What does 'not disqualified' mean for Washington ESD unemployment claim status?
I've been checking my Washington ESD claim status obsessively and it finally changed from 'pending' to 'not disqualified' yesterday. I'm honestly confused about what this means exactly. Does 'not disqualified' mean I'm approved? Or is this just another waiting stage before they make a final decision? My weekly claims are still showing as pending too. I filed my initial claim about 3 weeks ago after getting laid off from my warehouse job and I'm starting to stress about bills. Can someone explain what 'not disqualified' actually means in plain English?
47 comments


Kolton Murphy
Not disqualified basically means you passed the initial eligibility review and Washington ESD hasn't found any reason to deny your claim. It's a good sign! You should be able to start receiving payments soon if your weekly claims get processed.
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Jackson Carter
•Thank you! That's such a relief to hear. I was worried it meant something bad.
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Evelyn Rivera
•yeah i had the same status for like a week before payments started coming through
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Julia Hall
Not disqualified means you meet the basic requirements for unemployment benefits in Washington. They've verified your work history, wages, and reason for separation. Your claim is essentially approved but there might still be processing delays for your weekly payments.
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Jackson Carter
•So I don't need to do anything else right now? Just keep filing my weekly claims?
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Julia Hall
•Exactly. Keep filing weekly and make sure you're doing your job search activities. The payments should start flowing soon.
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Arjun Patel
I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks to check on my claim status but can never get through. The phone lines are always busy or I get disconnected after waiting forever. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there?
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Kolton Murphy
•I actually found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. It saved me hours of calling.
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Arjun Patel
•Is it legit? I'm desperate at this point but don't want to get scammed.
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Kolton Murphy
•Yeah it's real. They basically handle the calling for you and connect you when an agent picks up. Worth trying if you really need to talk to someone.
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Jade Lopez
Not disqualified is definitely better than disqualified lol. I got disqualified initially because of some issue with my separation reason and had to appeal. That was a nightmare process that took months to resolve.
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Jackson Carter
•Oh no, what happened with your separation issue? I'm worried mine might get flagged too.
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Jade Lopez
•My employer contested my claim saying I quit voluntarily but I was actually laid off. Had to provide documentation to prove it during the appeal.
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Tony Brooks
•employers do that all the time to avoid paying into unemployment insurance, its so frustrating
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Ella rollingthunder87
The Washington ESD system is so confusing with all these different statuses. I never know what any of them mean until I research online or ask here.
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Julia Hall
•The main statuses are: Pending (under review), Not Disqualified (approved), Disqualified (denied), and Paid (money sent). There are others but those are the key ones.
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Yara Campbell
•wish they would just say approved instead of not disqualified, seems unnecessarily confusing
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Evelyn Rivera
how long did it take from not disqualified to actually getting paid? mine changed yesterday too but no money yet
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Kolton Murphy
•Usually 2-3 business days after your weekly claim processes. Make sure your bank info is correct in your account.
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Evelyn Rivera
•ok thanks, guess ill just wait and see
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Isaac Wright
Not disqualified means you're in the clear! I remember when mine changed to that status I was so happy. Just keep doing your weekly claims and job search requirements and you should be golden.
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Jackson Carter
•What are the job search requirements exactly? I've been applying to jobs but not sure if I'm doing it right for Washington ESD.
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Isaac Wright
•You need to do 3 job search activities per week and keep a log. Can be applications, networking, job fairs, etc. There's info on the WorkSourceWA website.
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Maya Diaz
•i always forget to log my job searches until the last minute, need to get better about that
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Tony Brooks
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A MESS! I've been waiting 6 weeks for my claim to process and it's still pending. Meanwhile bills are piling up and I can't get anyone on the phone to help.
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Kolton Murphy
•Have you tried that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier? They might be able to help you get through to an agent to check what's holding up your claim.
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Tony Brooks
•never heard of it but at this point ill try anything, thanks
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Tami Morgan
I work in HR and can confirm that 'not disqualified' essentially means approved. The confusing terminology is just how government systems work unfortunately. Your claim has been accepted and you should receive payments soon.
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Jackson Carter
•That's really helpful to know from someone who works with this stuff professionally. Thank you!
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Rami Samuels
•why cant they just use normal language instead of these weird government terms
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Haley Bennett
Be careful about the job search requirements though. Washington ESD is strict about that and if you don't do them properly you can get disqualified even after being approved initially.
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Jackson Carter
•What happens if I mess up the job search log? Is there any way to fix mistakes?
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Haley Bennett
•You can usually update your log if you catch errors quickly, but it's better to be accurate from the start. Keep detailed records of everything.
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Douglas Foster
not disqualified is the best status you can have besides paid. congrats op, your claim went through!
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Jackson Carter
•Thanks! I'm so relieved. This whole process has been so stressful.
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Nina Chan
I remember being so confused by that status too when I first filed. The Washington ESD website could really use better explanations of what each status means.
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Ruby Knight
•agreed, everything is written in bureaucratic language that normal people cant understand
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Diego Castillo
•at least forums like this exist to help translate what it all means
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Logan Stewart
Just wanted to add that you should still keep applying for jobs even though you're getting unemployment. The job search requirements are mandatory and they do audit people randomly.
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Jackson Carter
•I've been applying but wasn't sure how detailed the log needs to be. Do I need to include contact info for every application?
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Logan Stewart
•Yes, include company name, position, date applied, and method of contact. Be thorough because if they audit you, they'll want to see everything.
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Arjun Patel
Update: I tried that Claimyr thing and actually got through to a Washington ESD agent today! They confirmed my claim status and explained what was causing the delay. Definitely worth using if you need to talk to someone.
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Mikayla Brown
•how much does it cost? is it expensive?
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Arjun Patel
•They have different options but it was worth it for me since I'd been trying to call for weeks with no luck.
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Sean Matthews
The good news is once you see 'not disqualified' the hard part is over. Your claim is approved and you just need to wait for the payments to start processing. Keep filing weekly and you should be all set.
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Jackson Carter
•Perfect! Thanks everyone for all the help. This community is amazing.
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Ali Anderson
•glad we could help! unemployment can be super confusing the first time
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