ESD marked my waiting week as 'disqualified' - is this normal?
I just filed my first unemployment claim ever last week and I'm totally confused. When I check my claim status online, it shows my first week (which I think is the waiting week?) as 'disqualified'. Does this mean I'm not getting benefits at all? Or is this normal for the waiting week since you don't get paid for it anyway? The ESD website is so confusing and I'm worried I messed something up on my application. Anyone know what this actually means?
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QuantumQuest
This is normal! The waiting week always shows as 'disqualified' because you don't receive payment for it. It's confusing terminology but doesn't mean your entire claim is denied. As long as you've continued filing your weekly claims after that first week, you should start seeing 'paid' status for eligible weeks after the waiting week is complete. Just make sure you're completing your three job search activities each week and documenting them correctly.
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Paolo Rizzo
•Omg thank you! That's such a relief. I thought I did something wrong. Yes I've been doing my job search activities (actually did 5 last week just to be safe). So my next week should show up as 'paid' soon then?
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Amina Sy
Same thing happened 2 me when I filed back in January! freaked me out too lol
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Paolo Rizzo
•Good to know I'm not the only one confused by this! Did your payments start coming through normally after that first week?
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Amina Sy
•yeah everything was fine after that, just keep filing every week and dont forget your job search log!!
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Oliver Fischer
While it's common for the waiting week to show as 'disqualified', you should double-check that you didn't receive a separate disqualification notice in your ESD correspondence folder. Sometimes there can be multiple issues happening at once. If your claim had any eligibility issues (like quitting instead of being laid off), you might have an actual disqualification that needs addressing.
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Paolo Rizzo
•I just checked my correspondence folder and don't see any notices about disqualification, just the confirmation that my application was received. Should I call ESD to make sure? I was laid off due to department restructuring, so I don't think there's an eligibility issue.
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Natasha Petrova
I went through EXACTLY this earlier this year. The waiting week will ALWAYS show as 'disqualified' because you don't get paid for it - it's just how their system labels it. Super confusing and causes so much unnecessary panic! As long as you keep filing your weekly claims and doing your job search requirements, your second week should show as 'pending' and then 'paid' once they process it. DON'T stress about calling ESD unless your second week also shows issues or you get an actual disqualification letter. Their phone lines are completely overwhelmed and you'll waste hours trying to get through for something that's working as designed (even if poorly labeled).
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Paolo Rizzo
•Thank you, that's really helpful to know! I've completed my second week claim yesterday, so I guess I'll wait and see how that one processes before panicking. The whole system is so confusing for first-timers.
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Javier Morales
idk why they cant just label it 'waiting week' instead of 'disqualified'...ESD makes everything more complicated than it needs to be!!
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Oliver Fischer
•Completely agree. Their terminology causes so much unnecessary anxiety. The system was designed decades ago and they've never bothered to update the user-facing language to something more intuitive. It's the same with how they use 'standby' status instead of just calling it 'temporary layoff' like every other state.
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Emma Davis
If you're still worried, you should try Claimyr to reach an ESD agent directly. I was stuck in a similar situation (though mine was an adjudication issue, not just the waiting week) and couldn't get through on the phones for weeks. Claimyr got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes who confirmed everything was fine with my claim. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 and their website is claimyr.com. Saved me so much stress!
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Paolo Rizzo
•Thanks for the recommendation! I think I'll wait and see if my second week processes normally first, but I'll definitely keep this in mind if I run into any other issues. Getting through to ESD seems nearly impossible from what I've heard.
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GalaxyGlider
The waiting week showing as disqualifyed is NORMAL but let me tell u what's NOT NORMAL - how long it takes for them to actually pay u after that!! I waited 5 WEEKS after my waiting week before I got my first payment and they never explained why. Keep filing every single week no matter what and document EVERYTHING. The system is broken and they don't care about us at all.
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QuantumQuest
•While delays can happen, most claims are processed within 2-3 weeks after the waiting week if there are no issues requiring adjudication. If your payments were delayed for 5 weeks without explanation, it's possible your claim had an issue that wasn't clearly communicated. Always check your correspondence folder regularly and respond immediately to any requests for information from ESD.
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Paolo Rizzo
UPDATE: You all were right! My second week just processed and shows 'paid' status with a payment date for tomorrow. Thanks everyone for helping me understand that the 'disqualified' status for the waiting week is normal. Such a relief!
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Natasha Petrova
•Great news! Glad it's working out as expected. The first few weeks of unemployment are always the most stressful because everything is new and the terminology is so confusing. It gets easier from here!
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