How to unenroll from unemployment Washington ESD - need to stop benefits

Thanks! So I don't need to call them or fill out any forms? Just stop filing weekly claims?

Exactly. Just make sure your last weekly claim accurately reflects your work start date and any wages earned that week.

Oh no, what happened with the overpayment? How much trouble was it to resolve?

They said I was overpaid for 3 days because I didn't report my start date correctly. Took forever to get through to someone at Washington ESD to explain it.

This is exactly why I used Claimyr when I had issues reaching Washington ESD. Check out claimyr.com - they help you get through to an actual agent instead of waiting on hold forever. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

No, you don't pay back unemployment just because you got a job! You only have to pay it back if you were overpaid due to errors or not reporting work/wages correctly.

ok good i was worried i'd have to give back everything when i find work

What if I have orientation on Friday but don't officially start until Monday? Do I report Friday as my work start date?

Report the first day you receive any pay, even for orientation. If orientation is unpaid, then report Monday as your start date.

This is confusing - I had orientation that was paid but my manager said I didn't officially start until the next week. Washington ESD rules are so unclear sometimes.

How long does it take for them to automatically close the claim? Will I get any notification?

You won't get a formal notification, but if you log into your Washington ESD account after a few weeks of not filing, you'll see the claim status has changed.

Thanks, that's reassuring. I was worried there was some complicated process I was missing.

How many hours do you need to work to maintain eligibility if you have to file again?

In Washington, you generally need to work at least 340 hours or earn 340 times the minimum wage since your last claim to establish a new claim period.

Yeah, I learned this the hard way when a job didn't work out after just two weeks.

It's a permanent full-time position, so I'm confident about stopping. But that's good advice for others who might have temporary work.

Just remember, if you're working full-time, you're not available for work and wouldn't be eligible for benefits anyway. You can't collect UI while working full-time hours.

Good idea! I'll screenshot my final weekly claim confirmation.

I had luck with Claimyr for reaching Washington ESD when I needed to verify my claim closure. Way better than trying to call directly and getting hung up on.

Never heard of that service but sounds useful. The Washington ESD phone system is brutal.

It does seem complicated at first, but stopping benefits is actually the easy part - just stop filing weekly claims when you're working full-time.

That's exactly what I was hoping to hear! Thanks for sharing your experience.

I was on for about 6 weeks. Keep at it! The job market seems to be picking up lately.

Thanks for the encouragement. Hopefully I'll be asking this same question soon!

Will do! I didn't think about checking messages after stopping claims.

Definitely going to be very careful about that. Thanks for the reminder!

Thank you! Feeling much more confident about the process now.

Good to know there are options if I do need to call them. Hopefully won't need to though!

Yeah, hopefully you won't! But it's nice to know it's there if something comes up with your final claim processing.

That's reassuring to know. Hopefully won't need it but good to keep in mind!