One last thing - if you have any pending issues on your claim (like an adjudication or appeal), those might still need to be resolved even after you stop filing. But if your claim is clean, you're good to just stop.

Congrats on the new job! Just want to add that you should keep documentation of your last weekly claim filing date and your job start date - it creates a clear timeline if there are ever any questions later. Also, since your claim stays open for the full benefit year, make sure you remember your login credentials for SecureAccess Washington just in case you need to access it again in the future. Better to be prepared than locked out if circumstances change!

The military specialist line is 800-318-6022, but honestly it's just as hard to get through on that line as the main one. That's why I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with them. Once I got an actual person on the phone and explained my military hardship situation, they were able to flag my case. Just be prepared with all your documentation - they'll want your spouse's orders, your resignation letter, and your case ID number.

I'm going through something similar right now - been waiting 8 weeks for my appeal hearing after ESD denied my claim for quitting due to my husband's military deployment orders. The frustrating part is that the law is so clear about military spouse exceptions, yet they keep making these obvious mistakes. I've been following all the advice here about continuing to file weekly claims and keeping all my documentation organized. Has anyone had success contacting their congressional representative's office? I've heard they sometimes have more pull with federal agencies, and since this involves military families, they might be more responsive than just state reps.

This whole thread should be pinned somewhere. So much useful info about stopping unemployment claims properly.

Great advice from everyone here! Just want to emphasize one more important point - if you're switching from unemployment to work, make sure you understand how your final paycheck timing might affect your last claim. If you get paid for your first few days of work during the same week you're filing your final unemployment claim, you need to report those earnings accurately. Washington ESD calculates benefits based on when you actually performed the work, not when you receive the paycheck. Better to be overly cautious with reporting than risk an overpayment situation later.

have you tried calling esd to ask? i tried calling them like 50 times last month and never got thru lol. their phone system is the WORST

I just want to add another perspective here - I work as a career counselor and help people navigate unemployment benefits. The advice everyone's giving is absolutely correct - each interview stage counts as a separate job search activity. What I tell my clients is to think of it this way: if you had three separate interviews with three different companies on three different days, you'd obviously count those as three activities. The same logic applies when they're with the same company - each interview required you to prepare, show up, and engage in a distinct job search effort. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you can also count follow-up activities! If you send a thank-you email after each interview, those can potentially count as additional job search activities too (though I'd recommend focusing on the interviews themselves as your primary activities). Keep doing what you're doing with the detailed documentation - you're on the right track. And congratulations on making it through multiple rounds! That's a really positive sign that you're a strong candidate.

Thank you all for the advice! I'm definitely feeling more prepared now. I'm gathering all my documentation, continuing therapy, and will be explicit about the timeline of events when I file. I'm still nervous about the process but at least I have a better idea of what to expect now.

I'm so sorry you went through this - it takes real courage to leave a toxic workplace and prioritize your mental health. Based on what others have shared here, it sounds like you're already ahead of the game with your documentation. One thing I'd add is to make sure you have copies of EVERYTHING stored somewhere your former employer can't access (like a personal email or cloud storage). I've heard of companies trying to claim employees never reported issues when they actually did send emails about it. Also, when you do get that detailed questionnaire from ESD, consider organizing your response chronologically rather than by type of incident. It helps them see the escalating pattern of behavior over time, which really strengthens the "pervasive" aspect of your case. Wishing you the best of luck with your claim! You deserve to be treated with basic human dignity at work.