Can you claim unemployment until your first paycheck from Washington ESD?

No, you need to stop claiming unemployment the week you start working, not when you get your first paycheck. Washington ESD considers you employed from your first day of work, regardless of when you get paid. If you keep claiming after starting work, that's considered an overpayment and you'll have to pay it back.

This is one of those situations where you really need to talk to someone at Washington ESD directly to make sure you're doing everything right. I tried calling their main number for weeks but kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person at ESD. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Might be worth checking out if you want to get a definitive answer.

The rule is pretty clear - you stop claiming when you start working, not when you get paid. But there might be exceptions for part-time work or if you're still looking for additional work. You should definitely verify your specific situation with Washington ESD.

Wait, I'm confused. I thought you could claim unemployment until you actually receive income? That's what happened with my friend in Oregon...

This exact thing happened to me last year. I kept claiming for one extra week thinking it would be okay since I hadn't been paid yet. Big mistake - Washington ESD sent me an overpayment notice for $462 that I had to pay back. Don't risk it.

The system is so broken. They make it impossible to get through on the phone but then expect us to know all these specific rules. I've been trying to get clarification on my own claim status for weeks.

Congratulations on getting the job though! That's the important part. The two week gap will be tough but at least you'll have steady income again.

Make sure you keep good records of your last day claiming and your first day of work. If there's ever a question later, you'll want to be able to prove you did everything correctly.

I had a similar situation but with a temp job that only lasted a week. When it ended, I had to figure out how to restart my claim. It was a nightmare trying to get through to someone who could help.

This is why I always tell people to have some emergency savings if possible. That gap between benefits and first paycheck can be brutal.

Check if your new employer offers any kind of advance or if they pay weekly instead of bi-weekly. Some companies are flexible about this stuff, especially if you explain the situation.

Also double-check that you don't have any outstanding weekly claims or requirements to complete before you stop claiming. Washington ESD can be picky about that stuff.

Just remember that if you ever need to file for unemployment again in the future, having a record of properly ending your claim will help avoid any complications.

The whole system needs an overhaul. It shouldn't be this confusing to figure out basic rules about when to stop claiming.

If you're still worried about it, you could try using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Better to get confirmation from an actual ESD representative than guess and potentially get an overpayment.

I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago. The rule is definitely that you stop claiming the week you start work, not when you get your first paycheck. I know it creates a financial gap, but it's way better than dealing with an overpayment situation later. One thing that helped me was asking my new employer if they could do a small payroll advance to help with the transition - many companies are understanding about this kind of situation. Also, make sure to keep all your documentation showing your last claim date and first work date, just in case ESD ever asks questions down the line.