What does it mean when Washington ESD unemployment says disqualified - got this status today

Disqualified means Washington ESD has determined you don't meet the eligibility requirements for some reason. Common causes include job separation issues (like quitting without good cause or being fired for misconduct), not being able and available for work, or failing to meet work search requirements. You should have received a determination letter explaining the specific reason.

I went through this same thing last year. Disqualified doesn't always mean permanent - it could be a temporary issue that can be resolved. The key is figuring out WHY you were disqualified. Did you miss any weekly certifications or have any issues with your job search log?

Getting through to Washington ESD to find out what happened can be impossible with their phone system. I spent weeks trying to reach someone when I got disqualified. Found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to an agent within a few hours. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Might be worth trying if you can't get through the regular way.

DISQUALIFIED means they think you did something wrong but half the time it's their mistake! I got disqualified because they said I wasn't looking for work even though I had been doing 3 job searches every week like required. The system is broken and they disqualify people for no good reason all the time.

Check if your employer contested your claim. Sometimes companies fight unemployment claims and if Washington ESD sides with them, you get disqualified. This happened to my friend who thought she was laid off but the company claimed she was fired for performance issues.

same thing happened to me last month turned out I had made an error on one of my weekly claims about my work hours and they disqualified me for providing false information even though it was an honest mistake

The most important thing right now is to get that determination letter and understand the specific reason for disqualification. Once you know that, you can decide whether to appeal or if there's something you need to correct. You have 30 days from the date of the determination to file an appeal if you disagree with their decision.

I got disqualified once because I reported that I had worked a few hours one week but apparently entered the wrong dates. They said I was trying to hide work which was totally not true. The whole system is set up to catch people making innocent mistakes.

Update on my earlier suggestion - I actually used Claimyr again this month for a different issue and they got me through to someone at Washington ESD within 2 hours. Much better than the 4+ hour holds I was dealing with before. Really helps when you need answers quickly about claim issues.

Whatever you do, don't just ignore it hoping it will go away. I made that mistake and by the time I tried to appeal it was too late. Even if you think the disqualification is wrong, you need to take action within that 30 day window.

Could also be related to identity verification issues. Washington ESD has been super strict about ID verification lately and sometimes flags accounts for additional verification which can show up as disqualified status temporarily.

Also check if you've been meeting the work search requirements correctly. They require 3 job search activities per week and they have specific rules about what counts. If you've been doing the same type of searches every week or not logging them properly, that could trigger a disqualification.

another possibility is if you moved recently or had any address changes that could affect your eligibility status especially if you moved out of state even temporarily

Don't panic yet. I've seen people get disqualified for paperwork issues that were easily resolved once they talked to someone at ESD. The hard part is getting through to explain the situation. Definitely try to call first thing Monday morning if you can.

Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while disqualified if you plan to appeal. Sometimes people stop filing and then have gaps in their claim that cause problems later.

Had a similar scare last year - turned out to be a computer glitch that showed me as disqualified for like 48 hours then went back to normal. Sometimes their system has temporary issues that resolve themselves.

Final advice - document everything. Screenshot your current claim status, save copies of all your weekly claim submissions, and keep track of your job search activities. If you need to appeal, having good documentation will help your case significantly.