What does disqualified week mean for Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

A disqualified week means Washington ESD determined you weren't eligible for benefits for that specific week only. It doesn't affect your entire claim, just that one week. Common reasons include earning too much money, not being available for work, or not meeting job search requirements. You should have received a determination letter explaining the specific reason.

I had this happen when I earned too much in part-time work one week. The disqualification was just for that week where my earnings exceeded the weekly benefit amount plus the $5 deductible. You can definitely appeal if you think it's wrong.

Had the same issue trying to figure out why my week got disqualified. Spent hours on hold with Washington ESD trying to get through. Finally used Claimyr to actually reach an agent who explained it was because I didn't complete my job search activities that week. The service at claimyr.com helped me skip the phone queue completely.

UGH this system is so frustrating! They disqualify you for the tiniest things and then make it impossible to get anyone on the phone to explain WHY. I had a disqualified week because apparently I didn't report my job search correctly even though I did everything they asked.

For job search related disqualifications, make sure you're logging your activities in WorkSourceWA. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week and they need to be documented properly. Each activity needs employer name, position, date, and method of contact.

UPDATE: I found the determination letter in my online account under 'Notices'. It says I was disqualified because I wasn't 'able and available' that week. But I was available! I just had a doctor's appointment one day.

That's a common mistake! Doctor appointments don't make you unavailable for work unless they take up the entire day or you physically can't work. You should definitely appeal this - it sounds like an error on your part when filing.

same thing happened to me last month, turned out i marked the wrong box on my weekly claim. these forms are so confusing!

If you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about your disqualification before appealing, I'd recommend checking out Claimyr again. When I had my issue, the agent was able to look at my claim and explain exactly what triggered the disqualification. Saved me from filing an unnecessary appeal.

I've had multiple disqualified weeks and it's always been something different. One week for earnings, another for job search, another for availability. Each week really is separate which is good and bad.

Pro tip: always double-check your weekly claim answers before submitting. I accidentally said I refused work one week when I meant to say no, got disqualified, and had to go through the whole appeal process.

Wait, so if I have one disqualified week, do I still file weekly claims for the following weeks? Or does that mess things up?

I'm dealing with this right now too. Got disqualified for not doing enough job search activities even though I did three like they require. Apparently one of my activities didn't count because it wasn't specific enough.

The whole disqualification system is designed to trip people up and save the state money. They make the questions confusing on purpose.

UPDATE 2: I'm going to appeal this. After reading everyone's responses, I'm pretty sure I just clicked the wrong answer about being available for work. Thanks for all the help explaining how this works!

Just went through this whole process myself. The appeal was approved and I got my benefits for that week. Don't be afraid to appeal if you know you were eligible!

Another option if you can't get through to Washington ESD on the phone is using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. I tried it last week when I had questions about my disqualified week and actually got to talk to an agent the same day.

been there! had two disqualified weeks in a row because i kept making the same mistake on my weekly claims. finally figured out what i was doing wrong and haven't had problems since

Final advice for everyone: always read each question on your weekly claim carefully, keep detailed records of your job search activities in WorkSourceWA, and don't hesitate to appeal if you believe a disqualification is wrong. Most mistakes can be corrected through the appeal process.

Bookmarking this thread in case I run into the same issue. The weekly claims process is way more complicated than it should be.