Can I cancel my unemployment claim online through Washington ESD?
I started a new job last week and want to cancel my unemployment claim completely. I've been looking through the Washington ESD website but can't find a clear way to actually cancel or close my claim online. I don't want to keep filing weekly claims if I don't need to. Has anyone figured out how to do this through the secure website, or do I have to call them? I'm worried about creating problems if I just stop filing my weekly claims without officially canceling.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
You don't actually 'cancel' a claim in Washington ESD - you just stop filing your weekly claims. Once you stop filing, your claim becomes inactive after a few weeks. The claim stays open for a year in case you need to restart it, but you won't receive any benefits if you're not filing weekly.
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Sienna Gomez
AuthorOh that makes sense! So I don't need to do anything special online to stop it?
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Abigail bergen
That's right, just stop filing your weekly claims. Make sure you report your last week of unemployment correctly though - if you worked any days that week, report those hours.
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Ahooker-Equator
I had the same confusion when I got hired! The Washington ESD system doesn't have a big red 'cancel claim' button anywhere. I spent forever looking for it on the secure portal.
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Sienna Gomez
AuthorRight?? I thought I was missing something obvious. The website could definitely be clearer about this.
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Anderson Prospero
If you want to be 100% sure, you can try calling Washington ESD to confirm, but honestly their phone system is impossible to get through. I tried calling for weeks about a different issue and kept getting busy signals or hung up on. There's actually a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to ESD agents - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you really want to talk to someone.
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Tyrone Hill
Never heard of Claimyr before. Does it actually work for getting through to Washington ESD?
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Anderson Prospero
Yeah it worked for me when I had an adjudication issue. Way better than sitting on hold for hours or getting disconnected.
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Toot-n-Mighty
Just make sure you file your final weekly claim correctly! If you worked any days during that last week before your new job started full-time, you need to report those hours and wages. Don't leave it blank or put zero if you actually worked.
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Sienna Gomez
AuthorGood point, I did work a couple days that week. I'll make sure to report those hours on my final claim.
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Lena Kowalski
Also don't forget to keep records of your job search activities for that final week if you were still looking. Washington ESD can audit those even after you stop claiming.
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DeShawn Washington
Congrats on the new job! I've been on unemployment for 8 weeks now and still looking. The weekly claims are such a pain but at least the system is pretty straightforward once you get used to it.
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Sienna Gomez
AuthorThanks! Hope you find something soon. The job search requirements definitely keep you busy.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
Hang in there! Make sure you're logging all your job search activities in WorkSourceWA too, not just keeping your own records.
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Abigail bergen
One thing to remember - even though you're stopping your claim, keep all your unemployment paperwork for tax purposes. You'll get a 1099-G form next January for any benefits you received this year.
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Sienna Gomez
AuthorOh right, taxes! I hadn't thought about that. Do I need to do anything special when I file, or will Washington ESD send me the form automatically?
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Abigail bergen
They'll send it automatically to your address on file. Just make sure your address is updated in your ESD account if you move.
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Tyrone Hill
I'm in a similar situation - got a job offer but haven't started yet. Should I keep filing weekly claims until my actual start date, or stop now?
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
Keep filing until you actually start working. You're still unemployed until your first day of work, so you're still eligible for those weeks.
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Toot-n-Mighty
Just make sure to answer honestly on your weekly claim about job offers and start dates. Washington ESD asks about this stuff for a reason.
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Lena Kowalski
The Washington ESD website really could be clearer about this process. I remember being confused about the same thing. There's no obvious 'close claim' option anywhere in the secure portal.
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Ahooker-Equator
Totally agree! For such an important system, the user interface is pretty confusing in places.
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DeShawn Washington
At least it's better than it was during 2020-2021. That system was completely broken for months.
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Anderson Prospero
If anyone else is having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone for claim questions, I mentioned Claimyr earlier but wanted to add - they're really helpful when you have specific questions about your claim status or need to resolve issues. Much easier than trying to get through on your own.
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Abigail bergen
How much does something like that cost? Seems like it would be expensive.
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Anderson Prospero
It's actually pretty reasonable considering how much time it saves. Check out their site for details - claimyr.com has all the info.
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Sienna Gomez
Thanks everyone! Sounds like I just need to stop filing weekly claims after I properly report my final week. Really appreciate all the advice about keeping records and the tax forms too.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
You got it! And remember, your claim stays open for a full year just in case you need it again, so don't worry about 'losing' anything by stopping now.
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Toot-n-Mighty
Good luck with the new job! Make sure that final weekly claim is accurate and you should be all set.
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