Which of the following are three criteria for unemployment Washington ESD eligibility?
I'm filling out my Washington ESD application and there's this question asking which of the following are three criteria for unemployment benefits. I see options about being able and available for work, actively seeking employment, being unemployed through no fault of your own, and some others. Can someone help me understand what the correct three main criteria are? I don't want to mess this up and delay my claim.
55 comments


Aurora St.Pierre
The three main criteria for Washington unemployment benefits are: 1) You must be unemployed through no fault of your own (like layoffs, business closure, etc.), 2) You must be able and available for work, and 3) You must be actively seeking work. These are the core requirements Washington ESD looks for.
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Christopher Morgan
•Thanks! That makes sense. So if I was laid off and I'm healthy and looking for jobs, I should qualify right?
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Aurora St.Pierre
•Yes, as long as you meet the wage requirements too. You need sufficient earnings in your base period to establish a claim.
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Grace Johnson
Don't forget you also have to register with WorkSource and maintain your job search log. That's part of the actively seeking work requirement.
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Christopher Morgan
•Oh I didn't know about WorkSource registration. Is that something I do after my claim is approved?
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Grace Johnson
•No, you should register as soon as possible. It's required for most claimants and Washington ESD checks on this.
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Jayden Reed
I've been dealing with Washington ESD for months trying to get through to someone about my eligibility questions. If you need to actually talk to an agent about your specific situation, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through their phone system. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Nora Brooks
•How much does that cost? I'm already broke waiting for my benefits to start.
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Jayden Reed
•It's worth it if you really need to talk to someone. Way better than spending hours on hold or getting disconnected.
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Eli Wang
•I used something similar when I couldn't reach anyone about my adjudication. Sometimes you just need professional help navigating their system.
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Cassandra Moon
Also make sure you understand what 'through no fault of your own' means. If you quit voluntarily or were fired for misconduct, you might not qualify. Washington ESD is pretty strict about this.
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Christopher Morgan
•What if you quit because of harassment or unsafe working conditions? Does that count as no fault of your own?
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Cassandra Moon
•That can qualify as 'good cause' but you'll need documentation. Washington ESD will investigate these cases through adjudication.
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Zane Hernandez
been unemployed 6 months and still fighting with esd about my eligibility. the system is broken
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Genevieve Cavalier
•Have you tried appealing their decision? You have rights in this process.
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Zane Hernandez
•yeah appealed twice. still waiting. its ridiculous
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Aurora St.Pierre
Just to clarify the three main criteria again since there seems to be some confusion: 1) Monetary eligibility (sufficient wages), 2) Non-monetary eligibility (unemployed through no fault of own, able/available, actively seeking), and 3) Ongoing eligibility (continue meeting requirements, file weekly claims). All three areas must be satisfied.
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Ethan Scott
•This is really helpful. I wish Washington ESD explained it this clearly on their website.
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Aurora St.Pierre
•The Washington ESD handbook covers all this but it's pretty dense reading. Worth going through though.
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Lola Perez
When I applied last year I thought I met all the criteria but got stuck in adjudication for weeks. Turns out they needed more info about my separation from my previous job. Make sure you provide detailed information upfront.
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Christopher Morgan
•What kind of details should I include about my layoff?
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Lola Perez
•Date of layoff, reason given by employer, any severance info, whether it was permanent or temporary. The more specific the better.
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Nathaniel Stewart
Also worth noting that being able and available means you can't be too picky about jobs. Washington ESD expects you to consider suitable work based on your experience and local job market.
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Riya Sharma
•What counts as suitable work? Can I turn down jobs that pay way less than my previous salary?
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Nathaniel Stewart
•Initially you can be somewhat selective, but as time goes on Washington ESD expects you to lower your standards. It's a sliding scale.
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Santiago Diaz
Don't forget about the work search requirements! You need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep detailed records. Washington ESD audits these regularly.
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Christopher Morgan
•Where do I keep track of my job search activities?
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Santiago Diaz
•You can use the WorkSource job search log or create your own spreadsheet. Just make sure you track employer names, dates, positions applied for, and contact methods.
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Millie Long
I'm confused about the monetary eligibility part. How much do I need to have earned to qualify?
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Aurora St.Pierre
•It's based on your base period wages. Generally you need at least $4,000 in your base period and wages in at least two quarters. Washington ESD calculates this automatically when you apply.
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Millie Long
•What if I just started working recently? Would I qualify with limited work history?
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KaiEsmeralda
The three criteria thing comes up on the initial application questionnaire. It's basically testing whether you understand the basic requirements. Don't overthink it - unemployed through no fault, able and available, actively seeking work.
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Christopher Morgan
•Thanks, that's exactly what I needed to know. Sometimes these government forms make things more complicated than they need to be.
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Debra Bai
Had a friend who failed the initial screening because she didn't understand the 'actively seeking work' requirement. You can't just say you're looking - you have to actually apply for jobs and document it.
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Gabriel Freeman
•Yeah Washington ESD is serious about the job search requirement. They can ask for your job search log at any time.
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Laura Lopez
Quick question - does being on standby status change any of these criteria? My employer said they might call me back but it could be months.
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Aurora St.Pierre
•Standby status has different rules. You don't have to actively seek work if you have a definite recall date within 12 weeks, but you still need to be able and available.
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Laura Lopez
•That's good to know. My recall is indefinite so I guess I still need to job search.
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Victoria Brown
Been trying to reach Washington ESD for weeks about my specific eligibility situation. Finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and got through to an actual person in like 20 minutes. Game changer if you need real answers.
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Samuel Robinson
•Was it worth the cost? I'm getting desperate to talk to someone about my claim.
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Victoria Brown
•Absolutely. Saved me hours of frustration and I got my questions answered properly.
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Camila Castillo
The criteria seem straightforward but Washington ESD's interpretation can be strict. I thought I qualified based on everything I read online but ended up disqualified because of something minor in my separation details.
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Brianna Muhammad
•Did you appeal the disqualification?
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Camila Castillo
•Yes, and won on appeal. But it took months to resolve. Wish I had been more careful with my initial application.
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JaylinCharles
For anyone still confused - the Washington ESD website has a quiz that walks you through eligibility scenarios. Might be worth taking before you submit your application.
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Christopher Morgan
•I'll check that out. Thanks for all the help everyone!
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Eloise Kendrick
Remember that meeting the three criteria is just the beginning. You have to maintain eligibility throughout your benefit year by continuing to meet these requirements every week.
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Lucas Schmidt
•This is why the weekly claims are so important. Washington ESD uses those to verify ongoing eligibility.
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Freya Collins
One thing I learned the hard way - if you're not sure about any of the criteria, it's better to call Washington ESD and ask than to guess wrong on your application. Wrong answers can cause major delays.
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LongPeri
•Good advice, though getting through to Washington ESD by phone is its own challenge.
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Jayden Reed
•That's exactly why services like Claimyr exist. Sometimes you need help just getting through to the right person.
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Oscar O'Neil
The three criteria question is usually pretty early in the application process. Once you get past that, there are more detailed questions about your work history and separation reason.
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Christopher Morgan
•Good to know what to expect. I feel much more confident about completing the application now.
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Sara Hellquiem
Final tip - save copies of everything you submit to Washington ESD and keep detailed records. If there are any issues later, you'll need documentation to support your case.
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Charlee Coleman
•This is so important. I had to reconstruct my entire job search log when Washington ESD audited me because I didn't keep good records initially.
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