# Unemployment benefits question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unemployment-benefits-question/456577>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 15, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unemployment-benefits-question/456577 "2008-07-15T16:22:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![erleichda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4da419/32.png) [@erleichda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erleichda)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unemployment-benefits-question/456577/1 "2008-07-15T16:22:03Z")

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I have been getting unemployment benefits for several months and I finally got hired this week. My question is: do my benefits stop with my hire date, the date I actually begin working for pay or when I receive a paycheck? I live in WA state.

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**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unemployment-benefits-question/456577/2 "2008-07-15T16:43:04Z")

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Specifically for Washington state I dunno. Check with your nearest unemployment office. Don’t tell them anything, just ask “When I do finally get hired somewhere, do my benefits stop at hire date or when I start working or what?”

Probably, _probably_ they cease when you stop working. But I don’t know what they do in WA.

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**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unemployment-benefits-question/456577/3 "2008-07-15T17:06:33Z")

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Unemployment benefits should stop when you’re no longer unemployed. So it has to be on the first day of your new job. Just indicate that you’ve found work as of \<insert date\> when you next send in the unemployment form.

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**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unemployment-benefits-question/456577/4 "2008-07-15T20:28:26Z")

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[QUOTE=nivlac]  
Unemployment benefits should stop when you’re no longer unemployed. So it has to be on the first day of your new job. Just indicate that you’ve found work as of \<insert date\> when you next send in the unemployment form.  
[/QUOTE]

Congratulations on your new job.

I’ve been going through this myself recently (except for the new job part ☹ ).

Your benefits do end the day you become unemployed. However, I think you should still be entitled to one or two UI checks, because the checks normally go out a week or two _after_ the period they are meant to cover.

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**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unemployment-benefits-question/456577/5 "2008-07-16T08:35:04Z")

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Unemployment stops the day you become employed. Just don’t apply this week.