What happens if I stop claiming unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?
I've been on unemployment for about 8 weeks now and found a part-time job that might turn into full-time eventually. I'm wondering what happens if I just stop filing my weekly claims with Washington ESD? Do I need to officially close my claim or can I just stop submitting? I'm worried about messing something up if I need to reopen it later if this job doesn't work out. Has anyone dealt with this situation before?
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Rosie Harper
You should definitely contact Washington ESD before just stopping your weekly claims. If you stop without notice, your claim becomes inactive but not officially closed. This could cause issues if you need to reopen it later.
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Darren Brooks
•Thanks, I was hoping I could just stop filing but sounds like I need to call them. The phone lines are always so busy though.
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Elliott luviBorBatman
•yeah the wait times are insane, sometimes over an hour just to get through
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Demi Hall
Actually, you don't HAVE to call Washington ESD to stop claiming. Your claim will automatically become inactive after you miss filing for a certain period. However, it's better practice to inform them, especially if you're starting work. You might be eligible for partial benefits if your part-time hours are low enough.
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Darren Brooks
•Oh I didn't know about partial benefits! My new job is only 25 hours a week right now. How do I find out if I qualify?
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Demi Hall
•You can still file your weekly claim and report your earnings. Washington ESD will calculate if you're eligible for partial benefits based on your wages. It's worth checking into since you're not full-time yet.
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Mateusius Townsend
I had the same issue last year and couldn't get through to Washington ESD on the phone no matter how many times I tried. Someone on here recommended Claimyr.com and it actually worked - they got me connected to an agent within a few hours. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Might be worth trying if you can't get through the normal way.
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Kara Yoshida
•Never heard of that service before. Is it legit? Sounds too good to be true with how impossible it is to reach Washington ESD.
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Mateusius Townsend
•Yeah it's real, I was skeptical too but it worked for me. They basically keep calling for you until they get through, then connect you to the agent.
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Philip Cowan
just stop filing if you have a job, why make it complicated? the system will figure it out
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Rosie Harper
•That's not good advice. If you don't handle it properly, you could end up with overpayment issues later or have trouble reopening your claim if needed.
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Philip Cowan
•i've done it before and nothing happened, they don't care that much
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Caesar Grant
•You got lucky then. Washington ESD definitely tracks these things and can create problems down the road if not handled right.
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Kara Yoshida
The proper way is to report your work and earnings when you file your weekly claim. If you're working full-time (over 32 hours) or earning more than your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you won't get benefits that week but your claim stays active. If you want to completely close your claim, you need to contact Washington ESD.
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Darren Brooks
•This is really helpful, thank you. So I should keep filing weekly and just report my part-time earnings until I know if the job will become full-time?
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Kara Yoshida
•Exactly. That way you keep your claim active and might still get partial benefits. If the job becomes permanent full-time, then you can decide whether to close the claim or just let it go inactive.
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Lena Schultz
I stopped filing when I got a temporary job last summer and it was a nightmare trying to get my benefits back when the job ended after 6 weeks. Had to go through the whole requalification process again.
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Darren Brooks
•Oh no, that sounds awful! How long did it take to get your benefits back?
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Lena Schultz
•Almost 3 weeks of no income while they processed everything. I wish I had just kept filing and reporting my work like the others are saying.
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Gemma Andrews
•This happened to my brother too. Washington ESD made him provide all kinds of documentation to prove he was eligible again.
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Elliott luviBorBatman
wait so if i'm working part time i can still get some unemployment? i thought it was all or nothing
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Demi Hall
•No, Washington has partial benefit calculations. As long as you work less than full-time and earn under a certain threshold, you might qualify for reduced benefits.
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Elliott luviBorBatman
•damn i've been missing out, i've been working odd jobs and not filing because i thought i'd lose everything
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Caesar Grant
The key thing people don't realize is that your benefit year doesn't pause when you stop filing. It keeps running whether you claim or not, so you're essentially losing potential benefit weeks if you just stop without good reason.
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Pedro Sawyer
•Wait, what do you mean by benefit year? I thought unemployment just continued until you found work.
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Caesar Grant
•Your benefit year is 52 weeks from when you first filed. You have a maximum amount you can collect during that year, spread over however many weeks you're eligible.
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Pedro Sawyer
•Oh wow, I had no idea there was a time limit like that. Thanks for explaining!
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Mae Bennett
I tried calling Washington ESD for 2 weeks straight about a similar issue and never got through. Finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and got connected same day. Worth it if you need to actually talk to someone there.
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Beatrice Marshall
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already struggling financially.
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Mae Bennett
•It's not expensive, especially compared to missing out on benefits or dealing with problems later. Check their site for current info.
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Melina Haruko
From a practical standpoint, if your part-time job might become full-time, I'd keep filing weekly and reporting earnings. That way you're covered either way and Washington ESD can make the benefit calculations for you.
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Darren Brooks
•That makes the most sense. I think I was overthinking it. I'll just keep filing and report my part-time earnings each week.
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Dallas Villalobos
•Smart choice. Better to let the system handle it properly than try to guess what might happen.
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Reina Salazar
whatever you do dont just ghost them, my cousin did that and when he needed unemployment again 6 months later they made him jump through so many hoops
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
•What kind of hoops? Like reapplying from scratch?
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Reina Salazar
•yeah basically, plus they questioned everything about why he stopped filing before and made him provide proof about his previous job
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Demi Lagos
The Washington ESD website actually has a calculator where you can estimate partial benefits based on your earnings. Might be worth checking before you decide what to do.
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Darren Brooks
•Oh that's perfect! I'll look for that calculator. Do you remember where on their site it was?
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Demi Lagos
•I think it's under the 'Apply for Benefits' section, but their website layout changes sometimes. Search for 'partial benefit calculator' and it should come up.
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Mason Lopez
Just my 2 cents but I'd rather deal with filing weekly and reporting work than risk having to reopen a claim later. The reopening process can be such a headache with Washington ESD.
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Vera Visnjic
•Agreed. I reopened my claim once and they acted like I was trying to commit fraud or something. Way easier to just keep it active.
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Darren Brooks
•You've all convinced me. I'll keep filing weekly and report my part-time earnings. Thanks everyone for the advice!
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Jake Sinclair
One more thing - if you do decide to completely stop claiming later, make sure to keep records of everything. Washington ESD sometimes asks for documentation months later about why you stopped filing.
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Brielle Johnson
•What kind of records should you keep?
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Jake Sinclair
•Job offer letters, pay stubs, anything showing when and why you stopped needing benefits. Better safe than sorry with their system.
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Honorah King
The phone situation with Washington ESD is ridiculous. I spent hours trying to get through last month. That Claimyr thing actually sounds useful - has anyone else tried it?
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Oliver Brown
•I used it a few weeks ago when I had an adjudication issue. Worked exactly like they said it would - they called me back when they got an agent on the line.
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Mary Bates
•Might have to try that. I've been trying to reach them about my job search requirements for weeks with no luck.
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Clay blendedgen
Bottom line - don't just disappear from the system if you might need it again. Keep filing with work reported, or officially close your claim. Those are your two best options.
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Darren Brooks
•Perfect summary. I'm definitely going with option 1 and keeping my claim active while reporting my part-time work. Thanks again everyone!
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Ayla Kumar
•Good choice! Hope the part-time job works out and becomes full-time for you.
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Andre Dupont
I went through something similar last year when I started a contract position. The best advice I got was to keep filing weekly and report all your earnings - Washington ESD will automatically calculate if you're eligible for partial benefits. This way your claim stays active and if your part-time job doesn't work out, you won't have to go through the hassle of reopening everything. I ended up getting partial benefits for about 6 weeks while my hours were low, which really helped bridge the gap financially. Just be completely honest about your work and earnings when you file each week.
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