Claim week disqualified before determination letter - what does this mean for my ESD claim?

same thing happened 2 me last month!! my week showed disqualified but i still got aproved for benefits overall. ESD is super confusing sometimes. i think it might just be for that 1 week maybe u didnt do job search activities or something? did u report 3 job search activities for that week??

This is actually fairly common with new claims. The "disqualified" status for a specific week doesn't necessarily mean your entire claim is denied. There are several reasons this might happen: 1. You have a waiting week (first week after filing is typically unpaid) 2. You didn't complete your weekly claim correctly 3. You didn't report job search activities (required even during your first weeks) 4. Your monetary eligibility is still being determined You absolutely need to be completing at least 3 job search activities each week, starting with your first week, and reporting them when you file your weekly claim. This is required regardless of whether your claim has been approved yet. I'd recommend continuing to file weekly claims correctly while waiting for your determination letter.

DONT PANIC YET!! The ESD system is INCREDIBLY GLITCHY and often shows incorrect statuses. My claim showed "disqualified" for THREE weeks and then suddenly changed to "paid" with no explanation. The online system barely works half the time IMO.

I had a similar issue last year but for me it turned out I accidentally checked the wrong box saying I wasn't available for work that week when I filed. Check your weekly claim confirmation to see if maybe you accidentally answered something wrong in the questionnaire? They ask tricky questions sometimes.

This definitely sounds like the waiting week situation others have mentioned. The first week you claim is a waiting week that you don't get paid for (it's basically ESD's way of ensuring you're truly unemployed before benefits start). It's completely normal for that week to show as "disqualified" because technically you aren't eligible for payment that specific week, even though your overall claim might be approved. Keep filing your weekly claims and make absolutely sure you're reporting 3 job search activities each week. If you don't meet the job search requirements, your benefits can be denied even if you're otherwise eligible. If you need actual clarification from ESD directly, I recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an ESD agent. Regular phone calls almost never get through, but I used Claimyr when I had a similar issue and actually talked to someone who fixed my claim. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Saved me hours of busy signals and hangups.

Update: Thank you all for the helpful advice! I went back and checked my weekly claim filing and realized I did mess up two things - I answered "no" to being able and available for work (I misunderstood the question) AND I didn't report any job searches. I've now started properly documenting my job searches (applied for 4 positions already) and will make sure to answer all questions correctly for this week's claim. I'll keep filing weekly claims while waiting for my determination letter. Is there any way to correct last week's form, or is that just a lost week now?

Great to see you figured out what went wrong! Those weekly claim questions are definitely confusing at first - I made similar mistakes when I started. The "able and available for work" question trips up a lot of people because it sounds like they're asking if you have a job lined up, but they actually mean are you physically/mentally ready to work if offered a position. You're doing the right thing by documenting your job searches now. Pro tip: keep detailed records of each application (company name, position, date applied, method of application) because ESD can audit your job search activities at any point. I use a simple spreadsheet to track everything. Since you're being proactive about fixing these issues going forward, you should be in good shape once your determination letter arrives. Just stay consistent with your weekly filings!