In a move to cut costs, the Washington State Employment Security Department plans to rely more heavily on the Internet to transmit eligibility requirements to people who apply for unemployment benefits.

The department has for years mailed a 45-page paper handbook to all benefit applicants that describes what they must do to continue to receive benefits.

Last year, it cost the department about $325,000 to print and mail the manual to every applicant.

Now, the department is instead asking applicants to download the manual from its website at esd.wa.gov.

Printed copies can still be picked up at WorkSource job centers or requested by calling the unemployment claims center at 800-318-6022.