How to cancel unemployment benefits in Washington ESD - need to stop my claim

Congratulations on the job! You don't technically 'cancel' your unemployment claim - you just stop filing weekly claims once you start working. Make sure to file your final weekly claim for any days you were unemployed before starting the new job, then just don't file anymore. Your claim will remain open for a year in case you need it again.

You might want to call Washington ESD just to let them know you found work, especially if you want to be extra careful about avoiding any issues. I know their phone lines are always busy though. I actually used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) when I needed to reach them about my claim status - they have this video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made it way easier to actually talk to someone instead of getting hung up on after waiting for hours.

Congratulations on the job! You don't technically 'cancel' your claim - you just stop filing weekly claims once you're working full time. Make sure your last weekly claim reflects your actual work status for that week.

dont overthink it just stop filing claims when you start working. thats literally it. the system will figure it out

Actually, let me clarify something important - make sure when you file your final weekly claim that you report any work or job offers accurately. If you worked any days during that week, report those hours and earnings. This helps ensure you don't get flagged for any issues down the road.

Wait, I thought you had to notify them somehow? I've been putting off starting work because I'm scared of screwing up the paperwork.

Ugh I wish I had this problem! Still waiting on my adjudication to clear after 5 weeks. Congrats on finding work so fast.

I had this same situation last year and spent 3 hours trying to get through to Washington ESD to ask. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an actual agent who confirmed - you just stop filing your weekly claims. No special cancellation process needed. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

I made the mistake of not filing my final weekly claim properly when I went back to work last year and ended up with an overpayment notice months later. Washington ESD said I should have reported my last few days of unemployment separately from when I started working. Just be really careful about the dates.

There's actually a section in your SecureAccess Washington account where you can update your work status, but honestly most people just stop filing weekly claims and that works fine. The important thing is don't file if you're working full-time - that's considered fraud even if it's accidental.

IMPORTANT: Make sure your final weekly claim accurately reports any work you did that week. If you worked even one day, report those hours and wages correctly. Don't just skip filing entirely if you worked part of the week.

Whatever you do, DON'T file weekly claims once you start working full-time. I know someone who kept filing thinking they needed to report their work and it created a huge mess with Washington ESD. They had to pay back everything and got flagged for potential fraud.

ugh why is this so confusing?? i thought there would be like a big CANCEL button somewhere on the website

The Washington ESD website actually has a FAQ about this but it's buried somewhere in their help section. Basically says to stop filing when you return to work and your claim stays open for a year in case your employment situation changes. Pretty straightforward once you find the actual info.

Just wanted to add that if you ever need to reopen your claim later (like if this job doesn't work out), you don't have to reapply from scratch. Your claim stays active for the full benefit year, you just start filing weekly claims again. But hopefully that won't be necessary!

anyone else think its weird how hard it is to get simple answers from washington esd? like this should be basic info thats easy to find but instead we're all here trying to figure it out together lol

For future reference, if you ever need to reopen your claim later (like if the job doesn't work out), you can usually do that online without having to start a completely new application. Your benefit year stays active.

I stopped filing claims when I went back to work 3 months ago and haven't heard anything from Washington ESD since. No issues, no follow-up questions, nothing. I think as long as you stop filing when you start working, you're good to go.

One more thing to consider - if your new job offers health insurance, you might want to see if there's any overlap with any medical coverage you had through unemployment programs. Not sure if Washington has anything like that but worth checking.

Congrats on the job! Just remember that your work search requirements obviously stop once you're employed full-time too. Don't stress about logging job contacts anymore once you start working.

One thing to watch out for - if you get severance pay or vacation payout from your new job when you eventually leave, that might affect future unemployment claims. But that's a problem for future you!

Just went through this exact situation 2 months ago. Stopped filing my weekly claims when I started working full-time. No issues, no overpayments, nothing. It really is that simple.

What if you forget and accidentally file one more weekly claim after you start working? Like out of habit?

I actually called Washington ESD about this same question last month using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. The agent confirmed - no forms to fill out, no cancellation process. Just stop filing weekly claims when you're working full-time. Took like 5 minutes to get a definitive answer instead of guessing.

Make sure you keep records of your last filing and your job start date, just in case there are ever any questions later about when you stopped claiming benefits.

Wait I'm confused - what if you get laid off from the new job in a few weeks? Do you have to reapply for unemployment or can you just start filing weekly claims again?

Honestly the Washington ESD system is pretty forgiving about this stuff. As long as you're honest about your work status when filing, you won't get in trouble.

congratulations on the job!! 🎉 same thing happened to me last year and i was so paranoid about messing up the unemployment stuff but it really is just stop filing and you're good

Pro tip: if your new job has a probationary period, you might want to wait until you pass probation before feeling too comfortable about stopping unemployment. Just saying.

This thread is really helpful! I'm starting a new job next week too and had the exact same question. Glad to know it's just stop filing, nothing complicated.

I work for an employment agency and this comes up all the time. Washington ESD really has streamlined this - when you stop needing benefits, just stop filing. No bureaucratic hoops to jump through.

What about job search requirements? Do those stop immediately when you get hired or do you need to complete the week you're in?

Been on unemployment 3 times over the years and this is always how it works. Stop filing = done with unemployment. Washington ESD doesn't need a goodbye letter lol

One last thing - if you have any pending issues on your claim (like an adjudication or appeal), those might still need to be resolved even after you stop filing. But if your claim is clean, you're good to just stop.

Congrats on the new job! Just want to add that you should keep documentation of your last weekly claim filing date and your job start date - it creates a clear timeline if there are ever any questions later. Also, since your claim stays open for the full benefit year, make sure you remember your login credentials for SecureAccess Washington just in case you need to access it again in the future. Better to be prepared than locked out if circumstances change!

Great job on landing the new position! You're right to be cautious about this - it's smart to handle the transition properly. Just to summarize what everyone's said: file your final weekly claim for this week (since you haven't worked yet), then simply stop filing once you start working full-time on Monday. No special cancellation forms needed. Your claim will remain open for the full benefit year in case you need it later, but as long as you stop filing when you're no longer eligible, you'll be fine. Keep records of your last filing date and job start date just for your own peace of mind. Good luck with the new job!

Congratulations on the new job! I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago and was just as worried about doing something wrong. The good news is that everyone here is absolutely right - you simply stop filing your weekly claims once you start working full-time. No cancellation forms, no phone calls required (though if you can get through to them, it doesn't hurt to let them know). Just make sure your final weekly claim accurately reflects your unemployment status for that week. Since you're starting Monday, file normally for this current week showing you were unemployed and available for work, then don't file anymore after you start the job. Your claim stays open for the full benefit year just in case, which is actually a nice safety net. Keep good records of when you filed your last claim and when you started work - I took screenshots of everything just to be safe. You're being smart to handle this properly upfront rather than risk any overpayment issues later. Best of luck with the new position!

Hey Omar, congrats on the new job! I just went through this exact same situation last month and was just as nervous about messing something up. Everyone here has given you solid advice - you really do just stop filing your weekly claims once you start working full-time. No complicated paperwork or cancellation process needed. Just make sure to file your final weekly claim for this current week (showing you were unemployed and available for work), then simply don't file anymore starting Monday when you begin your new job. Your claim will stay open for the full benefit year as a safety net, but you won't be eligible for benefits while working full-time. I'd recommend taking screenshots of your final claim confirmation and keeping your job start documentation together, just for your own records. Washington ESD's system handles this transition automatically when you stop filing - it's actually much simpler than it seems! Good luck with the new position!

Congratulations on the new job! I just want to echo what everyone else has said - you're absolutely doing the right thing by being careful about this transition. I went through the same process about 4 months ago and was equally worried about accidentally creating problems for myself. The process really is as simple as everyone has described: file your final weekly claim for this current week (since you haven't started working yet), then just stop filing once you begin your new job on Monday. No cancellation forms or special procedures needed. Your claim will remain dormant but active for the full benefit year, which is actually a nice safety net in case anything unexpected happens with the new job. I'd definitely recommend keeping screenshots of your final claim submission and your job offer/start date documentation - it's always better to have too much documentation than not enough. Washington ESD's system is designed to handle this transition smoothly when people stop filing, so you shouldn't have any issues as long as you're honest about your work status. Best of luck with your new position!

Congratulations on landing the new job! You're absolutely right to be careful about this transition - it's smart to handle it properly from the start. Based on everyone's experiences here, the process is refreshingly straightforward: just file your final weekly claim for this current week (since you haven't started working yet), then simply stop filing once you begin work on Monday. No special cancellation forms or complicated procedures needed. Your claim will automatically become inactive but remain open for the full benefit year as a safety net. I'd definitely recommend keeping screenshots of your final claim submission along with your job start documentation - having that paper trail gives great peace of mind. The key thing is just being honest about your work status and not filing claims while you're working full-time. Washington ESD's system handles these transitions smoothly when people follow this simple process. Best of luck with your new position!

Congrats on the new job! You're being smart to handle this properly upfront. I actually had to deal with this exact situation twice - once when I did everything right, and once when I made a mistake that caused headaches later. Here's what I learned: definitely file your final weekly claim for this current week since you haven't started working yet, then just stop filing completely once you start Monday. The key is accuracy on that final claim - report your actual unemployment status honestly. I made the mistake once of not filing that final partial week properly and it flagged my account months later. Keep screenshots of your last claim confirmation and your job start documentation together. The claim stays open for your full benefit year automatically, so no cancellation needed. Washington ESD's system actually handles this transition really well when you follow the simple rule: stop filing when you're no longer eligible. You've got this!

Congratulations on the new job! You're absolutely doing the right thing by being cautious about this transition. I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago and had the same concerns. The process really is as straightforward as everyone has described - just file your final weekly claim for this current week (since you haven't worked any days yet), then stop filing completely once you start your new job Monday. Your claim will automatically become inactive but stay open for the full benefit year as a backup. I'd definitely recommend taking screenshots of your final claim confirmation and keeping your job offer letter handy - having that documentation gives great peace of mind. The most important thing is just being honest about your work status and not filing any claims once you're working full-time. Washington ESD's system handles these transitions smoothly when people follow this simple approach. You've got nothing to worry about - just be accurate on that final claim and you're all set! Best of luck with the new position!

Congratulations on the new job! I went through this exact same situation about a year ago and was just as worried about doing something wrong. Everyone here has given you excellent advice - you really do just stop filing your weekly claims once you start working full-time. No complicated paperwork or cancellation forms needed. Just make sure to file your final weekly claim for this current week (since you haven't started working yet), then simply don't file anymore starting Monday when you begin your new job. Your claim automatically stays open for the full benefit year as a safety net, which is actually really nice to have. I'd definitely recommend keeping screenshots of your final claim confirmation and your job start documentation - having that paper trail saved me from some confusion later when I had questions about my benefit history. The key is just being completely honest about your work status and not filing any claims while you're working full-time. Washington ESD's system is designed to handle this transition smoothly. You're being smart to handle this properly upfront rather than risk any issues down the road. Best of luck with your new position!

Congratulations on the new job! I just went through this same situation a few months ago and was equally nervous about messing something up. Everyone here has given you spot-on advice - it really is as simple as just stopping your weekly claim filings once you start working full-time. No special cancellation process needed! Just make sure to file your final weekly claim for this current week (since you haven't started working yet), then don't file anymore once you begin Monday. Your claim will remain open for the full benefit year automatically, which is actually a nice safety net. I'd definitely echo the advice about keeping screenshots of your final claim and your job offer documentation - having that paper trail gives great peace of mind. The most important thing is just being honest about your work status and not filing claims while employed full-time. You're being really smart to handle this properly from the start. Good luck with the new position!