How to stop unemployment benefits when you find work - Washington ESD process?

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 cause issues with your account. When you file your weekly claim, there's a section where you report any work or job offers. Make sure to report your start date and expected hours/wages.

Make sure you report it correctly or you could end up with an overpayment notice later. I've seen people get hit with those months after they thought everything was closed properly. The Washington ESD system is pretty strict about this stuff.

ugh i hate dealing with washington esd phone calls when you need to ask questions about this stuff. tried calling them last week about my claim and was on hold for like 3 hours before getting disconnected. their system is so frustrating

I'm in a similar situation but my job doesn't start for another two weeks. Should I keep filing weekly claims until then or stop now? I don't want to mess up my benefits if the job falls through.

Pro tip: keep records of everything when you close your claim. Screenshot your final weekly claim submission and save any confirmation numbers. Washington ESD's system can be glitchy and having proof of what you reported can save you headaches later.

Don't forget to update your job search activities too if you're still required to do them. Even though you found work, you might need to report your activities for the current week you're claiming.

Congratulations! Just went through this process myself last month. The key is being completely honest about your start date and wages. Washington ESD will eventually get employment verification from your employer anyway, so there's no point in trying to hide anything.

wait so you can't just stop filing weekly claims?? i thought once you got a job you were done with unemployment stuff

Make sure your new job is actually secure before you close your benefits. I closed mine too early once and when the job didn't work out after a week, I had to reopen my claim and it was a huge hassle.

The Washington ESD website has a section about reporting return to work but it's kind of buried in their FAQ section. Basically you report it on your weekly claim and your benefits stop automatically. Pretty straightforward once you know where to look.

I had to call Washington ESD when I went back to work because I had some questions about my specific situation. Took forever to get through but the agent was actually really helpful once I finally reached someone.

congrats on the new job! just make sure you dont have any outstanding issues with your claim before you close it. i had a job search requirement issue that i had to resolve first

This is timely for me too. I got a job offer yesterday and was wondering about the same thing. Sounds like I need to file my weekly claim this Sunday and report the job details on there.

The most important thing is to report your ACTUAL start date, not when you got the offer. I made that mistake once and it caused confusion with my claim closure.

If you have any doubts about how to report it correctly, you can always call Washington ESD for guidance. Better to ask questions than deal with overpayment issues later.

Just a heads up - you might get a follow-up questionnaire from Washington ESD after you report going back to work. They sometimes send these to verify employment details. Don't ignore it if you get one.

Another thing to remember - if you've been getting benefits for a while, you might have taxes withheld. Make sure you account for that when you file your taxes next year.

Congrats again! You've got good advice here. Just file your weekly claim, report your return to work accurately, and you should be all set. The system usually handles the rest automatically.

One more tip that hasn't been mentioned - if your new job is part-time or you're not sure about the hours yet, you might still be eligible for partial unemployment benefits. Don't automatically assume you need to close your claim completely if you're not working full-time hours. Washington ESD has provisions for people who are working reduced hours and can still receive some benefits to supplement their income. Just make sure to report all wages accurately on your weekly claims.

Great comprehensive advice in this thread! One additional detail worth mentioning - when you file your final weekly claim and report your return to work, make sure you also have your employer information ready including their full business name, address, and your supervisor's contact info. Sometimes Washington ESD will want to verify employment directly with your employer, so having all that information accurate and readily available can help speed up the process. Also, if you're eligible for any severance pay or vacation payout from your previous job, make sure you understand how that might affect your benefits timeline. Good luck with the new position!