How to cancel Washington ESD unemployment when you get a job - proper steps?

Congrats on the job! You don't actually 'cancel' your claim - you just stop filing weekly claims. When you file your final weekly claim, report your new job start date and any wages earned. Washington ESD will automatically close your claim.

Make sure you're really careful about reporting everything correctly on that final weekly claim. I've seen people get overpayment notices months later because they didn't report their start date properly to Washington ESD.

I had such a hard time getting through to Washington ESD when I needed to fix something similar. Spent literally hours on hold. Recently found out about this service called Claimyr that helps you actually reach an agent - they have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone directly.

Wait, I thought you had to call Washington ESD directly to officially close your claim? I'm confused now because that's what someone at WorkSource told me.

Just went through this exact situation last month. Filed my final weekly claim on Sunday, reported my Monday start date, and never heard from Washington ESD again. No issues at all. The key is being accurate with your dates and wages.

make sure u dont file any more weekly claims after u start working or theyll think ur trying to commit fraud. happened to my cousin and it was a nightmare to sort out

One more important thing - make sure you keep documentation of your last day receiving benefits and your job start date. Sometimes Washington ESD asks for verification later, especially if there are any discrepancies in their system.

I'm so tired of Washington ESD's confusing system. Why can't they just have a simple 'close my claim' button instead of making us figure out all these steps?

Thanks everyone for all the advice! Sounds like the process is actually simpler than I thought. I'll file my final weekly claim this Sunday with the correct start date and wages, then stop filing after that.

Just a heads up - if your new job doesn't work out within the first few weeks, you can usually reopen your unemployment claim pretty easily. Don't stress too much about 'permanently' closing it.

For anyone else reading this who might need to actually talk to Washington ESD about their specific situation, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really does work. I was skeptical at first but they got me through to an actual agent in like 15 minutes instead of the usual hour+ wait times.

One thing nobody mentioned - make sure your new employer isn't reporting your start date differently than what you report to Washington ESD. Sometimes there's a delay between offer acceptance and actual first day, and you want those dates to match.

This whole thread is really helpful. I'm starting a new job next month and was wondering about this exact process. Sounds like it's pretty straightforward if you do it right.

also dont forget that if u get ur final unemployment payment and then start work the same week, u need to report both the payment received AND the work start date on that claim. my friend forgot to mention the payment and it caused issues

Does anyone know if there's a grace period if you mess up the dates slightly? Like if you're off by a day or two?

This might be a dumb question but when exactly do I stop logging into my SecureAccess Washington account? After I file that final claim?

The whole Washington ESD system is such a pain. At least ending benefits seems easier than starting them was!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. I'm bookmarking it because I'll probably be in the same situation soon. Really appreciate all the detailed explanations!

One final note for anyone still following this - if you do run into any complications or need to speak with Washington ESD directly about your specific situation, I really can't recommend Claimyr enough. Their service at claimyr.com literally saved me hours of frustration trying to get through on my own.

Update: Filed my final weekly claim yesterday with my start date and everything went smoothly. No errors or warnings in the system. Thanks again everyone for walking me through this!

Congratulations on the new job, Emily! You've got great advice here already. I just went through this same process a few weeks ago and can confirm it really is as simple as everyone described. The most important thing is accuracy on that final weekly claim - double and triple check your start date and any wages earned during that week. Washington ESD's system is actually pretty good at handling this automatically once you stop filing. Just make sure you don't accidentally file another claim after reporting your employment start date. Wishing you all the best in your new position!