Washington ESD unemployment benefits after moving to another state - still eligible?

Yes, you can generally collect Washington ESD benefits even if you move to another state. The key is that you earned the wages in Washington, so Washington ESD is responsible for paying your benefits. You just need to make sure you continue meeting all the eligibility requirements like being able and available for work.

I moved from Washington to California last year while collecting UI and had no problems. Just kept filing my weekly claims online through the Washington ESD website. Make sure you update your address though.

Been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks about a similar question but their phone lines are impossible. Anyone have luck actually talking to someone there recently?

Wait, I'm confused about this whole thing. If you move to another state don't you have to file in that state instead? I thought each state handled their own unemployment.

Make sure you're not working in the other state without reporting it. That can get you in trouble with Washington ESD real quick.

I moved to Arizona while on Washington unemployment and it was fine. Just keep doing your weekly claims and job searches. The only issue I had was with some employers thinking it was weird I was looking from out of state.

The Washington ESD website has info about this in their FAQ section. Basically as long as you're still looking for work and available to work, location doesn't matter.

Just be careful about the able and available requirement. If you move somewhere that limits your job opportunities, Washington ESD might question your availability.

I had a friend who moved to Texas while collecting Washington unemployment and had issues because Texas has different rules about some things. But I think she eventually sorted it out.

The important thing is to keep filing your weekly claims on time and honestly report any changes. Moving states isn't automatically disqualifying.

I'm dealing with something similar but opposite - I live in Washington but worked in Oregon before getting laid off. It's confusing figuring out which state to file with.

Make sure to keep documentation of your job search activities. Washington ESD requires you to log your work search efforts and they can audit you at any time.

Anyone else having trouble with the Washington ESD website lately? It keeps timing out when I try to file my weekly claim.

The key thing to remember is that interstate unemployment claims are totally normal. Thousands of people do this every year. Don't overthink it.

If you run into any issues with Washington ESD questioning your move, you might want to get help reaching them. I used Claimyr recently when I had adjudication problems and they helped me get through to explain my situation to an actual person.

Just wanted to add that you should also check if the state you're moving to has any special requirements for out-of-state job seekers. Some states have different rules about unemployment recipients.

Been collecting Washington unemployment for 6 months now and moved twice during that time. Never had any issues as long as I kept my address updated and continued my job search.

The bottom line is Washington ESD cares more about whether you're actively looking for work than where you're looking from. Just be honest and keep good records.

One last thing - if you do move, make sure your new address can receive mail from Washington ESD. Sometimes they send important notices that require a response.

This thread has been really helpful. I'm in a similar situation and was worried about losing my benefits. Sounds like it's more straightforward than I thought.

I went through this exact same situation last year when I moved from Washington to Nevada while collecting unemployment. You absolutely can keep your Washington ESD benefits - just make sure you update your address in the system and continue meeting all the work search requirements. The most important thing is to be completely transparent about your move if they ask. I never had any issues and collected benefits for the full duration while living out of state. Oregon should be even easier since it's right next door and has a good job market. You're making a smart financial decision by reducing your living expenses while job hunting.