Can you apply for Washington ESD unemployment if you move to another state?
I'm really confused about this whole situation. I've been working in Washington for the past 2 years but my lease is up next month and I'm thinking about moving back to live with family in Oregon. If I lose my job here in Washington before I move, can I still file for unemployment benefits with Washington ESD even if I'm living in another state? Or do I have to apply in whatever state I'm living in? I tried looking this up on the Washington ESD website but it's not super clear to me. Has anyone dealt with this before?
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Haley Stokes
Yes, you can definitely file for Washington unemployment even if you move to another state! The key thing is WHERE you worked, not where you live. Since you worked in Washington, you'd file your claim with Washington ESD. I moved to California last year but kept my Washington unemployment claim active because that's where I had been working.
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Lia Quinn
•Oh that's such a relief! I was worried I'd lose out on benefits just because I moved. Do I need to notify Washington ESD that I moved or anything?
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Haley Stokes
•You should update your address in your SecureAccess Washington account so they can send correspondence to the right place. Other than that, just keep filing your weekly claims like normal.
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Asher Levin
This is exactly what I needed to know too! I'm planning to move to Idaho but still waiting to hear back on my adjudication. It's been 3 weeks already and I'm getting super anxious about the whole thing. Did your claim process normally even though you moved?
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Haley Stokes
•Mine went through fine, but I didn't move until after my claim was already approved. Adjudication can be slow regardless of where you live though - 3 weeks isn't unusual unfortunately.
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Serene Snow
•If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD about your adjudication, you might want to check out Claimyr. It's a service at claimyr.com that helps people get connected to ESD agents on the phone. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Might be worth trying if you keep getting the busy signal.
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Issac Nightingale
Wait, but don't you have to be available for work in Washington if you're collecting Washington unemployment? How does that work if you move out of state?
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Romeo Barrett
•Good question! You have to be able and available for work, but that doesn't mean you have to stay in Washington. You can look for work in your new state or even apply for remote positions. The important thing is that you're actively job searching and can accept suitable work.
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Issac Nightingale
•Ah okay that makes sense. I was thinking you had to physically be in Washington to collect benefits but remote work changes everything these days.
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Marina Hendrix
I did this exact thing last year when I moved from Seattle to Arizona. Filed my initial claim while still in Washington, then moved a month later. Had zero issues with Washington ESD. Just make sure you keep doing your job search activities and logging them properly in WorkSourceWA.
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Lia Quinn
•Do I still have to use WorkSourceWA for job searches even if I'm looking for work in another state? That seems weird.
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Marina Hendrix
•Yeah you still use WorkSourceWA to log your job search activities, but you can search for jobs anywhere. I was applying to jobs in Arizona and just logged them in the Washington system. It's a bit awkward but it works.
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Justin Trejo
•This is so confusing! Why can't they just make this stuff more straightforward? I've been trying to get someone at Washington ESD on the phone for days to ask about this exact situation.
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Alana Willis
The phone thing is such a nightmare. I literally called 200+ times one day and never got through. Finally gave up and just hoped for the best with my weekly claims.
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Serene Snow
•That's exactly why I started using Claimyr. Gets you connected to an actual ESD agent without having to redial constantly. Way less stressful than spending all day calling.
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Alana Willis
•Never heard of that, is it legit? I'm desperate at this point.
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Serene Snow
•Yeah it's totally legitimate. They basically handle the calling process for you and connect you when an agent becomes available. Check out their demo video, it explains the whole process.
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Tyler Murphy
One thing to watch out for - make sure you don't accidentally apply for unemployment in your new state too. I know someone who got confused and filed claims in both states and it created a huge mess with overpayments.
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Lia Quinn
•Oh wow, that would be a disaster! Good thing you mentioned that. I definitely won't file in Oregon then.
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Sara Unger
•Yeah that happened to my cousin. Took months to sort out and she had to pay back like $4000. Stick with Washington since that's where you worked.
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Butch Sledgehammer
Just wanted to add that if you're moving for family reasons or something like that, it usually doesn't affect your eligibility. The main thing is that you didn't quit your Washington job specifically TO move. As long as you lost your job for other reasons (layoff, firing, etc.) you should be fine.
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Lia Quinn
•That's exactly my situation - my lease is just ending and I want to save money by living with family. I haven't quit my job or anything, just planning ahead in case something happens.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•Perfect, then you should have no issues at all. Just remember to keep your address updated with Washington ESD so you don't miss any important mail.
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Freya Ross
I moved from Washington to Texas last year while on unemployment. The only annoying part was that some employers were confused when I told them I was collecting Washington benefits while living in Texas. Had to explain the whole situation multiple times during interviews.
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Leslie Parker
•Did that hurt your job prospects at all? I'm worried employers might think it's weird or sketchy somehow.
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Freya Ross
•Not really. Most employers understand that unemployment follows where you worked, not where you live. I just explained it briefly and moved on. Didn't seem to be a big deal.
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Sergio Neal
Quick question - do you have to pay state income tax on Washington unemployment benefits to your new state? I never thought about that aspect.
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Romeo Barrett
•That's actually a really good point. You might need to file taxes in both states depending on your new state's rules. Definitely something to check with a tax professional about.
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Sergio Neal
•Yeah that's what I was thinking. Could get complicated depending on which state you move to.
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Savanna Franklin
For what it's worth, I think the whole system is designed to handle this situation pretty well. Lots of people move between states for work or family reasons. Washington ESD has definitely dealt with this before.
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Lia Quinn
•That's reassuring to hear. I was making it out to be way more complicated in my head than it actually is.
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Juan Moreno
•The hardest part is just getting through to someone at ESD if you have questions. The actual process is pretty straightforward once you understand how it works.
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Amy Fleming
One more tip - if you do move, make sure you have a reliable way to check your SecureAccess Washington account online. Sometimes they need additional verification or documentation and you don't want to miss those requests.
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Lia Quinn
•Good point! I'll make sure to bookmark the site and check it regularly. Thanks for all the advice everyone, this has been super helpful.
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Alice Pierce
•No problem! This kind of situation comes up a lot so glad we could help clarify things.
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Esteban Tate
Just to summarize for anyone else reading this: file where you worked (Washington), update your address, keep doing job searches, and don't file in multiple states. Pretty much covers all the basics!
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Lia Quinn
•Perfect summary! Saving this thread for future reference. You all have been amazing, thank you so much.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
•Glad this helped! Moving while dealing with unemployment can be stressful enough without worrying about the technical details.
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Serene Snow
•And remember, if you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD about your specific situation, Claimyr can help you get through without the endless busy signals. Sometimes it's worth talking to an agent directly just for peace of mind.
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Amara Okafor
This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation - got laid off from my job in Spokane last month and I'm considering moving back to my home state of Montana to be closer to family while I job search. It's really reassuring to know that I can keep my Washington unemployment benefits even if I move. The stress of potentially losing benefits on top of everything else was keeping me up at night. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!
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