Got a new job - how to properly close my ESD unemployment claim?
After 5 months on unemployment, I finally landed a job (yay!!) and start tomorrow. I'm not sure what the proper procedure is for ending my ESD benefits. Do I need to formally notify ESD that I'm employed now? Or do I just stop filing my weekly claims? Is there some kind of form I need to submit to officially close my claim? I don't want to accidentally do something wrong and end up with an overpayment issue later. Thanks for any help!
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Sophia Carson
Congrats on the new job! You don't need to formally close your claim with ESD. Simply stop filing your weekly claims. However, if you file for a week where you worked, make sure to report ALL hours and earnings accurately for that week, even if it means you won't receive benefits for that period. If you report correctly, the system automatically adjusts your benefit amount based on your earnings.
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Ana Erdoğan
•Thank you! So if I worked Thursday and Friday of this week, I'd report those earnings when I file on Sunday, right? And then just stop filing after that?
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Elijah Knight
Congrats!! Just stop claiming and youre good to go!!
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Brooklyn Foley
•That's mostly correct, but it's important to report your final week properly if you worked any days during your last claim week. You need to report all earnings for that week even if it means you get reduced or zero benefits. Just completely stopping without reporting your last work week could potentially cause issues.
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Jay Lincoln
I got a job back in January and just stopped claiming. Then like 3 months later I got some letter from ESD asking about why I stopped filing. Anyone else have that happen? I ignored it cuz I was already working but maybe I shoulda responded?
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Jessica Suarez
•Those letters are usually just automated follow-ups. ESD sometimes sends them to verify you didn't stop claiming because of an issue they should address. You probably don't need to worry about it now, but in the future, a quick call to let them know you found employment would prevent those follow-ups. The system is frustrating - I remember trying to call them for weeks about a similar issue and never getting through.
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Ana Erdoğan
Thanks for all the advice everyone! One more question - will I need to do anything special for tax purposes next year since I received unemployment for part of 2025? Does ESD send some kind of tax document?
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Sophia Carson
•Yes, ESD will issue you a 1099-G form by January 31, 2026 for your unemployment benefits received during 2025. You'll need this for your tax filing. You can access it electronically through your ESD account or they'll mail it to your address on file. Remember that unemployment benefits are taxable income, so you might want to set aside some money if you didn't have taxes withheld from your weekly benefits.
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Marcus Williams
I had the EXACT same question when I got hired in February!!! I just reported my earnings for the partial week I worked and then stopped claiming. BUT MAKE SURE YOU REPORT ANY HOURS YOU WORK during a week you claim!!! My friend didn't and got hit with a fraud investigation and had to pay everything back plus penalties!!! Not worth it!!!
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Ana Erdoğan
•Yikes! I'll definitely make sure to report my hours for this week. Thanks for the warning!
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Jessica Suarez
Just to add to what others said - if your employment doesn't work out within the benefit year (which runs for 12 months from when you first applied), you can reopen your existing claim rather than filing a completely new one. This is called "reopening" a claim and it's much simpler than starting from scratch. Just something to keep in mind just in case.
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Jay Lincoln
•I reopened mine last summer after a 6-week job didn't work out and it was super simple. Like 5 minutes on the website and my benefits started back up the next week. Way easier than the first time applying!
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