Washington ESD unemployment while waiting for new job to start - allowed?

You need to report that job offer to Washington ESD immediately. Even though you haven't started working yet, having a definite start date affects your eligibility. You should still be able to collect benefits until your actual start date as long as you're still able and available for other work during the waiting period.

I was in almost the exact same situation last year! I had a 5-week gap between getting hired and starting. Washington ESD told me as long as I'm still available for immediate work (meaning I could take another job if something came up before my start date), I could keep collecting. Just make sure you're still doing your job search activities.

The key requirement is that you remain able and available for work. If you've accepted a position with a future start date, you need to honestly answer whether you would accept other immediate employment if offered. Most people in your situation can continue receiving benefits, but you must report the future employment on your weekly claims.

Whatever you do, don't try to hide it from Washington ESD. I tried to game the system once and they caught it during a routine audit six months later. Had to pay back everything plus penalties. Just be honest on your weekly claims and you should be fine.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I had a similar question. Spent literally hours on hold trying to get clarification. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have this demo video https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way better than sitting on hold forever.

Wait, I'm confused. If you already accepted the job, how are you still available for work? Doesn't that mean you're not really looking anymore?

You should probably still be applying to other jobs during the waiting period to show you're actively seeking work. Even if you don't plan to take them, you need to meet the job search requirements.

My brother went through this exact thing. He kept collecting for about a month between accepting an offer and starting work. No problems as long as he reported everything honestly on his weekly claims.

Make sure you understand what happens to your claim when you do start working. You'll need to close it properly and report your last day of unemployment to avoid any overpayment issues later.

The whole system is so confusing sometimes. I wish Washington ESD would just have clearer guidelines for these in-between situations.

I think you should be fine as long as you report everything. The worst thing that can happen is they say you weren't eligible for some of those weeks and ask for money back, but if you're honest upfront that's less likely.

One more thing - make sure your new employer knows about your unemployment situation. Sometimes they can be flexible with start dates if you explain you're receiving benefits until a certain point.

Just curious - are you required to take the first job offer you get while on unemployment? Or can you be selective?

I'd definitely recommend calling Washington ESD to double-check your specific situation. Every case is a little different and you want to make sure you're doing everything right.

Congrats on landing the new job! That's the important thing. The unemployment stuff will work itself out as long as you're honest about everything.

To summarize for anyone else in this situation: report the future employment on your weekly claims, continue your job search activities, remain available for immediate work if possible, and close your claim properly when you start working. Most importantly, be completely honest with Washington ESD throughout the process.

Good luck with everything! Sounds like you're handling it the right way.

This is such a common situation but Washington ESD doesn't make it very clear what you're supposed to do. Thanks for asking the question - I learned a lot from reading everyone's responses.

Make sure you save all documentation about your job offer and start date. If Washington ESD ever questions anything later, you'll want to have proof of when you were hired versus when you started working.

One last thought - if you're really worried about it, you could always voluntarily stop claiming benefits now and just budget to get by until your start date. Better safe than sorry if you're concerned about eligibility.

I went through something very similar about 8 months ago. Had a 4-week gap between accepting an offer and starting work. The key thing is being completely transparent on your weekly claims - there's usually a specific question about future employment that you need to answer honestly. I continued receiving benefits during the waiting period without any issues. Just make sure you're still genuinely available for other immediate work if something better came along (even though you probably wouldn't take it). Washington ESD seems pretty reasonable about these situations as long as you're upfront about everything. The fact that your new employer set the start date, not you, also works in your favor.