Weekly claims showing 'disqualified' despite ESD approval letter - no explanation given

This happened to me last year. There's probably an issue with your work search activities or the "able and available" requirement that's triggering automatic disqualifications. The system often doesn't tell you what's wrong, but common reasons include: 1. Not reporting enough job search activities (you need exactly 3 per week) 2. Reporting you weren't available for full-time work during any part of the week 3. Answering "no" to being physically able to work 4. Reporting school attendance without explaining it doesn't interfere with work 5. A potential employer reported you refused suitable work Double-check your answers on the weekly claim questions. One wrong answer can trigger an automatic disqualification.

r u sure ur work search activities are the right KIND? like they hav to be actual job applications not just looking at postings. i got disqualified for 3 weeks bc i was just putting indeed searches not actual applications lol

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED!!! ESD is doing this on purpose to avoid paying benefits. They approve you to make it look like they're following the law, then disqualify every week hoping you'll give up. It's a known tactic! My sister-in-law went through EXACTLY the same thing in 2024. They kept disqualifying her for 12 weeks straight and when she FINALLY got through to someone, they found a so-called "flag" on her account from a previous employer who claimed she quit (completely false - she was laid off). THIS is why they won't answer your calls or messages - they're hoping you'll just go away. The system is DESIGNED to be frustrating!

I work as an employment counselor and see this issue frequently. There's almost certainly a flag or issue on your account that requires adjudication, but the system isn't properly displaying it to you. This usually happens when: 1. Your employer contested your unemployment claim 2. There's a discrepancy between your reported wages and employer-reported wages 3. You have a previous overpayment or unresolved issue from a prior claim 4. Your identity verification is incomplete (very common issue) 5. You worked for a federal employer or out-of-state employer The approval letter only means you monetarily qualify based on your work history, but these other issues can still prevent payment. Unfortunately, you do need to speak with an ESD representative to resolve this.

I had the same problem!!! It's so confusing when they say you're approved but then disqualify every week. In my case it was because I had vacation pay when I was laid off that I didn't report properly. The really stupid thing is that I couldn't see this issue on my account AT ALL - everything looked normal, but every week was disqualified. Took me 6 weeks to finally get through to someone. 😫

After dealing with similar frustrations trying to reach ESD, I discovered a service called Claimyr that actually got me through to an ESD agent in about 25 minutes instead of spending days trying to call. It saved my sanity! Their system basically navigates the phone tree and waits on hold for you, then calls you when an agent is available. I was skeptical but it worked great - you can see how it works at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. The website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out. Seriously wish I'd known about this months earlier when I was dealing with a mysterious disqualification issue.

Hmm, did you have any gaps in filing your weekly claims? If you miss even one week without filing, your claim can become inactive, and then any weeks you file after that will automatically be disqualified until you reactivate your claim. It's a stupid technicality, but I've seen it happen to several people I know. The approval letter doesn't matter if your claim became inactive.

Based on everything you've shared, it sounds like there's an identity verification or employer separation issue that's not being displayed properly in your account. This is unfortunately common with ESD's system. Since you mentioned severance pay, that could absolutely be triggering the disqualifications if the system thinks you're still receiving it. When you do get through to an agent, ask them specifically to check for: 1. Any identity verification holds 2. How your severance was processed in the system 3. Whether your employer contested the claim 4. If there are any adjudication issues not displaying in your account Request that they send you any pending questionnaires or forms immediately while you're on the phone. Also ask them to check if you have any "able and available" issues flagged on your weekly claims.