How to properly end your Washington ESD unemployment claim when you get a job
I just got hired for a full-time position starting Monday and I'm not sure how to properly close out my unemployment claim with Washington ESD. Do I need to file one more weekly claim for this week or just stop filing? I don't want to mess anything up or accidentally create an overpayment situation. Also wondering if there's any paperwork I need to submit to officially end my claim status.
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Sofia Peña
Congratulations on the job! You need to file your weekly claim for any week you were unemployed, even if it's just part of the week. So if you were unemployed Sunday through Saturday but start work Monday, you'd still file for that partial week. Just report your start date and any wages earned.
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Hunter Hampton
•Thank you! So I should file this Sunday for the current week and just put my start date as Monday?
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Sofia Peña
•Exactly! And make sure to answer 'yes' when it asks if you worked and report your first day of work. The system will automatically adjust your benefit.
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Aaron Boston
The good news is that Washington ESD doesn't require any special paperwork to 'close' your claim. Once you stop filing weekly claims, your claim will just go inactive. But like the previous poster said, make sure you file for any week where you were unemployed for any part of that week.
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Hunter Hampton
•That's a relief! I was worried I'd have to call them and we all know how impossible that is.
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Sophia Carter
•Lol yeah calling Washington ESD is a nightmare. I actually found this service called Claimyr that calls for you and gets you through to an agent if you ever need to talk to someone. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Chloe Zhang
Just a heads up - if you're getting any kind of severance pay or vacation payout from your previous job, make sure to report that too. Washington ESD considers that wages and it could affect your benefit amount for that week.
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Hunter Hampton
•I did get paid out for unused vacation days. Do I report that for the week I received it or spread it out?
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Chloe Zhang
•Report it for the week you actually received the payment, not spread out. The system will handle the calculations.
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Brandon Parker
congratulations!! i remember being so nervous about messing up my claim when i got my job back. just make sure you keep filing until you're completely done with unemployment - dont skip any weeks or you might have issues later
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Hunter Hampton
•Thanks! Did you have to do anything special to officially end your claim?
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Brandon Parker
•nope just stopped filing weekly claims once i was working full time. super easy
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Adriana Cohn
MAKE SURE YOU DONT ACCIDENTALLY FILE AFTER YOURE WORKING FULL TIME!!! I had a friend who kept filing out of habit and got hit with a huge overpayment notice. Washington ESD does NOT mess around with overpayments.
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Hunter Hampton
•Yikes! I'll definitely be careful about that. Good reminder to pay attention to what I'm doing.
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Jace Caspullo
•Yeah overpayments are no joke. They'll garnish your wages if you don't pay it back. Better to be safe than sorry.
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Sofia Peña
One more tip - if your new job doesn't work out within the first few weeks, you can usually reopen your existing claim rather than filing a brand new one. Just something to keep in mind, though hopefully you won't need it!
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Hunter Hampton
•That's good to know! Hopefully I won't need that info but it's reassuring to know the option exists.
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Melody Miles
•How long do you have to reopen an existing claim? Is there a time limit?
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Sofia Peña
•I believe it's within the benefit year, so usually up to 52 weeks from when you first filed. But don't quote me on that - you'd want to check with Washington ESD directly.
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Sophia Carter
If you ever do need to contact Washington ESD about your claim status or have questions, I highly recommend using Claimyr instead of trying to call yourself. I wasted hours trying to get through on my own before discovering this service. It's been a lifesaver for getting actual answers.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
•Never heard of Claimyr but honestly anything is better than sitting on hold for 3 hours just to get disconnected.
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Sophia Carter
•Exactly! They handle all the calling and waiting for you. Worth every penny when you actually need to reach someone at Washington ESD.
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Eva St. Cyr
This is probably obvious but make sure you update your job search log one last time if you're still in the system. Don't want any flags on your account even if you're ending your claim.
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Hunter Hampton
•Good point! I'll make sure to log my job search activities for this week before I file my final claim.
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Kristian Bishop
•Wait do you still have to do job searches if you already have a job lined up? That seems redundant.
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Eva St. Cyr
•You're required to do job searches for any week you're claiming benefits, even if you know you're starting work soon. It's just how the system works.
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Jace Caspullo
Just wanted to add - keep all your documentation from your unemployment claim in case you need it for taxes next year. The 1099-G form you'll get in January will show all the unemployment benefits you received in 2025.
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Hunter Hampton
•Oh right, unemployment is taxable income. I almost forgot about that. Thanks for the reminder!
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Kaitlyn Otto
•Yeah I got burned on that my first time filing. Owed a bunch of money because I didn't set aside taxes from my unemployment payments.
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Axel Far
i had to end my claim last year when i got a job and it was way easier than i thought it would be. just stop filing and you're good. washington esd makes it seem more complicated than it really is
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Hunter Hampton
•That's reassuring! I was overthinking it. Thanks for sharing your experience.
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Jasmine Hernandez
•Same here. The hardest part was remembering to actually stop filing lol. Almost filed out of habit the first week.
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Luis Johnson
Pro tip: Screenshot your final weekly claim filing just in case. I always keep records of everything with Washington ESD because you never know when you might need proof of something.
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Hunter Hampton
•Smart idea! I'll definitely do that. Better safe than sorry with government stuff.
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Ellie Kim
•Yes! I learned this the hard way when I had to prove when I stopped claiming benefits. Screenshots saved me from a big headache.
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Fiona Sand
Does anyone know if there's a waiting period before you can file again if you need to? Like if the new job doesn't work out after a month?
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Sofia Peña
•If you quit voluntarily, there could be a disqualification period. But if you're laid off or terminated through no fault of your own, you should be able to reopen your claim without issues.
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Fiona Sand
•Good to know. Hopefully won't need that info but it's smart to understand the rules.
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Mohammad Khaled
Congrats on the new job! The transition off unemployment can be stressful but you're asking all the right questions. Just file your last weekly claim properly and you'll be all set.
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Hunter Hampton
•Thank you! Yeah it's been a long journey but I'm excited to be working again. Appreciate all the helpful advice from everyone.
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Alina Rosenthal
•This thread was super helpful! I'm in a similar situation and was wondering about the same things.
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Sophia Carter
One last thing - if you ever run into issues with Washington ESD after ending your claim, definitely check out Claimyr. They've helped me reach agents when I couldn't get through on my own. Sometimes you need to clarify things even after your claim is closed.
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Hunter Hampton
•I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for all the help everyone! This community has been amazing.
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Finnegan Gunn
•Seriously, this thread answered so many questions I didn't even know I had. Good luck with the new job!
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Keisha Williams
Best of luck with your new job Hunter! Just to add one more point - if you're starting work mid-week, make sure you report the exact hours you worked on your weekly claim. Washington ESD calculates partial benefits based on hours worked, so being precise helps avoid any confusion. Also, don't forget to report your gross wages (before taxes) for any work you do during that benefit week. The system is pretty forgiving if you make honest mistakes, but accuracy is always better!
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Honorah King
•This is such great advice! I was wondering about the hours reporting too. Quick question - when you say "gross wages," does that include any signing bonus or just the hourly/salary pay? My new company is giving me a small signing bonus with my first paycheck and I want to make sure I report everything correctly.
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