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Dmitry Popov

Washington ESD shows disqualified on my unemployment claim - what does this mean?

I logged into my Washington ESD account this morning and my claim status changed to 'disqualified' but there's no explanation anywhere. I've been filing my weekly claims on time and doing my job searches through WorkSource. Last week everything was normal and I got my payment. Now suddenly it says disqualified and I have no idea why. Has anyone seen this before? What am I supposed to do now?

Disqualified means Washington ESD has determined you don't meet the eligibility requirements for unemployment benefits. This could be for several reasons - work refusal, failure to meet job search requirements, not being able and available for work, or issues with your separation from employment. You should have received a determination letter explaining the specific reason.

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I haven't gotten any letter yet. Should I be worried? How long does it usually take for them to send the explanation?

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The determination letter should arrive within a few days. Check your eServices account too - sometimes they post documents there before mailing. You have 30 days from the date on the letter to appeal if you disagree with their decision.

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same thing happened to me last month, turns out they thought I wasn't looking for work properly even though I was doing everything right

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How did you find out the specific reason? I'm so confused because I've been following all the rules.

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had to call them to get the details, took forever to get through though

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If you can't reach Washington ESD by phone (which is super common), you might want to try Claimyr. It's a service that helps people get through to ESD agents when the phone lines are jammed. I used it when I had an adjudication issue and it actually worked - got connected within a few hours instead of calling for weeks. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ and their website is claimyr.com. Worth checking out if you need to talk to someone urgently about your disqualification.

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Thanks for the suggestion! I'll definitely look into that if I can't get through on my own.

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Never heard of this service before but if it works that's amazing. The phone situation with ESD is absolutely ridiculous.

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DISQUALIFIED usually means one of these things: 1) You quit your job without good cause, 2) You were fired for misconduct, 3) You refused suitable work, 4) You're not meeting the able and available requirements, or 5) Issues with your job search activities. The most common I see are job search problems or availability issues.

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I was laid off so it's not #1 or #2. I've been applying to jobs and logging them in WorkSource like I'm supposed to. Maybe it's an availability issue?

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If you've been marking yourself as available every week and haven't turned down any job offers, it's probably a job search documentation issue. Sometimes they audit your search activities and find problems with how you're logging them.

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This is exactly why I hate the unemployment system! They can just randomly decide you're disqualified without even telling you why upfront. It's like they want to make it as hard as possible for people who actually need help.

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I feel your frustration but they are required to send you a written explanation. The system has issues but they can't just disqualify people without cause.

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Yeah well good luck getting that letter in a reasonable timeframe or reaching anyone who can explain it to you!

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definitely appeal whatever the reason is, I got disqualified for supposedly not being available for work when I was, took 2 months but I won the appeal and got all my back pay

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That's encouraging! Did you have to provide a lot of documentation for the appeal?

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yeah had to gather everything - job search logs, copies of applications, anything showing I was actively looking. pain in the butt but worth it

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Check if it's a temporary disqualification or permanent. Temporary ones usually have a specific number of weeks you're disqualified for (like 5-10 weeks). Permanent ones require an appeal or fixing whatever caused the disqualification.

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How can I tell the difference? My account just says 'disqualified' with no other details.

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The determination letter will specify. If it's temporary, it'll say something like 'disqualified for 7 weeks beginning...' If it's indefinite, you'll need to take action to become eligible again.

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I work at a community college and see this a lot with students. Sometimes people get disqualified because they're in school full-time and didn't report it properly, or they're not available for full-time work because of their class schedule.

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I'm not in school so that's not it. I wonder if there's something else I'm missing that affects availability.

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Could be travel restrictions, childcare issues, transportation problems - anything that might limit when you can work.

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Had a friend who got disqualified because she marked 'no' to being available for work one week when she was sick. Even though she was better the next week, they said she had to requalify. Took months to sort out.

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Oh wow, I hope I didn't accidentally mark something wrong. I try to be so careful with those weekly questions.

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Yeah those weekly certifications are tricky. One wrong answer can mess everything up.

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Since you're having trouble getting through to ESD, I'd seriously recommend trying Claimyr sooner rather than later. When you're disqualified, time is really important because you only have 30 days to appeal from the date of their decision letter. Don't wait weeks trying to get through on the phone.

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You're right about the time pressure. I'm going to try calling first thing Monday morning, but if I can't get through I'll definitely check out Claimyr.

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Smart plan. I wasted 3 weeks trying to get through on my own before using a service like that.

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Don't panic yet! I got a disqualification notice that turned out to be a mistake on their end. Sometimes their system glitches or they process information incorrectly. Once you talk to someone, they might be able to fix it right away.

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That gives me hope! Did you have to do anything special to get it corrected?

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Nope, the agent looked at my case and said it was clearly an error. Took about 10 minutes to fix once I actually got someone on the phone.

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Whatever you do, keep filing your weekly claims even while you're disqualified. If you win an appeal, you can get back pay for the weeks you filed. If you stop filing, you can't get those weeks back.

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Really? I can still file weekly claims even though it says disqualified?

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Yes! The system will still let you file, you just won't get paid until the disqualification is resolved. But you need to keep filing to maintain your claim.

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This is super important advice. I know people who lost months of benefits because they stopped filing during their disqualification.

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Look in your eServices account under 'Notices and Letters' - sometimes they post the determination there before you get the physical letter. That way you can see exactly what they're saying and start working on your response.

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Good idea! I'll check that section right now. Hopefully there's more information there.

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If you find it there, screenshot everything for your records. You'll need those details if you end up appealing.

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Been there! My disqualification was for 'failure to actively seek work' even though I was applying to jobs every day. Turned out I wasn't entering my job search activities in WorkSource correctly. Had to provide proof of all my applications and explain my search strategy.

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How were you supposed to enter them? I thought I was doing it right but maybe I'm missing something.

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You have to log in to WorkSource and enter each job contact with specific details - company name, position, how you applied, date, etc. Just applying isn't enough, you have to document it properly in their system.

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If you end up needing to appeal, don't try to do it alone. Contact a legal aid society or unemployment advocate. They know the system and can help you prepare a strong case. Many offer free help for unemployment appeals.

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That's good to know. Do you know where I can find these advocates?

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Try searching for 'unemployment legal aid' in your area, or contact your local bar association for referrals. WorkSource offices sometimes have information about free legal help too.

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Just want to add another vote for Claimyr if you're struggling to reach ESD. I was skeptical at first but it actually worked when I needed to resolve a similar issue. Saved me weeks of frustration trying to get through on my own.

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Thanks for sharing your experience! It's reassuring to hear from multiple people who've had success with it.

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Same here - used it last year when I had an overpayment issue. Worth every penny to actually talk to a human being at ESD.

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Update us when you find out what happened! I'm curious because I'm always worried about getting disqualified for something I don't even know I'm doing wrong.

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Will do! Hopefully it's something simple that can be fixed quickly. Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice.

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Yes please update! This thread has been really informative for understanding what disqualification means.

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