubs or will tax documents work?
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CosmicCaptain
•Your W-2s or quarterly statements should have enough information. The calculator just needs your total wages for each quarter.
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Giovanni Rossi
One more thing - if you end up applying and your benefit amount seems wrong, don't just accept it. I appealed my initial determination because I thought my WBA was calculated incorrectly, and I was right. They had missed some wage information and my weekly amount went up by $75.
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Giovanni Rossi
•About 3 weeks total. I had to submit additional wage documentation but it was worth it for the extra money each week.
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Dylan Mitchell
•Good to know appeals are actually processed reasonably quickly. I always assumed they'd take forever.
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