How to stop filing for unemployment Washington ESD - what's the process?
I got a full-time job offer last week and start Monday. I've been filing weekly claims with Washington ESD for about 2 months but now I need to stop. Do I just stop submitting my weekly claims or is there something specific I need to do to close out my unemployment claim? I don't want to mess anything up or accidentally keep getting benefits I'm not entitled to.
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Finnegan Gunn
Congratulations on the job! You just stop filing your weekly claims once you start working full-time. Make sure your last weekly claim reflects your start date correctly - if you worked any days that week, report those hours and wages.
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Alina Rosenthal
•Thanks! So I don't need to call Washington ESD or fill out any forms to officially close it?
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Finnegan Gunn
•Nope, just stop filing when you're no longer eligible. The claim will automatically become inactive.
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Miguel Harvey
Make sure you report any wages from your new job on your final weekly claim if you worked any days during that claim week. Washington ESD is pretty strict about wage reporting.
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Alina Rosenthal
•Good point. I start Monday so my last claim week will be Sunday, so no overlap.
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Ashley Simian
•Smart to check the dates. I made that mistake once and had to deal with an overpayment notice later.
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Oliver Cheng
I had trouble reaching Washington ESD when I needed to ask about this same thing. Spent hours on hold. Actually found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent - check out claimyr.com if you need to talk to someone. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Taylor To
•Never heard of that but the phone system is definitely brutal. How much does it cost?
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Oliver Cheng
•They don't focus on pricing on their site, more about getting you connected when you actually need to reach an agent.
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Ella Cofer
•Interesting, bookmarking this for future reference.
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Kevin Bell
wait so you just stop filing and thats it??? seems too simple lol
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Finnegan Gunn
•It really is that simple. The system is designed so you only get benefits for weeks you're eligible and file for.
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Kevin Bell
•ok cool just seemed like there should be more paperwork or something
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Miguel Harvey
One thing to keep in mind - if your new job doesn't work out within the first few months, you might be able to reopen your claim instead of filing a new one. Just something to remember.
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Alina Rosenthal
•Oh that's good to know! How long do you have to reopen vs filing new?
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Miguel Harvey
•I think it's within your benefit year, but I'd double-check with Washington ESD if that situation comes up.
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Savannah Glover
Congrats on the job! Just make sure you don't file any more weekly claims once you start working full time. The system will take care of the rest.
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Alina Rosenthal
•Thank you! Feels good to be getting back to work.
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Ashley Simian
I've been on unemployment twice and both times just stopped filing when I got work - never had any issues. Just be honest on your last weekly claim about any work/wages.
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Felix Grigori
•Same experience here. The system is pretty straightforward about this part.
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Alina Rosenthal
•Good to hear from people who've actually done it. Makes me feel more confident.
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Felicity Bud
Make sure you keep records of when you stopped filing in case any questions come up later. I always screenshot my last weekly claim submission.
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Max Reyes
•That's smart. Documentation is always good with government stuff.
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Alina Rosenthal
•Good idea, I'll make sure to save a screenshot of my final submission.
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Taylor To
Does anyone know if there's a way to leave a note in the system about why you stopped filing? Like if you want to document that you found employment?
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Finnegan Gunn
•Not really a formal way to do that in the weekly claim system. If Washington ESD needs info later, they'll contact you.
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Mikayla Davison
•You could always send them a message through your eServices account but it's not required.
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Ella Cofer
The hardest part about stopping unemployment is remembering NOT to file on Sunday mornings after doing it for months! I accidentally started to file one week after I'd already been working for 3 weeks.
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Adrian Connor
•Haha same thing almost happened to me. It becomes such a routine.
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Alina Rosenthal
•I can see how that would happen. I'll have to break the Sunday habit.
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Aisha Jackson
Just wanted to add - if you're starting a job but it's only part-time, you might still be eligible for partial benefits. But if it's full-time like you said, then yeah just stop filing.
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Alina Rosenthal
•It's definitely full-time, 40 hours a week, so I'll be stopping completely.
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Ryder Everingham
•Good clarification though. A lot of people don't realize you can sometimes get partial benefits with part-time work.
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Lilly Curtis
I used Claimyr when I had questions about my claim status - super helpful for actually reaching someone at Washington ESD. Saved me so much time compared to trying to call myself.
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Leo Simmons
•How long did it take them to get you connected to an agent?
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Lilly Curtis
•Way faster than doing it myself. I think they handle all the waiting and callback stuff for you.
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Lindsey Fry
Been filing for 4 months and honestly dreading the day I have to figure out how to stop LOL. Sounds like it's easier than I thought though.
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Alina Rosenthal
•Yeah I was overthinking it too. Seems like you just stop when you're not eligible anymore.
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Saleem Vaziri
•The unemployment system is confusing for a lot of things but this part is actually straightforward.
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Kayla Morgan
One more tip - if you have any unused vacation time or severance pay that kicks in after you start working, make sure you understand how that affects things if you ever need to file again.
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Alina Rosenthal
•No severance in my case but good to know for the future.
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James Maki
•Yeah severance can make things complicated if you need unemployment again later.
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Jasmine Hancock
Honestly the Washington ESD phone system is so bad I'd probably use that Claimyr thing just to avoid the hassle if I ever need to actually talk to someone about stopping my claim.
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Cole Roush
•Right? I've spent entire afternoons trying to get through to them.
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Scarlett Forster
•The fact that third-party services exist just to help people reach government agencies says something about the system.
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Arnav Bengali
Good luck with the new job! The transition off unemployment is always a good feeling. Just remember to keep your login info in case you ever need to access your account for tax documents or whatever.
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Alina Rosenthal
•Thanks! And good point about keeping the login info. I'll need it for tax stuff next year.
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