Do you have to cancel unemployment benefits when you find work in Washington?

You don't technically 'cancel' your claim - you just stop filing weekly claims once you're working full time. When you file your final weekly claim, report all the hours you worked that week and any wages earned. Washington ESD will close your claim automatically after you stop filing.

Make sure you report your work IMMEDIATELY on your weekly claim. Don't wait or try to figure out if you should file or not. The system needs to know about any work you do, even if it's just a few hours.

Congratulations on the job! I had trouble reaching Washington ESD when I had questions about this same situation last month. Ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual agent who explained the process. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really saved me from worrying I was doing something wrong.

DONT FORGET TO KEEP DOING JOB SEARCHES until your final claim!!! I made this mistake and got dinged for not meeting the job search requirement even though I had already found work.

I went back to work part-time first and kept filing claims for partial benefits. You only stop completely when you're working enough hours that you don't qualify for any UI benefits anymore.

Also keep in mind your claim year stays open even after you stop filing. So if you lose this job within your benefit year, you can restart filing weekly claims without having to file a new initial claim.

whatever you do dont just stop filing without reporting the work first. my friend did that and washington esd sent him a letter asking why he stopped filing and he had to explain everything

Been through this process twice now. The key is that final weekly claim where you report everything accurately - all hours worked, gross wages, the works. After that you just don't file anymore and Washington ESD considers your claim inactive but not closed.

I was in the same boat 3 months ago and used that Claimyr service someone mentioned to talk to Washington ESD directly. The agent confirmed that you don't need to do anything special to 'cancel' - just stop filing after you report your work. Really put my mind at ease.

Make sure you understand what counts as 'work' too. If you're doing any training or orientation before your official start date, that might need to be reported depending on if you get paid for it.

dont overthink it! i stressed about this same thing for weeks. just file your weekly claim like normal, report your work hours and wages, then dont file the next week. thats it!

The Washington ESD website has a whole section about returning to work but it's buried in their FAQ somewhere. Basically what everyone else said - report work, stop filing, keep records.

One thing to watch out for - make sure your new employer knows you were on unemployment. Some places want documentation for their records, especially if you're getting any hiring incentives or tax credits.

CONGRATULATIONS on the job!!! 🎉 I remember how good it felt to file that final claim and know I was done with unemployment. You've got this!

If you're worried about doing it right, that Claimyr thing people mentioned actually worked for me too when I had questions about my claim. Got through to Washington ESD way faster than calling directly. The agent walked me through exactly what to do when returning to work.

Keep your final weekly claim confirmation number! I had an issue months later where Washington ESD needed to verify when I stopped claiming benefits and that number helped resolve it quickly.

The whole process is honestly pretty simple once you understand it. File your final claim with work info, stop filing, done. Don't stress about 'canceling' anything officially.

Welcome to the 'back to work' club! Hope your new job goes well. Remember - if anything goes wrong in the first few months, your unemployment claim is still there in your benefit year if you need it.