How to end unemployment claim with Washington ESD - need to stop benefits

Congratulations on the new job! You'll want to file your final weekly claim for any weeks you were unemployed, then stop filing going forward. Make sure to report your start date and any wages earned. Don't just stop filing without reporting the job - Washington ESD needs to know why you're stopping.

I had the same situation last year. You can handle most of this online through your account. Log into SecureAccess Washington, file your weekly claim, and when it asks about work or job offers, report your new position. The system will automatically stop your benefits once you report full-time employment.

Actually, if you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to confirm the process, I recently discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which helps you reach ESD agents by phone. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you want to speak with someone directly about closing your claim properly.

Don't overthink this! Just stop filing weekly claims once you start working full-time. The system isn't as complicated as people make it seem. If you report everything accurately on your final claim, you'll be fine.

Make sure you understand the difference between temporarily stopping and permanently closing your claim. If there's any chance you might need benefits again soon (like if the job doesn't work out), you might want to keep the claim open but just stop filing weekly.

Whatever you do, don't just disappear without filing a final claim. I made that mistake years ago and had to deal with a mess later when they tried to say I was overpaid.

The key thing is timing. File your weekly claim for the last week you were actually unemployed, report your new job start date, and then stop filing. Simple as that.

I'm curious about this too since I might be getting a job offer soon. Do you have to give back any benefits if you start working sooner than expected?

Been through this process twice now. Just be honest about your employment status and stop filing when you're supposed to. Washington ESD's system is pretty straightforward once you understand it.

Do you need to notify them about health insurance changes too? I know some people get insurance through their unemployment benefits.

Honestly, calling Washington ESD directly is still your best bet for getting official guidance. I know it's hard to get through, but that's why services like Claimyr exist - to help you actually reach someone.

One more thing - make sure you have your final pay stub when you file that last claim. They might ask for verification of your employment start date.

The whole process gave me anxiety too, but it's really not that bad. Just follow the steps everyone outlined and you'll be fine. Congrats on the new job!

I was in a similar situation last month. Used Claimyr to get through to ESD and confirm the process. The agent I spoke with was really helpful and walked me through exactly what to do.

Pro tip: if you're worried about overpayments, you can always call ESD after you file your final claim to confirm everything was processed correctly.

The most important thing is not to keep filing weekly claims after you start working. That's where people get into trouble with overpayments.

This thread has been really helpful! I'm bookmarking it in case I need to reference it later.

Just wanted to add that you should also update your job search activities in WorkSourceWA if you've been using that. Let them know you found employment.

Summary for anyone else reading: File your final weekly claim reporting your new job, then stop filing going forward. Keep records of everything. Don't overthink it!