How to end unemployment benefits Washington ESD - found job but confused about stopping claims

Congratulations on the new job! You need to report your return to work on your next weekly claim. Don't just stop filing - that can actually cause issues. File your weekly claim and answer 'yes' to the question about returning to work, then provide your start date and employer information. Washington ESD will automatically close your claim once you report full-time employment.

same thing happened to me last month, I was so confused about whether to keep filing or not. Ended up calling Washington ESD but couldn't get through after hours of trying.

Make sure you keep records of your last day of unemployment and first day of work. Washington ESD might ask for verification later, especially if there are any discrepancies in your reporting. Also, if you have any remaining job search contacts logged in WorkSourceWA, you don't need to complete those once you report returning to work.

Wait, what if my new job doesn't work out and I need to reapply for unemployment? Do I have to start completely over or can I reopen my existing claim?

congrats!! 🎉 finally some good news on this forum lol

One more important detail - if you worked any partial days during your last week of unemployment, make sure to report those earnings on your final claim. Even a few hours of work needs to be reported to avoid any overpayment issues down the line.

The system is so confusing about this stuff. Why can't they just make it simple - you get a job, you stop getting benefits. Why all the extra steps and paperwork?

Also worth mentioning - you should receive a determination letter from Washington ESD confirming that your claim has been closed due to return to work. Keep that letter for your records. It's proof that you properly ended your benefits in case any questions come up later.

I had to do this same thing back in March when I got hired. The key is definitely filing that final weekly claim and reporting your return to work properly. Don't just ghost the system or you might have issues if you ever need unemployment again.

What about if you're on standby status and get called back to work? Is the process the same?

For anyone struggling to get through to Washington ESD about closing their claim or other questions, that service I mentioned earlier (Claimyr) has been super helpful. They handle the calling hassle so you can actually talk to someone without spending your whole day on hold.

This is exactly the info I needed! Starting a new job next week and was totally confused about the process. Thanks everyone for the helpful responses.

Make sure your new employer knows your unemployment claim is being closed properly too. Some HR departments want documentation that you've officially ended benefits before your start date.

The whole Washington ESD system is such a bureaucratic nightmare. Even ending benefits has to be complicated 🙄

Quick question - if I start work on a Wednesday, do I report that as my return to work date or do I report the Monday of that week?

This thread should be pinned or something. So many people have questions about properly ending their unemployment benefits and this covers everything.

One thing to add - if you're getting any final payments deposited, make sure your bank account info is still current in your Washington ESD profile. I had a friend who changed banks and almost lost their final payment because of outdated banking info.

Thanks for asking this question OP. I'm in the exact same situation and was about to make a similar post. This thread answered everything I needed to know.

Just wanted to follow up for anyone finding this thread later - I successfully closed my unemployment claim by filing one final weekly claim and reporting my return to work. Got the confirmation letter about a week later. The process was actually pretty smooth once I knew what to do.

For anyone who still needs to reach Washington ESD about their claim closure or has other questions, I'll mention Claimyr one more time since it's been such a game-changer for actually getting through to speak with agents. Way less stressful than the traditional calling approach.

Just wanted to add one more important tip - make sure to take a screenshot of your final weekly claim submission showing that you reported your return to work. It's good backup documentation in case there are ever any questions about when and how you properly closed your claim. I always save screenshots of important ESD submissions just in case their system has issues or records get mixed up somehow.