What happens if I stop certifying for unemployment with Washington ESD?

If you stop certifying, your claim doesn't automatically get canceled but you won't receive benefits for the weeks you don't file. You can usually restart filing weekly claims if you become unemployed again, but there might be some paperwork involved depending on how long you're off.

just went through this myself - stopped filing for 3 weeks when I had some temp work. when I went back to file it asked me a bunch of extra questions about why I stopped and what work I did. wasn't a big deal but took longer than usual

Be careful about just stopping without reporting work though. If you're working even temporarily, you're supposed to report that income when you file your weekly claim. You might still be eligible for partial benefits depending on how much you earn.

I had to stop certifying for 2 months due to some confusion with my claim status. When I tried to restart, I couldn't get through to anyone at Washington ESD for weeks. The phone lines are always busy and the online chat never works. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual agent in like 10 minutes. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ Saved me so much frustration.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHY THE UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM IS BROKEN! You shouldn't have to worry about all these complicated rules just to get benefits you've earned. And then when you need help they make it impossible to reach anyone. It's like they WANT to make it difficult.

the main thing is don't just ghost them completely. if you know you're going to miss filing for a while, you can call and let them know or there might be a way to report it online. better to be proactive than deal with problems later

Just to clarify the earlier question about time limits - your benefit year is typically 52 weeks from when you first filed your claim. During that time you can stop and restart filing as needed, but you need to have enough weeks left in your benefit year to collect.

One more thing to consider - if you stop filing and then need to restart, they might ask you to do the work search activities for the weeks you weren't filing. Not sure if that's always the case but something to keep in mind.

i stopped for like a month last year and when i came back they made me verify my identity again which was a pain. took forever to get approved. just something to be aware of

Has anyone tried that Claimyr thing mentioned earlier? I'm desperate to talk to someone about my claim being stuck in adjudication for 5 weeks now. Regular phone number just hangs up on me every time.

Quick question - do you have to report the temp work income on the week you worked or the week you got paid? I always get confused about the timing.

The whole partial benefits thing is actually pretty decent if you can figure it out. I was working part time for a few months and still getting like $150 a week from unemployment. Better than nothing!

whatever you do don't lie about working or not report income. they will find out eventually and then you'll owe money back plus penalties. not worth it

My experience has been that Washington ESD is actually pretty flexible about stopping and starting as long as you're honest about what's going on. The problems come when people try to game the system or aren't upfront about their situation.

Does anyone know if temp work through an agency counts differently than direct employment? I have an opportunity through a staffing company.

I've been through this cycle a few times - temp work, stop filing, temp work ends, restart filing. It's become pretty routine. The key is just staying organized and keeping track of what you've done.

Just want to add that if you do need to contact Washington ESD about stopping/starting claims, that Claimyr service really does work. Used it twice now and both times got through to an agent quickly. Much better than the regular phone number.

bottom line is you can stop and restart but just be prepared for extra questions and possibly some delays when you come back. not the end of the world but something to plan for

This thread has been super helpful. I'm in a similar situation and was stressing about it. Nice to know I'm not the only one trying to figure this stuff out.