Washington ESD unemployment if I move to another city - will I lose benefits?
I've been on unemployment for about 6 weeks now and just got offered a room to rent in Spokane (I'm currently in Seattle). The rent is way cheaper and I have some family there who could help with job hunting. But I'm worried about messing up my Washington ESD claim if I move. Do I need to report the address change? Will they make me start over with a new claim? I'm finally getting my weekly payments and don't want to screw anything up.
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StarStrider
You can definitely move within Washington state and keep your unemployment benefits. You just need to update your address in your SecureAccess Washington account as soon as you move. The key thing is you still need to be able and available for work in your new location.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•Oh good, I was worried they'd cut me off completely. Do I update it through the SAW portal or do I need to call?
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StarStrider
•You can do it online through SAW. Just log in and update your contact information. Much easier than trying to call.
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Dylan Campbell
I moved from Tacoma to Bellingham last year while on UI and had zero issues. Just make sure you update your address right away and keep doing your job search in the new area. The job search requirements are the same no matter where you live in Washington.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•That's reassuring! Did you have to change anything about your job search activities or just keep logging them the same way?
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Dylan Campbell
•Same job search log requirements - still 3 activities per week. I just started looking for jobs in the Bellingham area instead of Tacoma.
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Sofia Torres
The most important thing is making sure you can still meet the 'able and available' requirement. If you're moving somewhere with fewer job opportunities in your field, Washington ESD might question whether you're really available for work. Document that there are suitable jobs in Spokane for your background.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•I hadn't thought about that. I work in customer service so there should be plenty of opportunities anywhere. Should I start applying to Spokane jobs before I move?
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Sofia Torres
•That would be smart. It shows you're actively seeking work in your new location. Plus it might help you land something faster once you're there.
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Dmitry Sokolov
•This is exactly right. I know someone who moved to a tiny town in eastern Washington and ESD gave them grief about job availability. Spokane should be fine though.
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Ava Martinez
Just went through this myself! Had to call Washington ESD to update some stuff and couldn't get through for days. Finally used Claimyr to get connected to an agent right away. They walked me through exactly what I needed to update when I moved. Check out claimyr.com if you need to talk to someone - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•Oh wow, I've never heard of that. How does it work exactly? Is it expensive?
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Ava Martinez
•It basically calls ESD for you and gets you connected to a real person. Way better than sitting on hold for hours. The video explains it better than I can.
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Miguel Ramos
•Hmm sounds too good to be true. How do we know this isn't some scam?
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QuantumQuasar
wait, you can move anywhere in washington and keep benefits?? i thought you had to stay in the same area where you filed your claim
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StarStrider
•Nope, you can live anywhere in Washington state. The only restriction is you need to be available for work, so don't move somewhere with zero job opportunities.
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QuantumQuasar
•dang wish i knew that earlier, been stuck in this expensive apartment thinking i couldnt move
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Sofia Torres
One thing to keep in mind - if you're moving because you got a job offer in Spokane but it falls through, make sure you can document that the job was suitable and that it wasn't your fault it didn't work out. Moving for work is actually viewed favorably by ESD.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•No job offer, just moving to save money and be closer to family. Should I mention that when I update my address?
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Sofia Torres
•You don't need to explain why you're moving. Just update your address and continue meeting all the regular requirements.
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Zainab Omar
Make sure you keep all your confirmation emails and screenshots when you update your address. I learned this the hard way when ESD claimed they never received my address change and temporarily flagged my account.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•Good tip! I'll definitely screenshot everything. How long did it take to resolve the flag on your account?
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Zainab Omar
•About 2 weeks but I had to call multiple times. Having the screenshots helped prove I updated it on time.
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Dylan Campbell
Also remember you still need to file your weekly claims on the same schedule. Moving doesn't change your claim week or anything like that. I almost missed a week because I was so focused on the move itself.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•Yeah I'll set reminders on my phone. The last thing I want is to miss a weekly claim filing.
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QuantumQuasar
•what happens if you miss filing a weekly claim?
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Dylan Campbell
•You can usually file it late but you might lose that week's payment. Better to just not miss it in the first place.
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Connor Gallagher
I moved from Vancouver to Seattle area last winter while on unemployment. The tricky part was updating my WorkSource registration too. Don't forget about that part - you need to register with WorkSource in your new area.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•Oh shoot, I didn't think about WorkSource. Do I need to register with a new office or just update my existing registration?
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Connor Gallagher
•You can usually just update your existing WorkSource profile online. But double check with your new local office to make sure everything transfers over correctly.
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Miguel Ramos
This Claimyr thing actually sounds legit. I looked it up and it seems like a lot of people are using it to get through to ESD. Might be worth it if you run into any issues with your address change.
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Ava Martinez
•Yeah it's definitely real. Saved me hours of trying to call ESD directly. The agent I talked to was super helpful with my address update questions.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•Good to know it's legitimate. I'll keep it in mind in case I need to talk to someone at ESD about the move.
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Yara Sayegh
Been on unemployment twice and moved both times within Washington state. Never had any problems as long as you update your info promptly. ESD is actually pretty reasonable about this stuff, it's the adjudication and overpayment issues where they get difficult.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•That's good to hear. I've been lucky so far - no adjudication issues or anything complicated.
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Yara Sayegh
•Keep it that way! Just stay on top of your weekly claims and job search requirements and you should be fine.
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Keisha Johnson
Question about job search - if I'm moving to Spokane, can I start counting job applications there toward my weekly job search requirement before I actually move? Or do I have to wait until after I relocate?
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Sofia Torres
•You can definitely start applying to jobs in Spokane before you move. As long as you'd be able to start the job if you got an offer, it counts toward your job search activities.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•That's what I was wondering too. Good to know I can start applying now.
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Keisha Johnson
•Makes sense. Thanks for clarifying that!
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Dmitry Sokolov
Don't forget to update your address with the postal service too. You don't want any important ESD mail going to your old address. I almost missed an important notice because of this.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•Good point! I'll set up mail forwarding as soon as I know my exact move date.
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Zainab Omar
•Yes! And consider switching to electronic communications with ESD if you haven't already. Much more reliable than waiting for mail.
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Paolo Longo
Moving within state is no big deal. I've done it twice while on UI. The bigger concern would be if you were moving out of Washington - that's when things get complicated with interstate claims and all that.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•Yeah, staying in Washington definitely makes it simpler. Thanks for the reassurance!
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Paolo Longo
•No problem. Spokane is a great city too, you'll probably like it there.
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CosmicCowboy
Pro tip: Take photos of your old place before you leave and your new place when you arrive, with timestamps. I know it sounds paranoid but if ESD ever questions when you moved, you'll have proof.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•That's actually really smart. Better to have documentation I don't need than need documentation I don't have.
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CosmicCowboy
•Exactly! With all the unemployment fraud stuff going on, they're more suspicious of changes than they used to be.
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Amina Diallo
Anyone know if you need to notify ESD before you move or is it ok to update after? I'm planning a move next month and want to make sure I do this right.
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StarStrider
•You should update it as soon as possible after you move, but I don't think you need to notify them beforehand. The important thing is keeping your contact info current.
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Amina Diallo
•Thanks! I'll update everything the day I move then.
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Ava Martinez
Just want to mention Claimyr again because it really did help me when I moved. Had some questions about how the address change might affect my ongoing claim and the ESD agent was able to look at my specific situation and give me personalized advice. Way better than trying to figure it out from the website.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•I might actually try that. I hate calling government offices but this move is stressing me out and I want to make sure I don't mess anything up.
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Ava Martinez
•It's definitely worth it for peace of mind. The agent I talked to was really knowledgeable about this stuff.
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Oliver Schulz
Make sure your new address is somewhere you can reliably receive mail and have internet access for filing weekly claims. Sounds obvious but I've seen people move to places where they can't meet the basic requirements.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•Yeah, I've already confirmed the new place has good internet. Don't want any technical issues preventing me from filing claims.
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Oliver Schulz
•Smart thinking! Those weekly claim deadlines don't wait for technical problems.
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Natasha Orlova
One last thing - if you're driving to Spokane for job interviews after you move, keep track of your mileage. You can sometimes get reimbursed for job search related travel expenses.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•I didn't know about travel reimbursement! Is that through ESD or somewhere else?
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Natasha Orlova
•It's through WorkSource Washington. Not a huge amount but every little bit helps when you're on unemployment.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! Feeling much more confident about this move now. I'll update my address as soon as I get there and keep doing everything else the same. Really appreciate this community!
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StarStrider
•Good luck with the move! Spokane is a nice city.
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Dylan Campbell
•You'll do fine! Just stay on top of your weekly claims and job search.
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Ava Martinez
•Feel free to ask if you run into any issues. And remember that Claimyr option if you need to talk to ESD directly.
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