How to cancel unemployment benefits properly with Washington ESD?
I need to cancel my unemployment claim because I just got a full-time job offer that starts next week. What's the proper way to stop my weekly claims with Washington ESD? Do I just stop filing or is there a specific cancellation process? I want to make sure I don't accidentally keep receiving benefits after I start working.
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Luca Ricci
Congratulations on the job! You don't technically 'cancel' your claim - you just stop filing weekly claims once you start working full time. Make sure to report your last week of unemployment accurately.
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Nia Williams
•Thanks! So I don't need to call Washington ESD or anything? Just stop filing?
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Luca Ricci
•Exactly. Your claim will just go inactive. If you need unemployment again within your benefit year, you can resume filing.
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Aisha Mohammed
Be careful about your last week though. If you work any days that week, you need to report those earnings on your final weekly claim. Washington ESD is strict about this stuff.
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Nia Williams
•Good point. My start date is Wednesday so I'll have partial work that week.
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Ethan Campbell
•Yeah definitely report those days worked. Even if it's just 2-3 days, Washington ESD needs to know.
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Yuki Watanabe
I tried calling Washington ESD about this same thing last month and couldn't get through. Spent hours on hold. If you need to actually talk to someone, I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helped me get connected to an agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.
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Carmen Sanchez
•How much does that cost? Seems like overkill for just stopping benefits.
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Yuki Watanabe
•It was worth it for me because I had other questions about my claim balance. But you're right, probably not necessary just to stop filing.
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Nia Williams
•I'll keep that in mind if I run into any issues. Thanks for the tip!
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Andre Dupont
Make sure you understand the difference between stopping temporarily vs permanently. If this is a temporary job or contract work, you might want to keep your claim active and just report the work weeks.
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Nia Williams
•It's a permanent position, so I think I'm good to just stop filing entirely.
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Andre Dupont
•Perfect then. Just remember your benefit year stays open for a full year from when you first filed, in case anything changes.
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Zoe Papadakis
whatever you do dont keep filing after you start work!!! I made that mistake years ago and Washington ESD came after me for overpayment. Was a nightmare to deal with.
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Nia Williams
•Yikes! That's exactly what I want to avoid. Thanks for the warning.
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Luca Ricci
•This is why it's so important to report work accurately on your final claim. Washington ESD takes fraud seriously.
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Ethan Campbell
The process is actually pretty straightforward. File your last weekly claim for the week before you start work, report any partial work if applicable, then just don't file anymore. Your claim automatically goes inactive after you miss filing for a few weeks.
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ThunderBolt7
•How long before it goes inactive? Is there a specific timeframe?
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Ethan Campbell
•I believe it's after you miss filing for 4 consecutive weeks, but don't quote me on that exact number.
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Carmen Sanchez
I'm in a similar situation but my job doesn't start for another month. Should I keep filing until then?
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Luca Ricci
•Yes, absolutely keep filing weekly claims until you actually start working. You're still unemployed until your start date.
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Carmen Sanchez
•That's what I figured. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything wrong.
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Aisha Mohammed
Also make sure you've completed all your job search requirements for any weeks you're still filing. Washington ESD can audit those even after you stop claiming.
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Nia Williams
•Good reminder. I've been keeping my WorkSourceWA log updated.
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Aisha Mohammed
•Smart. Better to have it and not need it than the other way around.
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Yuki Watanabe
One more thing - if you have any questions about your final payment or timing, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really helped me get through to Washington ESD quickly. Saved me from sitting on hold forever.
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Jamal Edwards
•Did they actually help you reach someone? I've been trying to call for weeks about my adjudication.
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Yuki Watanabe
•Yeah, got connected within like 20 minutes. Way better than the usual 2+ hour wait times.
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ThunderBolt7
Congrats on the new job! The job market is finally improving. What field are you in?
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Nia Williams
•Thanks! It's in tech support. Been looking for 3 months so I'm really relieved.
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ThunderBolt7
•That's awesome. Tech jobs are definitely picking up around here.
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Andre Dupont
Just to be completely clear on the process: file your final weekly claim for your last week of unemployment, report any work during that week if applicable, then simply stop filing. Washington ESD will automatically mark your claim as inactive after you don't file for several consecutive weeks. There's no formal 'cancellation' process needed.
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Nia Williams
•Perfect summary, thank you! That clears up all my confusion.
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Mei Chen
•This is exactly what I needed to know too. Starting a new job Monday!
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Zoe Papadakis
wish washington esd made this clearer on their website. had to figure this out the hard way
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Luca Ricci
•The information is there but it's buried in their FAQ section. Not very user-friendly.
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Zoe Papadakis
•exactly! everything is so confusing on their site
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Liam O'Sullivan
Quick question - if I stop filing now but then lose my job in 6 months, can I restart my claim?
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Andre Dupont
•Yes, as long as it's within your benefit year (12 months from when you first filed). You can reopen your claim and continue from where you left off.
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Liam O'Sullivan
•Good to know. Thanks for the info!
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Ethan Campbell
One final tip - take a screenshot of your account showing your last filed claim and any correspondence. Good to have records just in case any issues come up later.
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Nia Williams
•Smart idea. I'll do that before I stop filing.
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Ethan Campbell
•Always better to have documentation. Washington ESD moves slow but they're thorough when problems arise.
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Amara Okonkwo
Does anyone know if there are any penalties for not filing a closing statement or anything like that?
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Luca Ricci
•No penalties. There's no required 'closing statement' for unemployment claims. You just stop filing when you no longer need benefits.
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Amara Okonkwo
•Thanks, that's a relief. Some government programs are so picky about procedures.
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Carmen Sanchez
This thread has been super helpful. I was worried I'd mess something up with the process.
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Nia Williams
•Same here! Glad I asked before just guessing.
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Andre Dupont
•Always better to ask. Washington ESD issues can get complicated fast if you make mistakes.
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Giovanni Marino
For anyone else reading this - remember that stopping your unemployment doesn't affect any back payments you might be owed. If Washington ESD owes you money from previous weeks, you'll still get those payments.
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Fatima Al-Sayed
•Good point. I had some delayed payments that came through even after I stopped filing.
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Giovanni Marino
•Exactly. The two things are separate processes.
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Jamal Edwards
Still trying to get through to Washington ESD about my ongoing adjudication. Might have to try that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier.
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Yuki Watanabe
•It's definitely worth it if you've been waiting weeks. Check out their demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ to see how it works.
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Jamal Edwards
•Thanks, I'll look into it. Been in adjudication for over a month now.
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Dylan Hughes
Just wanted to add - make sure your last week's claim is completely accurate. Don't rush through it just because it's your final one. Washington ESD audits can happen months later.
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Nia Williams
•Definitely planning to be extra careful with that final claim. Thanks for the reminder!
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Dylan Hughes
•Smart approach. Better to spend an extra few minutes getting it right than dealing with problems later.
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NightOwl42
This whole thread should be pinned somewhere. So much useful info about stopping unemployment claims properly.
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Luca Ricci
•Agreed. This question comes up a lot and the official Washington ESD guidance isn't very clear.
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Nia Williams
•Thanks everyone for all the help! Feeling much more confident about the process now.
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Payton Black
Great advice from everyone here! Just want to emphasize one more important point - if you're switching from unemployment to work, make sure you understand how your final paycheck timing might affect your last claim. If you get paid for your first few days of work during the same week you're filing your final unemployment claim, you need to report those earnings accurately. Washington ESD calculates benefits based on when you actually performed the work, not when you receive the paycheck. Better to be overly cautious with reporting than risk an overpayment situation later.
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Alicia Stern
•This is such an important point that I wish I had known earlier! I start work on Wednesday and will definitely get paid that Friday for those three days. So even though my paycheck comes after I file my weekly claim on Sunday, I still need to report those Wednesday-Friday work days on that claim, right? Want to make sure I understand the timing correctly.
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Ella Harper
•Exactly right! You report work based on when you actually worked those days, not when you get paid. So if you work Wednesday-Friday, you'd report those days on your Sunday claim even though you haven't received the paycheck yet. Washington ESD is very specific about this - it's about the work dates, not payment dates. You're being smart to clarify this upfront!
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