When are you not eligible for unemployment benefits in Washington state?

There are several reasons Washington ESD might deny your claim. The main ones are: quitting without good cause, getting fired for misconduct, not being able and available for work, refusing suitable work offers, not meeting the base period earnings requirements, or having an issue with your work authorization. What happened with your last job exactly?

I was denied because I didn't earn enough in my base period. They look at your earnings from 5 quarters ago through 2 quarters ago. If you didn't make at least $3,800 total or didn't work in at least 2 quarters, you won't qualify. Also need to have earned at least 1.25 times your highest quarter earnings.

If you're not a US citizen or don't have work authorization, that's an automatic disqualification. Also if you're not physically able to work or not available for full-time work, you won't qualify. Some people think they can collect while going to school full-time but that usually doesn't work either.

I got denied for 'misconduct' even though I was just late a few times. Apparently showing up late repeatedly can be considered misconduct if they warned you about it. Fighting the denial now but it's been a nightmare trying to get through to anyone at Washington ESD to explain my side.

Don't forget about the work search requirements! Even if you qualify initially, you can lose benefits if you don't do enough job searching. Washington ESD requires 3 work search activities per week and you have to keep detailed records.

If you refuse a suitable job offer, that's grounds for disqualification too. 'Suitable' depends on your skills, experience, and how long you've been unemployed. Early on they expect you to look for jobs similar to what you did before.

I was disqualified because I was receiving workers' comp at the same time. You can't collect both unemployment and workers' comp simultaneously in Washington. Had to wait until my workers' comp case was resolved.

Holiday seasonal workers sometimes get denied because they have reasonable assurance of returning to work. Like if you work at a ski resort every winter, Washington ESD might say you're not truly unemployed during the off-season.

If you're self-employed or an independent contractor, you usually can't collect regular unemployment benefits. Washington ESD looks at whether you were a true employee or just doing contract work. The gig economy has made this more complicated.

I got denied because I moved out of state and Washington ESD said I wasn't available for work in Washington anymore. Even though I was willing to commute back for interviews, they said it wasn't realistic for most jobs.

Don't file a fraudulent claim obviously. Washington ESD cross-checks with other states and federal databases. If they catch you lying about your work history, earnings, or reason for separation, you'll be disqualified and might have to pay penalties.

Military members usually can't collect unemployment right after discharge because they receive separation pay. There's a waiting period based on how much separation pay you got.

If you're in the country illegally, you won't qualify. Washington ESD requires proof of work authorization. Even if you've been working and paying taxes, without proper documentation you'll be denied.

I was shocked to learn that if you're receiving a pension from your last employer, it might reduce your unemployment benefits. Washington ESD deducts the pension amount from your weekly benefit. In some cases, it can make you ineligible entirely.

If you're incarcerated, you obviously can't collect unemployment benefits. Some people don't realize this also applies to being in a treatment facility if it's court-ordered or if you can't leave to look for work.