Confused about 'Disqualified' first waiting week on ESD claim - is this normal?

Yes, that's completely normal! It's not actually 'disqualified' in the negative sense - it's just how the system labels your waiting week. Washington state has a mandatory one-week waiting period before benefits can be paid. You still need to file for that week to get it counted as your waiting week, but you won't receive any payment for it. It's basically the system's way of making you wait one week before collecting benefits.

I had the exact same heart attack when I saw that last month!! Thought I did something wrong. Nope - totally normal! Keep filing every week and you'll get paid starting with your second week 👍

Yeah the system SUCKS with how they word things!! "Disqualified" makes it sound like you did something wrong when it's actually just their stupid way of marking your waiting week. I remember panicking too. Just wait till you see "paid $0" for that week which is another confusing status that actually means the same thing lol. ESD really needs to update their terminology to something that doesn't give people heart attacks.

Everyone has a waiting week in WA state unemployment. What's interesting is that during the peak COVID period they actually waived the waiting week so people got paid right away, but they went back to the regular rules in September 2021. So now everyone's first week is unpaid and shows as 'disqualified' in the system. Just keep filing your weekly claims and you should see your second week as 'paid' if everything else about your claim is in order.

my first wek showed disqualified too and i started FREAKING OUT called esd like 57 times couldnt get thru finally my neighbor who works at worksource told me its just the waiting week thing. they really should call it something else!!! who thought "disqualified" was a good label for the waiting week?!?!

Just to add some clarification: the waiting week requirement is actually written into Washington state law (RCW 50.20.010(2)). Every new claim has one waiting week per benefit year where you must meet all eligibility requirements but won't receive payment. The system shows this as "disqualified" or sometimes "waiting week" depending on where you look in your account. This is completely normal and everyone experiences it. If you're having trouble reaching ESD by phone to clarify anything else about your claim, you might want to try Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a service that helps you get through to an ESD agent much faster than calling directly. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 that shows how it works. I know several people who've used it successfully when they had urgent claim issues.

Another tip: print out the job search log form from the ESD website and start tracking your activities right away. You need 3 job search activities EVERY week (including that first waiting week). They can audit you at any time and ask for proof of your job searches going back weeks or months!

Just curious - did you verify your identity with ID.me yet? That's a separate step that trips up a lot of people. The waiting week is normal as everyone has mentioned, but make sure you've completed identity verification too, otherwise you might face payment delays on your second week and beyond.

This thread is so helpful! I'm actually going through the same thing right now - filed my first claim last week and saw that dreaded "Disqualified" status this morning. Was about to have a panic attack until I found this post. It's crazy how ESD uses such scary terminology for what's basically just a standard waiting period. Really wish they'd change it to something like "Waiting Week" or "Unpaid Week" instead. Thanks everyone for explaining this - you probably saved me hours of stress-calling the ESD phone line!

I went through this exact same panic about 6 months ago! The "Disqualified" label is so misleading - I literally thought I had been denied benefits and spent the whole day trying to figure out what I did wrong. It's just Washington's waiting week that everyone has to serve. What helped me was understanding that you still need to file for that first week even though you won't get paid for it, because it establishes your benefit year start date. After that, as long as you meet all the other requirements (job searches, weekly certifications, etc.), you should start getting paid from week 2 onward. The system really needs better user experience design!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Filed my claim 5 days ago and just saw the "Disqualified" status on my first week. I was literally about to drive to the ESD office thinking I'd been denied! This thread is a lifesaver - thank you all for explaining that it's just their confusing way of labeling the mandatory waiting week. It's honestly mind-boggling that they haven't updated this terminology after seeing how much confusion and stress it causes people. I feel so much better now knowing this is completely normal and I just need to keep filing my weekly claims. You've all saved me from a major freak-out session!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm currently dealing with this too - filed my claim about a week ago and nearly had a heart attack when I logged in this morning and saw "Disqualified" for my first week. I was convinced I'd made some terrible mistake on my application. The terminology ESD uses is absolutely awful - who thought "Disqualified" was a good way to describe a mandatory waiting period? It sounds like you've been rejected or done something wrong! Reading everyone's experiences here has been such a relief. It's wild how many people go through this exact same panic. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain that this is just standard procedure. Now I can focus on my weekly claims and job search activities instead of stressing about whether I messed up my application. ESD really needs to fix this - a simple label change to "Waiting Week" would save so many people from unnecessary anxiety!

OMG thank you all SO much for this thread! I literally just filed my first unemployment claim 3 days ago and logged in this morning to see "Disqualified" on my first week. I immediately started spiraling thinking I'd somehow ruined everything before I even got started. The word "disqualified" is SO misleading - it genuinely sounds like you've been rejected or banned from receiving benefits! I was already drafting an appeal letter in my head lol. It's honestly shocking that ESD hasn't changed this terminology after clearly seeing how much panic and confusion it causes. Like, how hard would it be to just label it "Waiting Week" instead?? Reading everyone's similar experiences has been such a huge relief. I feel so much better knowing this is just standard procedure and I didn't mess anything up. You've all probably saved me hours of stressing and trying to get through on their impossible phone lines. Really appreciate this community for helping newcomers understand the system!

Just wanted to jump in here as someone who went through this exact same terrifying experience about 8 months ago! When I saw "Disqualified" on my first week, I literally thought I was going to lose my house because I was convinced they'd denied my entire claim. Spent the whole weekend in a panic before my coworker explained it was just the waiting week. It's absolutely insane that ESD continues to use this terminology when it clearly traumatizes people who are already dealing with the stress of unemployment. The waiting week is mandated by state law and applies to everyone - you haven't done anything wrong! Just keep filing your weekly claims and make sure you're doing your 3 job search activities each week. You should start getting paid from week 2 onward assuming everything else checks out. Hang in there - the system is confusing but you're doing everything right!

I just went through this exact same experience two weeks ago! Filed my first unemployment claim and when I saw "Disqualified" on week one, I literally had a panic attack thinking I'd been completely denied. I must have refreshed the page 20 times hoping it would change to something less terrifying. The terminology ESD uses is honestly cruel - imagine using the word "Disqualified" to describe what's basically just a standard waiting period that EVERYONE has to go through! I ended up finding this community while frantically googling at 3am, and reading similar stories was the only thing that calmed me down. It's such a relief to know this is completely normal, but also infuriating that ESD puts so many people through this unnecessary emotional roller coaster. For anyone else reading this who's currently panicking about seeing "Disqualified" - you're okay, you didn't mess up, it's just their awful way of labeling the mandatory one-week waiting period. Keep filing your weekly claims and you should start getting paid from week two onwards!