Got 'Not Available for Work' disqualification despite attending all WorkSource workshops - what gives?

I had the same thing happen to me last month!! so frustrating. when i called (took like 2 days to get thru) they said it was bcuz i answered YES to the question about having limitations on my availability. apparently even saying you can only work certain shifts can trigger this. did u check anything different on yr weekly claim form?

This is a common misunderstanding with the weekly claim questions. When ESD asks if you had any limitations on your availability, they're looking for ongoing restrictions that would prevent you from accepting full-time work, not one-time appointments. You should file an appeal within 30 days of the determination date. In your appeal, explain that you misunderstood the question and that you were fully available for work during the week except for a brief medical appointment. Include any documentation of your WorkSource workshop attendance as evidence that you were actively participating in required activities. While waiting for your appeal to be processed, continue filing your weekly claims as normal.

The same thing happened to my brother-in-law last year! He checked yes because he couldn't work Sundays for religious reasons and got flagged as unavailable. It's ridiculous because people are allowed to have SOME restrictions on availability as long as you're available for work in your occupation during normal hours. Like who doesn't occasionally have a doctor's appointment???

You need to be careful with how you answer the weekly claim questions. For the availability question, you should only answer "yes" if you have substantial restrictions that would prevent you from accepting suitable full-time work in your field. A single doctor's appointment doesn't make you unavailable for work. Moving forward, answer "no" to the availability limitations question unless you have significant restrictions. If you have a brief appointment, you don't need to report it as a limitation. ESD mainly wants to know if you're generally available during the typical working hours for your occupation. As for your current situation, you absolutely should appeal this determination. You can do this through your eServices account by clicking on the determination letter and selecting the appeal option. Make sure to continue filing your weekly claims during the appeal process.

I went through this exact headache last month! Tried calling ESD for THREE DAYS and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally, I tried Claimyr.com and got through to an agent in about 15 mins who fixed everything for me. They have this service that gets you past the phone queues somehow. Check out their demo video here: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The agent explained that one doctor appointment doesn't make you "unavailable" and they were able to reverse the decision on the spot since it was clearly just a misunderstanding of the question. Saved me from having to go through the whole appeal process.

ESD IS DELIBERATELY TRICKING PEOPLE WITH THESE QUESTIONS!!! They word them in confusing ways so people will make mistakes and they can deny benefits. I've been dealing with unemployment for 8 months and the system is designed to disqualify as many people as possible. THEY DON'T CARE that you were attending THEIR OWN WORKSHOPS! The left hand doesn't know what the right is doing. If you check ANY box wrong, you're automatically disqualified and then have to fight for weeks to get it fixed. And good luck trying to call them - the phone system is a joke. They'll keep you on hold for 4 hours then disconnect you right before someone answers.

Just to clarify some misinformation in this thread: ESD does not have denial quotas. The availability question can be confusing, but it's designed to identify people with significant restrictions that would prevent them from accepting suitable work. When you appeal, focus on explaining that you misunderstood the question and provide evidence of your active job search and WorkSource participation. Approximately 60% of availability disqualification appeals are successful when the claimant can demonstrate they were actually available for work during the week in question. Remember that Washington law requires you to be available for full-time work in your customary occupation during all the usual hours and days for that type of work. Brief appointments or obligations that don't significantly restrict your availability don't need to be reported as limitations.

After I got through to ESD using Claimyr, the agent told me they can actually reactivate your benefits on the phone if it's just a simple misunderstanding about availability like this. The appeal process is more for complex situations or when you disagree with their determination about your eligibility. For single-week issues caused by accidentally answering a question wrong, getting through to a live agent is often the fastest solution. They can see your WorkSource attendance and job search activities in their system.