Washington ESD unemployment claim showing disqualified - why does my unemployment say disqualified?
I just checked my Washington ESD account online and it shows my unemployment claim is disqualified. I have no idea what this means or what I did wrong. I filed everything correctly as far as I know and have been doing my weekly claims. There's no explanation anywhere on the website about why this happened. Has anyone else had their claim suddenly show as disqualified? What does this even mean and how do I fix it?
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Salim Nasir
Disqualification usually means Washington ESD found an issue with your eligibility. Could be job separation issues, not meeting work search requirements, or something else. You should have received a determination letter explaining the reason.
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Quinn Herbert
•I haven't gotten any letter yet. Should I be worried? How long do these letters usually take to arrive?
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Salim Nasir
•Letters can take 7-10 days sometimes. Check your SecureAccess Washington messages too - they might have sent it electronically.
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Hazel Garcia
same thing happened to me last month!! turned out it was because I missed reporting some part time work from like 3 weeks earlier. they're really strict about that stuff
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Quinn Herbert
•Oh no, I did have a one day gig a few weeks ago. Maybe I reported it wrong on my weekly claim?
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Hazel Garcia
•yeah probably that. you have to report EVERYTHING even if its just one day or a few hours
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Laila Fury
There are several reasons Washington ESD might disqualify a claim: voluntary quit without good cause, misconduct discharge, not actively seeking work, or reporting errors. You need to request the determination letter to see the specific reason. You have appeal rights if you disagree with their decision.
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Quinn Herbert
•How do I request the letter if I haven't received it yet? And how long do I have to appeal?
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Laila Fury
•You can call Washington ESD to request a copy, but good luck getting through. You typically have 30 days from the determination date to appeal, not from when you receive it.
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Geoff Richards
•I've been trying to call for weeks about my own issues. The phone system is impossible. Has anyone found a way to actually reach them?
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Simon White
I had success getting through to Washington ESD using a service called Claimyr. They helped me reach an actual agent who explained my disqualification was due to a work search requirement I didn't know about. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.
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Hugo Kass
•Never heard of that. How does it work exactly? Is it legit?
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Simon White
•Yeah it's legitimate. They basically call Washington ESD for you and get you connected to an agent. Way better than sitting on hold for hours or getting disconnected.
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Quinn Herbert
•That sounds too good to be true. How much does something like that cost?
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Simon White
•I don't remember the exact cost but it was worth it to finally talk to someone. Saved me weeks of frustration.
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Nasira Ibanez
The disqualification could also be related to your job separation. Did you quit or were you fired? Washington ESD investigates these things and sometimes it takes weeks before they make a determination.
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Quinn Herbert
•I was laid off due to budget cuts. I thought that would be straightforward for unemployment.
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Nasira Ibanez
•Layoffs should qualify you, so there might be a reporting error or they need additional verification from your employer.
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Hazel Garcia
honestly the washington esd system is so confusing. i got disqualified twice before i figured out all their rules. make sure you're doing your job searches correctly too
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Quinn Herbert
•What do you mean by job searches correctly? I thought I just had to apply to jobs.
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Hazel Garcia
•you have to keep a log with specific details - company name, contact person, date, method of contact. and you need 3 per week minimum
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Laila Fury
•Actually it's 3 job search activities per week, not necessarily 3 applications. Can include networking, job fairs, etc.
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Khalil Urso
WASHINGTON ESD IS THE WORST. They disqualify people for the smallest things and then make it impossible to reach anyone to fix it. I've been fighting a disqualification for 2 months now.
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Myles Regis
•I feel your pain. The system seems designed to frustrate people into giving up.
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Quinn Herbert
•This is making me really anxious. I can't afford to be without benefits right now.
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Salim Nasir
Don't panic yet. Most disqualifications can be resolved if you provide the right information or appeal successfully. The key is understanding exactly why you were disqualified and addressing that specific issue.
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Quinn Herbert
•That makes me feel a bit better. I just wish I could talk to someone to find out what went wrong.
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Brian Downey
•I second the Claimyr suggestion from earlier. I used them last week and finally got answers about my claim status after weeks of trying on my own.
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Jacinda Yu
Check if your disqualification is temporary or permanent. Some are just for a certain number of weeks, others require you to requalify by working again.
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Quinn Herbert
•How can I tell the difference? My account just says 'disqualified' with no other details.
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Jacinda Yu
•The determination letter will specify. That's why you need to get that letter ASAP.
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Landon Flounder
i had a disqualification overturned on appeal. turned out washington esd made an error in their investigation. dont give up if you think they got it wrong
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Quinn Herbert
•How long did the appeal process take? I'm worried about being without income for months.
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Landon Flounder
•mine took about 6 weeks but if you win they pay you retroactively for the whole period
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Callum Savage
Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while disqualified. If you win an appeal, you'll need those weeks on record to get paid.
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Quinn Herbert
•Really? I thought I should stop filing since it says disqualified.
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Callum Savage
•No, keep filing! You're basically keeping your place in line in case the disqualification gets overturned.
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Laila Fury
•This is correct. Continue filing weekly claims and maintain your job search activities during any appeal process.
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Ally Tailer
Whatever you do, don't ignore it. Disqualifications don't just go away on their own. You need to take action whether that's providing additional information or filing an appeal.
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Quinn Herbert
•You're right. I need to figure out how to get that determination letter and understand what happened.
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Simon White
Just to follow up on the Claimyr thing - I was skeptical at first too but it really worked. Got connected to a Washington ESD agent in like 10 minutes instead of spending all day trying to call. They explained my disqualification was a simple reporting error that got fixed once I provided the right documentation.
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Quinn Herbert
•That gives me hope. I'm going to look into that option since calling directly hasn't worked.
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Aliyah Debovski
•I might try that too. Been trying to reach them for weeks about my own claim issues.
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Miranda Singer
Common disqualification reasons I've seen: not registering with WorkSourceWA, insufficient work search, income reporting errors, or job separation issues. The good news is most are fixable once you know what the problem is.
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Quinn Herbert
•I did register with WorkSourceWA but maybe I messed up something else. This whole system is so complicated.
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Miranda Singer
•It really is confusing. The rules aren't always clear and the website doesn't explain things well.
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Cass Green
been there! my disqualification ended up being because i answered one question wrong on my initial application. took forever to get it sorted out but eventually got all my back pay
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Quinn Herbert
•Which question if you don't mind me asking? I'm trying to figure out what I might have done wrong.
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Cass Green
•it was about my reason for leaving my job. i said 'laid off' but should have been more specific about the circumstances
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Finley Garrett
Document everything - when you filed, what information you provided, any correspondence. You'll need this for your appeal if it comes to that.
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Quinn Herbert
•Good advice. I'll start gathering all my paperwork and screenshots now.
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Madison Tipne
The waiting is the worst part. I was disqualified for 3 weeks before I found out it was just a computer glitch that flagged my account incorrectly. Keep pushing for answers.
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Quinn Herbert
•A computer glitch? That's both frustrating and reassuring to know it might not be something I actually did wrong.
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Madison Tipne
•Exactly. Sometimes it's not your fault at all, but you still have to fight to get it fixed.
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Laila Fury
Summary for OP: Get your determination letter first (call or check online messages), understand the specific reason for disqualification, continue filing weekly claims, gather supporting documentation, and be prepared to appeal if you disagree. The 30-day appeal deadline is crucial.
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Quinn Herbert
•Thank you so much everyone. This gives me a clear plan of action. I feel much less panicked now knowing this might be fixable.
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Holly Lascelles
•Good luck! Keep us updated on how it goes.
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