How to close a unemployment claim in Washington ESD - need help stopping benefits
I just started a new full-time job last week and need to figure out how to properly close my unemployment claim with Washington ESD. I don't want to accidentally keep receiving benefits that I'll have to pay back later. Do I just stop filing my weekly claims or is there a specific process I need to follow? I can't find clear instructions on the Washington ESD website about how to officially close an active claim.
66 comments


Oliver Schmidt
Congratulations on the new job! You should definitely stop filing your weekly claims immediately since you're no longer unemployed. That's the main thing - just don't submit any more weekly claim certifications.
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Amina Diop
•Thanks! Should I call Washington ESD to let them know or will they figure it out when I stop filing?
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Oliver Schmidt
•They'll figure it out automatically when you stop filing weekly claims. The system will show your claim as inactive after a few weeks of no filings.
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Natasha Volkov
Actually you might want to call Washington ESD just to be safe and let them know you found work. I've heard horror stories about people getting overpayment notices months later because of some glitch in the system.
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Amina Diop
•That's exactly what I'm worried about! Have you tried calling them recently? I can never get through.
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Natasha Volkov
•Yeah the phone lines are still terrible. I spent 3 hours on hold last month just to ask a simple question about my job search log.
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Javier Torres
If you can't get through to Washington ESD by phone, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me get through to an actual agent when I needed to report a change in my claim status. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way easier than sitting on hold for hours.
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Amina Diop
•Never heard of that service before. Does it actually work? I'm desperate at this point.
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Javier Torres
•Yeah it worked for me. They basically keep calling until they get you connected to a real person at Washington ESD. Saved me a lot of frustration.
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Emma Wilson
•I used Claimyr too when I had an adjudication issue. Worth it just to avoid the endless busy signals and dropped calls.
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QuantumLeap
WAIT!! Don't just stop filing if you're worried about overpayments. You need to file one final weekly claim where you report your new job and the hours you worked. That creates a paper trail showing exactly when your employment started.
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Amina Diop
•Oh no, now I'm confused. Should I file one more claim or not? I already missed this week's filing deadline.
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QuantumLeap
•You can still file a late claim for last week. Log into your account and look for the option to file a late weekly claim. Report your work hours and wages.
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Oliver Schmidt
•Actually that's good advice. Filing that final claim with your work information is probably the cleanest way to close things out.
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Malik Johnson
i just stopped filing when i got my job back in october and nothing bad happened. been working for 3 months now and no issues with washington esd
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Amina Diop
•That's reassuring to hear. Maybe I'm overthinking this whole thing.
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Isabella Santos
•Same here, I just stopped filing and never heard anything back from them. The system seems to handle it automatically.
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Natasha Volkov
The problem is Washington ESD's computer system doesn't always sync up properly. I know someone who got an overpayment notice 8 months after they stopped filing because the system thought they were still collecting benefits somehow.
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Amina Diop
•This is exactly why I want to do this right! How much was the overpayment?
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Natasha Volkov
•It was like $2,800 that they had to pay back. Took them months to sort it out even though they had documentation of their employment.
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QuantumLeap
•That's why filing that final claim with work information is so important. Creates a clear end date in their system.
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Oliver Schmidt
Here's what I recommend: 1) File a final weekly claim reporting your new job and work hours, 2) Keep documentation of your start date and first paycheck, 3) Try to call Washington ESD or use that Claimyr service to confirm they received your final claim properly.
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Amina Diop
•This sounds like the most thorough approach. Better safe than sorry with these overpayment issues.
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Javier Torres
•Definitely use Claimyr if you want to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD. Their regular phone system is still a nightmare.
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Ravi Sharma
Can I jump in with a related question? What if you want to keep your claim open but just not file for a few weeks? Like if you're doing temporary work but might need to go back on unemployment?
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Oliver Schmidt
•You can skip filing weekly claims and your claim will stay open but inactive. You usually have up to one year from your original claim date to reactivate it.
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Ravi Sharma
•That's exactly what I needed to know, thank you!
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QuantumLeap
•Just make sure you still report any work and earnings when you do file, even if it's weeks later.
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Isabella Santos
The Washington ESD website is so confusing about this stuff. I wish they had clearer instructions about how to properly close a claim vs keeping it open.
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Amina Diop
•I know right? I spent an hour looking through their website and couldn't find anything definitive.
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Emma Wilson
•Their whole website needs an overhaul. Everything is buried in PDFs or hidden in weird menu sections.
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Javier Torres
Update for everyone: I helped my brother close his claim last month using Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD. The agent confirmed that filing a final weekly claim with work information is definitely the best practice. Takes like 5 minutes once you're connected to someone who knows what they're talking about.
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Amina Diop
•That settles it for me. I'm going to file the final claim and then use Claimyr to confirm everything went through properly.
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Natasha Volkov
•Smart move. A few minutes of effort now could save you months of headaches later.
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Freya Larsen
Wait, is there a difference between closing a claim and just letting it expire? Mine is supposed to expire in March and I've been working since December.
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Oliver Schmidt
•If you're not filing weekly claims, it doesn't really matter if it expires naturally. The key is making sure Washington ESD knows when you started working.
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Freya Larsen
•Got it, so as long as I reported my work on my last filing I should be fine.
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Emma Wilson
Pro tip: Take screenshots of your final weekly claim submission and keep your confirmation number. I've learned to document everything with Washington ESD because their records aren't always reliable.
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Amina Diop
•Good thinking. I'll definitely screenshot everything when I file my final claim.
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QuantumLeap
•Also keep your job offer letter and first pay stub just in case they ask for proof later.
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Omar Hassan
Does anyone know if there's a penalty for keeping your claim open too long after finding work? Like what if you forget to close it but don't file any claims?
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Oliver Schmidt
•No penalty for having an open but inactive claim. The issue only comes up if you file weekly claims while working without reporting it properly.
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Omar Hassan
•That makes sense. Thanks for clarifying!
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Amina Diop
Thanks everyone for all the advice! I'm going to file a final weekly claim today reporting my new job, then use Claimyr to call Washington ESD and confirm they processed it correctly. Better to be safe than deal with overpayment issues later.
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Javier Torres
•You're making the right choice. Congrats again on the new job!
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Oliver Schmidt
•Good luck with the new position! You handled this the smart way.
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Natasha Volkov
•Let us know how it goes with Claimyr. Always curious to hear if these services actually work.
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Chloe Taylor
This thread was super helpful. I'm in a similar situation and was just going to stop filing without doing anything else. Definitely going to file that final claim now.
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Amina Diop
•Glad it helped! I was planning to do the same thing until everyone here set me straight.
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QuantumLeap
•It's always better to be thorough with Washington ESD. Their system can be unpredictable.
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ShadowHunter
Quick question - if I file that final claim with work information, will I still get paid for any days I was unemployed before starting the job?
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Oliver Schmidt
•Yes, you can still get partial benefits for the days you were unemployed that week, as long as you report everything accurately.
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ShadowHunter
•Perfect, thanks! I was unemployed for 3 days before starting work so I wanted to make sure I could still claim those.
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Diego Ramirez
The whole unemployment system is so stressful even when you're trying to do the right thing. Why can't they just make this process clearer?
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Emma Wilson
•Seriously! Half the stress of unemployment is dealing with the bureaucracy, not just finding work.
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Amina Diop
•At least forums like this help people figure out what to do. The official resources are pretty useless.
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Anastasia Sokolov
One more thing to consider - make sure your new employer knows you were on unemployment. Some places want documentation for their records, especially if there's any overlap with your start date.
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Amina Diop
•Good point. I'll mention it to HR when I fill out my new hire paperwork.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•It's usually not a big deal but better to be transparent upfront.
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Sean O'Connor
Thanks for this thread! I bookmarked it because I'm sure I'll need this information eventually. Job market is still pretty uncertain.
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Amina Diop
•Hope you don't need it but glad it was helpful just in case!
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Oliver Schmidt
•Smart to plan ahead. Unemployment rules change so often it's good to have current information saved.
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Javier Torres
Final update: I used Claimyr yesterday and got through to Washington ESD in about 15 minutes. The agent confirmed that filing a final weekly claim with employment information is definitely the correct way to close out a claim. She said it prevents 90% of the overpayment issues they see. Worth the peace of mind!
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Amina Diop
•That's exactly what I needed to hear! Definitely using Claimyr after I file my final claim today.
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Natasha Volkov
•15 minutes?? That's amazing. Last time I tried calling directly it took me 4 hours and two dropped calls.
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Emma Wilson
•90% prevention rate on overpayments is a pretty compelling reason to do it right the first time.
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