How to cancel unemployment benefits with Washington ESD - need help ASAP
I just got hired for a full-time position starting Monday and need to cancel my unemployment benefits immediately. I don't want to get into trouble for collecting benefits when I'm not eligible anymore. I've been filing weekly claims for the past 2 months but can't figure out how to actually cancel or close my claim on the Washington ESD website. Do I just stop filing weekly claims or is there something specific I need to do? Really don't want to mess this up and end up owing money back.
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Ally Tailer
Congratulations on the new job! You don't actually 'cancel' your unemployment claim - you just stop filing weekly claims once you start working. Make sure you report your first day of work on your final weekly claim.
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Callum Savage
•Thanks! So I don't need to call Washington ESD or fill out any forms to officially close it?
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Ally Tailer
•Nope, just stop filing when you start working full-time. Your claim will become inactive automatically.
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Aliyah Debovski
Actually you should call Washington ESD to let them know about your new job. I've heard horror stories of people getting overpayment notices months later because they didn't properly close their claim.
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Callum Savage
•Now I'm confused - do I need to call or not? The website doesn't make this clear at all.
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Miranda Singer
•Good luck getting through to Washington ESD by phone. I've been trying to reach them for weeks about my adjudication issue and can never get past the busy signal.
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Cass Green
•If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD, I recently discovered Claimyr at claimyr.com - they actually got me connected to an agent in under 10 minutes. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Might be worth trying if you want to speak to someone directly about properly closing your claim.
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Finley Garrett
Wait, I thought you had to keep your claim open in case the new job doesn't work out? That's what my friend told me when she started working again.
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Ally Tailer
•Your claim stays open for a full year from when you first filed, but you stop collecting benefits when you're working full-time. If you lose the job later, you can restart filing weekly claims without having to reapply.
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Finley Garrett
•Oh that makes sense! So the claim itself doesn't close, just the benefit payments stop.
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Madison Tipne
Just stop filing your weekly claims and report your start date on your last claim. That's literally all you need to do. Washington ESD makes everything sound more complicated than it actually is.
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Callum Savage
•This is reassuring, thanks! I was worried I'd have to navigate more Washington ESD bureaucracy.
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Miranda Singer
Make sure you keep records of when you stopped filing and your start date at the new job. I had an issue last year where Washington ESD claimed I filed for benefits after I started working, even though I didn't.
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Callum Savage
•Good point about keeping records. Did you have to appeal or how did you resolve that?
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Miranda Singer
•I had to file an appeal and provide my employment start date documentation. It took 3 months to resolve but they eventually reversed the overpayment.
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Holly Lascelles
congrats on the job!! just dont file next week and youll be fine. washington esd will figure it out
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Callum Savage
•Thanks! Hoping it's that simple.
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Ally Tailer
One important thing - if you're starting work mid-week, you can still file for the days you weren't working that week. Just report your hours and wages accurately on your weekly claim.
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Callum Savage
•I'm starting Monday so I think I just won't file for next week at all. This week I haven't worked so I'll file normally.
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Aliyah Debovski
•That sounds right. Just make sure to mark your start date correctly on this week's claim.
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Malia Ponder
The Washington ESD system is so confusing about this stuff. Why can't they just have a simple 'close claim' button?
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Madison Tipne
•Because then they'd have to make their website user-friendly, and that's apparently not in their budget.
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Finley Garrett
•Seriously! I spent an hour looking for how to update my job search contacts before I realized you just enter them in the weekly claim.
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Cass Green
If anyone needs to actually speak with Washington ESD about claim issues, I used Claimyr recently and it was a game changer. No more sitting on hold for hours or getting disconnected. Worth checking out if you're dealing with any complications.
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Miranda Singer
•How much does that cost? I'm tired of trying to call them myself but don't want to spend a fortune.
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Cass Green
•It's definitely worth it considering the time saved. Way better than spending entire days trying to get through on your own.
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Kyle Wallace
I did exactly what you're doing - got a job and just stopped filing weekly claims. No issues at all. Washington ESD doesn't require you to formally close anything.
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Callum Savage
•Perfect, this gives me confidence I'm doing it right. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Aliyah Debovski
Actually, let me clarify my earlier comment. You don't HAVE to call Washington ESD, but it doesn't hurt to document that you stopped benefits due to employment. I called just to be safe.
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Callum Savage
•Did they tell you anything specific when you called, or just note it in your file?
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Aliyah Debovski
•They just confirmed my employment start date and noted it. The rep said stopping weekly claims was the right thing to do.
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Ryder Ross
Pro tip: take screenshots of your last weekly claim submission showing your employment start date. That way you have proof if any issues come up later.
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Callum Savage
•Smart idea! I'll definitely do that this week.
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Ally Tailer
•Screenshots are always good to have with Washington ESD. Their system sometimes has glitches.
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Gianni Serpent
Wait so if I quit my job in a few months can I just start filing weekly claims again without reapplying?
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Ally Tailer
•As long as it's within your benefit year and you have weeks left on your claim, yes. But if you quit voluntarily you might not be eligible - you usually need to be laid off or fired for non-misconduct reasons.
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Gianni Serpent
•Good to know, thanks! I wasn't planning to quit but good to understand how it works.
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Henry Delgado
The key thing is being accurate on your final weekly claim. Report your last day of unemployment and first day of work correctly. Washington ESD uses that info to calculate your final payment.
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Callum Savage
•Will do! I want to make sure everything is reported correctly so there are no issues down the road.
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Olivia Kay
ugh the washington esd website is so bad at explaining this stuff clearly. took me forever to figure out how to even file my first weekly claim
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Madison Tipne
•Tell me about it. Their whole system feels like it was designed in 1995 and never updated.
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Miranda Singer
Just wanted to add - if you have any complications or questions come up after you stop filing, don't hesitate to reach out to Washington ESD. Even though their phone system is terrible, it's better to get clarification than assume.
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Cass Green
•Or use Claimyr to skip the phone hassle entirely. I've recommended it to several people now and everyone's had success getting through to actual Washington ESD agents quickly.
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Callum Savage
•Good to know that option exists if I run into any issues. Hopefully I won't need it!
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Joshua Hellan
Congrats on the new job! You're overthinking this - Washington ESD makes it sound complicated but it's really not. Just stop filing when you start working full time.
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Callum Savage
•Thanks! You're probably right, I tend to overthink these government processes.
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Jibriel Kohn
Make sure you understand the difference between stopping benefits temporarily vs permanently. Since your claim stays open for a year, you could restart if something happens with the new job.
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Callum Savage
•That's actually really helpful to know. I didn't realize the claim stayed open for the full year.
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Ally Tailer
•Exactly - your benefit year runs for 52 weeks from when you first filed, regardless of whether you're actively collecting.
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Edison Estevez
I stopped filing 6 months ago when I got hired and haven't had any issues. Just make sure your last weekly claim accurately reflects when you stopped being unemployed.
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Callum Savage
•Perfect, thanks for the real-world confirmation that this approach works!
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Holly Lascelles
honestly washington esd should send like a confirmation email when you stop filing or something. would make this whole thing less stressful
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Madison Tipne
•That would require them to actually think about user experience, which is clearly not a priority.
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Callum Savage
•An email confirmation would definitely be nice! But sounds like I just need to stop filing and keep good records.
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Andre Laurent
I went through this exact same situation last year! You're doing the right thing by being proactive about it. Just to add to what everyone else has said - when you file your final weekly claim, make sure you answer "yes" to the question about returning to work and enter your start date accurately. The system will automatically calculate your final benefit amount based on that information. Also keep in mind that if you work any partial days during your claim week, you can still receive partial benefits for the days you didn't work. But since you're starting Monday, it sounds like you'll just file normally this week and then stop filing altogether. Good luck with the new job!
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