If she's a student with limited availability, that does complicate things. Here's what she should know: 1. Being a student doesn't automatically disqualify her, but she must be available for work during hours customary for her occupation 2. If she restricts her availability too much, ESD may determine she's not truly available for work 3. She should be honest about her availability restrictions on her application 4. There is a specific question about school attendance on the weekly claim Some students do qualify for partial benefits, especially if they're willing to work evenings, weekends, or other shifts outside of class time. ESD evaluates these cases individually, so the best approach is to apply and be completely truthful about her situation.

Being available Friday-Monday (4 days a week) should be sufficient availability for many jobs, especially in retail or food service. When she files her weekly claims, there's a specific question asking if she had any school attendance that affected her ability to work. She should indicate "yes" and explain her situation. I recommend she also check the "Worker Retraining" programs through WorkSource. Some students qualify for special unemployment benefits if they're enrolled in approved training programs that lead to in-demand careers. It's a separate program, but worth looking into if her studies align with qualifying fields.

yeah my brother had almost the exact same thing happen and he got approved but had to wait like 4 weeks. just keep doing the job search stuff and filing every week

Yes, absolutely continue filing weekly claims and completing your three job search activities each week, even during weeks when your benefits might be reduced or zeroed out due to severance allocation. This maintains your claim as active in the system and establishes your eligibility for those weeks once the severance allocation period ends. If you don't file for a week, you can't receive benefits for that week later, even if you would have been eligible after adjudication is complete. Missing weekly claims is one of the most common mistakes that leads to benefit payment delays.

i was on unemployment last year and my brothers on it now and we both noticed that sometimes the website says one thing but the reality is different the whole system is super confusing and outdated tbh. my brother had a similar thing where they said hed be paid but the website didnt change for like 3 days but he did get paid eventually.

UPDATE: You guys were right! The money hit my account this morning even though the website STILL says disqualified. So relieved right now. Thank you all for the reassurance and advice. For anyone else in this situation - trust what the agent tells you if they specifically mention processing the payment that night, even if the website doesn't update!

One more thing to be aware of - ESD has specific requirements about what counts as a "job search activity" for self-employment. According to their guidelines, these typically need to be: 1. Specific actions that directly establish your business (like your notary application, getting business licenses, etc.) 2. Activities that would reasonably lead to income-producing opportunities 3. Properly documented with dates, time spent, and outcomes General research probably won't count, but completing required notary training, submitting your application to become commissioned, and setting up your business license should all qualify as concrete steps toward establishing self-employment. Also look into WorkSource's self-employment resources - attending one of their small business workshops definitely counts as a job search activity and they can give you additional guidance.

wait so ur saying i could have been counting stuff for my etsy shop this whole time??? ive been doing random job applications i dont even want just to keep my benefits going

u should also call ur state rep!! my friend got stuck with esd issues and her state rep helped push it thru faster!

IMPORTANT: I forgot to mention - make sure when you file your claim you include that you're in a UNION and provide your local number!! There's a specific section in the application for union members, and it changes how they process your claim. I almost missed this part and it would have caused huge problems.