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

Congratulations on the new job! You actually don't need to formally 'stop' your claim - just stop filing your weekly claims. When you don't file for a week, Washington ESD automatically considers that week inactive. Make sure you report your start date and wages on your final weekly claim if you worked any hours that week.

You should also keep all your job search documentation even after you stop claiming, just in case Washington ESD audits your claim later. They sometimes review claims months after they're closed.

Congratulations on the job! You can stop your claim online through your Washington ESD account. Just log in and there should be an option to close your claim. Make sure you file your last weekly claim for any days you were unemployed before starting work.

Congrats on the new job! You need to report the employment on your next weekly claim and then stop filing. Don't just stop filing without reporting the job - that could cause issues later. When you file your weekly claim, there's a section where you report any work or job offers. Fill that out completely with your start date and wages.

You definitely want to be proactive about this. I forgot to stop mine properly a few years ago and ended up with a $1,200 overpayment notice. Not fun to deal with.

Make sure you don't file another weekly claim after your start date. I made the mistake of filing one more weekly claim after I started working because I thought I had to 'close out' my claim. Had to pay back that week's benefits.

Make sure you keep records of everything! Save screenshots of your final claim submission and any confirmation emails. I had a friend who stopped filing correctly but later got questioned about it during an audit.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD by phone to confirm the closure, I recently discovered this service called Claimyr that helped me reach an agent quickly. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you want to speak to someone directly about properly ending your claim.

I had trouble reaching Washington ESD when I needed to ask about this same situation. Spent hours calling and kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent who confirmed exactly how to handle stopping benefits. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Make sure you report your last day of unemployment accurately when you file your final weekly claim. Washington ESD is pretty strict about this stuff and they cross-reference with employer records.

ive been thru this before - you can close your claim online but sometimes the system is glitchy. if you cant find the option to close it just stop filing weekly claims and it will automatically close after a few weeks

If you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about properly closing your claim, I recently discovered claimyr.com - it's a service that helps you get through to ESD agents without sitting on hold forever. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Might be worth it if you want to confirm everything is handled correctly.

DONT FORGET TO REPORT THE JOB!! I made this mistake years ago and just stopped filing without reporting my new employment. Ended up with a whole mess to clean up later when they wanted to know why I stopped claiming without explanation.

wait so you dont have to tell them you got a job?? i thought there was like a form or something you had to fill out

You can also call the main Washington ESD number to let them know you're returning to work, but honestly the online reporting through your weekly claim is easier and creates a better paper trail.

One thing to be careful about - if you're starting part-time or temporary work, you might still be able to file weekly claims and receive partial benefits. Make sure you understand the difference between stopping benefits completely versus reporting work income.

MAKE SURE you keep documentation of when you officially ended your claim! I can't stress this enough. Screenshot everything, save emails, whatever you can. Washington ESD has been known to mess up records and you'll want proof if there's ever a dispute.

The Washington ESD website actually has a FAQ about this but it's buried in their help section. Basically confirms what everyone is saying - just stop filing weekly claims when you no longer need benefits.

Question - if he files his final weekly claim on Sunday but doesn't start work until Monday, does he need to report 0 hours for that week or something else?

Just went through this same process last month. Filed my final weekly claim reporting the new job, then never filed again. Got a letter from Washington ESD about a week later confirming my claim was closed due to return to work. Everything went smoothly.

One thing to watch out for - if your new job doesn't work out for some reason within the first few weeks, you might be able to reopen your claim instead of starting completely over. But definitely stop benefits while you're working full-time.

Make sure you understand what 'full-time' means for Washington ESD purposes too. I think it's 35+ hours per week but double-check that your new position definitely qualifies as full-time employment that would end your UI eligibility.

Pro tip: if you ever need to contact Washington ESD about claim closure or any other issues, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier really does work. Used it twice now and both times got through to an actual person without the usual phone tree nightmare.

Congratulations on the new job! The timing worked out well that you can file one final claim to properly close everything out. Just be thorough with reporting all the details about your new employment.

Also worth noting - if your new job doesn't work out within the first few weeks, you may be able to reopen your claim without having to refile completely. Just something to keep in mind.

When you log into your Washington ESD account, look for something like 'Stop Filing Claims' or 'Close Claim' - the exact wording changes sometimes but it should be pretty obvious. Just make sure you file your last weekly claim first for any days you were unemployed.

Congratulations on finding work! The job market has been brutal lately. Just curious - how long were you on unemployment before finding this position?

I was in a similar situation but made it more complicated than it needed to be. Tried calling Washington ESD multiple times before just handling it online. The online weekly claim reporting is definitely the way to go - much simpler and you get confirmation right away.

Pro tip: screenshot your final weekly claim confirmation for your records. If any issues come up later about when you stopped claiming, you'll have proof of your last filing date.

One more tip - if you have any remaining job search contacts you haven't logged yet, you might want to enter those before closing your claim. Just in case there are any audits later, you want your records to be complete.

One more thought - if you do run into any issues or questions after you submit that final claim, Claimyr can help you get through to Washington ESD quickly. I mentioned it earlier but it really is a game-changer for reaching ESD agents when you need clarification on claim closure or any other UI matters.

Remember that you might get a final payment for that last week depending on when your benefit week ends vs when you start working. Don't be surprised if you get one more deposit after reporting the job.

Does anyone know if you can restart your claim later if the new job doesn't work out? Like if you get laid off again within the benefit year?

Just wanted to add - keep all your job search documentation even after you stop claiming. Washington ESD sometimes does audits months later and you want to have everything organized just in case.

This thread is really helpful! I'm starting a new job next week too and wasn't sure about the process. Sounds like filing that final weekly claim with the job information is the key step.

The whole process seems straightforward but I get why people worry about doing it wrong. Washington ESD can be pretty strict about overpayments so it's smart to be careful and report everything properly.

Quick question - does anyone know how long it takes for Washington ESD to send that confirmation letter after you report returning to work? Just curious about the timeline.

Best of luck with the new position! Sounds like you've got a solid plan for properly ending your unemployment benefits. The main thing is just being thorough and honest with your reporting.

If you do end up needing to call Washington ESD for any reason during this process, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really does work well. I was able to get through to an agent in under 10 minutes instead of the usual hours of busy signals.

Just to be extra clear - you're not required to notify Washington ESD before stopping your claim, but you are required to report accurately on your weekly claims. So if you start work on Monday, your Sunday claim should reflect that you'll be starting work.

congrats on the new job btw! what field are you in? always nice to hear success stories

The whole process should be pretty straightforward online. Washington ESD has actually improved their website quite a bit over the past year. Just make sure you're logged into the right account and follow the prompts.

Whatever you do, DON'T just ignore it and hope it stops automatically. I've seen too many people get hit with overpayment notices because they thought the system would figure it out on its own.

If you run into any technical issues with the website, try using a different browser or clearing your cache. The Washington ESD site can be finicky sometimes.

One final piece of advice - once you close your claim, you'll get a confirmation notice. Keep that for your records along with any other documentation from your claim period. You never know when you might need it for tax purposes or future benefit applications.

Just wanted to mention again that if you do need to speak with Washington ESD directly for any reason, Claimyr at claimyr.com has been a lifesaver for actually getting through to a human. Way better than the endless busy signals and hold music.

Good luck with the new job! Make sure to save some money from your first few paychecks just in case - you never know what might happen and it's good to have a buffer after being unemployed.

The process really is straightforward once you know what to do. File your last weekly claim accurately, then close the claim through your online account. Keep documentation of everything. You'll be all set.

yeah this thread has been super helpful. i might need to do this myself soon if my interviews go well

I stopped filing weekly claims when I got hired but then had questions about my final payment timing. Used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it was actually really helpful for getting through to Washington ESD to confirm everything was processed correctly.

Make sure your new employer knows your start date so there's no confusion about when you stopped receiving unemployment benefits. Some employers ask about this during onboarding.

UGH the whole system is so confusing! Why can't they just have a simple STOP BENEFITS button somewhere obvious on the website?? Everything with Washington ESD is needlessly complicated.

Just wanted to add - keep checking your account for a few weeks after you stop filing to make sure no erroneous payments show up. Sometimes there are system delays and you want to catch any overpayments quickly.

Honestly I was in the same boat last month - got hired and panicked about how to stop benefits properly. Turns out it's way simpler than I thought. Just don't file your next weekly claim and you're done!

One more thing - if you've been doing the WorkSourceWA job search activities, you can stop those too once you stop filing weekly claims. No need to keep logging job search activities if you're not claiming benefits.

Thanks for posting this question! I'm starting a new job next week too and was wondering the exact same thing. This thread has been super helpful.

For anyone else reading this thread later - the key points are: 1) Stop filing weekly claims when you start full-time work, 2) Report work/wages on your final claim if applicable, 3) Keep your job search records, and 4) Monitor your account for a few weeks to catch any issues. That covers all the main bases.