Washington ESD unemployment if you move to another state - need help

Yes, you can move to another state and still collect Washington ESD benefits as long as you follow the rules. You need to report your address change immediately through your online account and continue filing your weekly claims. The key is staying available for work and continuing your job search - you'll need to look for work in your new state.

I moved from Washington to California last year while on unemployment and it was fine. Just make sure you update your address in your SecureAccess Washington account right away. I think there's a form you have to fill out too.

You definitely need to notify Washington ESD about the move, but honestly good luck getting through to them on the phone. I've been trying to reach them for weeks about a different issue and keep getting disconnected. There's actually a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps people get through to ESD agents - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone directly about the move.

Wait, I thought you had to stay in Washington to keep getting benefits? This is confusing. I've been afraid to even take a vacation because I thought it would mess up my claim.

The interstate thing can get tricky though. Make sure Oregon doesn't try to tell you that you need to file a new claim with them instead. Some states are weird about this stuff and you might end up in a bureaucratic mess between the two systems.

I moved to Texas while collecting Washington unemployment and had zero issues. The main thing is keeping up with your weekly claims and job search. Texas workforce people were actually helpful in explaining that I should keep my Washington claim.

ugh the phone system at Washington ESD is absolutely broken. I've been trying to get through for three weeks about my adjudication and keep getting hung up on after waiting for hours. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through hoops just to talk to someone about our own benefits.

Just want to add that you should document everything when you move. Keep records of when you notified ESD about the address change, your new job search activities, etc. If there are any questions later you'll have proof that you followed all the rules.

One thing to watch out for is the job search requirements might be different in Oregon. Washington requires 3 job search activities per week, but other states have different rules. Make sure you understand what Oregon requires for job seekers.

I'm dealing with something similar but moving to Idaho. Been trying to get clarification from Washington ESD for weeks but their phone system is a nightmare. Might have to try that Claimyr thing someone mentioned.

Make sure you're not working in Oregon before your move date or that could complicate things. If you start a job there, you need to report it properly and it might affect your benefits timing.

Does anyone know if there are any states that have special agreements with Washington that make this easier? I heard some states have reciprocal agreements or something.

The timing of when you update your address might matter too. I'd probably wait until after you've actually moved rather than updating it early, just to avoid any confusion with your weekly claims.

Quick question - if you move to another state, can you still use direct deposit or do you have to switch to a different payment method?

I moved from Washington to Nevada while on unemployment and the only hassle was getting registered with Nevada's job service. Once that was done, everything else stayed the same with my Washington claim.

This thread is super helpful! I was stressing about potentially having to move for family reasons while on unemployment. Sounds like it's more manageable than I thought.

One more tip - if you're driving to your new state, keep receipts for your moving expenses. Some of those might be deductible when you file taxes, especially if you're moving for job search purposes.

Just to recap for anyone else reading this - you CAN move to another state while collecting Washington unemployment, just update your address, register for job search in your new state, and keep filing your weekly claims. Don't let anyone tell you that you need to file a new claim in your new state.

Last thing - if you run into any issues after you move and need to talk to Washington ESD, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier might be your best bet. The regular phone lines are basically useless at this point.

This whole thread should be pinned somewhere. So much good info about interstate unemployment benefits that I couldn't find anywhere else online.