10 weeks and ESD claim still 'pending' - normal decision wait time?

OMG 10 WEEKS??? That is NOT normal! When I filed in November it took them 3 weeks to approve my claim. Something is definitely wrong with your claim. You probably got stuck in adjudication hell without them even telling you. Did you check the "Decisions" tab on your eServices account? Sometimes they put issues there without sending you a notice.

mine was stuck for 6 weeks last month. turns out they needed identity verification but never sent me the notice lol. check ur correspondence tab? might be something there they didnt notify u about

Current ESD decision wait times are typically 3-4 weeks for standard unemployment claims. Ten weeks indicates there's likely an issue flagged for adjudication. Common reasons include: employment separation issues, availability concerns, or identity verification problems. Here's what I recommend: 1. Check your "Uploads" section - sometimes required documents aren't properly registered in their system 2. Look at the "Issues" tab to see if there are any pending items 3. Send a secure message through eServices specifically asking what's causing the delay 4. Request a callback by filling out the web form (though response times are currently long) If none of that works, you might need to escalate to your state representative's office. They can often get quicker responses from ESD.

I had something similar happen when I applied last year. Turns out I had accidentally entered my birthdate wrong (typo) and that flagged my whole claim but they never told me!! It sat for like 7-8 weeks before I finally got someone on the phone who fixed it in literally 2 minutes. The problem is GETTING SOMEONE on the phone...

This is unfortunately becoming more common in 2025. ESD has been struggling with staffing issues since the post-pandemic budget cuts. While 10 weeks is definitely longer than the standard wait time, I've seen several cases where claims fall through the cracks without any notification to the claimant. One thing to try that worked for a client of mine: call right when they open at 8:00 AM, but select the employer services option instead of claimant services. They often have shorter wait times, and once you get a person, they can usually transfer you to the right department. It's not the "proper" way, but when you're at 10 weeks with no movement, sometimes you need to try alternative approaches. Also, document everything - dates you called, messages you sent, etc. If you end up needing to appeal or request backpay, this documentation will be crucial.

i dont mean 2 hijack ur thread but has anyone else noticed the esd website acting weird lately?? mine keeps logging me out when im trying to file my weekly claim. but ya 10 weeks is crazy long bro. hope u get it figured out

Any update?? Did you manage to get through to someone? I'm invested in your story now lol. 10 weeks with no income is CRIMINAL!!

Great news that you were able to connect with an agent! This is exactly the type of situation that requires direct communication. When employers contest claims, it automatically triggers adjudication, but you should always receive notification. The fact that you didn't points to a communication breakdown in their system. For anyone else reading this thread with similar issues: always ensure your contact information is up-to-date in both your SAW account and ESD profile, check your spam folder regularly, and be persistent with follow-ups every 2-3 weeks if your claim seems stalled. The system isn't perfect, but staying proactive can help prevent these extended delays.

Wow, what a nightmare you've been through! I'm so glad you finally got through to someone and discovered what was actually happening with your claim. It's absolutely ridiculous that your employer contested it without you even knowing - that's exactly the kind of system failure that leaves people hanging for months. I hope the 72-hour timeline actually holds up and you get your benefits sorted out soon. This whole thread is a perfect example of why ESD needs to fix their notification system - how many other people are stuck in limbo because they never received the paperwork they were supposed to get? Thanks for sharing your experience and keeping us updated. Definitely post when you get the final decision!

This is such a relief to read! I've been following your story and I'm so glad you finally got some answers. It's absolutely infuriating that your employer disputed your claim without you knowing - especially when you were part of a clear layoff with 12 other people. That should have been straightforward documentation on their end. The fact that the adjudicator never sent you the required questionnaire is a major system failure on ESD's part. I really hope they follow through on that 72-hour timeline they promised you. After 10+ weeks of this nightmare, you deserve to have this resolved immediately. Please keep us posted on what happens! Your experience is going to help so many other people who find themselves in similar situations. And thank you for mentioning Claimyr - I'm bookmarking that in case I ever need it. Fingers crossed for a positive decision soon!

This is exactly why I always tell people to document EVERYTHING when dealing with ESD. Your situation is a perfect case study in how things can go wrong - employer contests without proper notification, adjudicator fails to send required paperwork, and you're left in limbo for months without knowing why. I'm really glad you finally broke through and got answers! The Claimyr service sounds like a game-changer for actually reaching a human being. It's absolutely criminal that you had to go 10+ weeks without income because of their system failures, especially when you were clearly part of a documented layoff. I hope they not only approve your claim quickly but also provide full backpay for all those weeks you were wrongfully denied. This thread should be required reading for anyone filing for unemployment - it shows exactly what can go wrong and what steps actually work to fix it. Thanks for sharing your journey and please update us when you get that final decision!

This entire thread is both heartbreaking and incredibly helpful. Oliver, I'm so sorry you had to go through 10+ weeks of financial stress because of ESD's broken system. The fact that your employer falsely contested your claim as a "quit" when you were clearly part of a documented layoff with 12 others is absolutely despicable - that should honestly result in penalties for filing fraudulent disputes. I'm really hoping that 72-hour timeline holds up and you get your full backpay for all those weeks of wrongful delay. Thank you for sharing the Claimyr tip - I had no idea services like that existed, and it sounds like it was the key to finally breaking through their phone system. This whole experience really shows how many people are probably stuck in similar situations right now without even knowing what's causing their delays. Your persistence in documenting everything and trying different approaches is going to help so many others who find this thread. Fingers crossed for a positive decision soon, and please keep us updated!

This whole thread has been such a rollercoaster to follow! Oliver, I'm so relieved you finally got through to someone and discovered what was actually happening with your claim. It's absolutely infuriating that your employer contested it as a "quit" when you were clearly part of a documented layoff - that's basically fraud on their part and should have consequences. The fact that ESD never sent you the required adjudication paperwork is a massive system failure that left you in limbo for over 10 weeks without any way to defend yourself. I'm really hoping they stick to that 72-hour timeline they promised you and approve everything with full backpay. Thank you so much for sharing the Claimyr service - I had no idea something like that existed and it sounds like it was the game-changer you needed to actually reach a human being. Your experience is going to help countless other people who find themselves stuck in similar situations. Please keep us posted on the final outcome - after everything you've been through, we're all rooting for you to get this resolved quickly and properly!

This entire thread has been such an eye-opener about how broken ESD's system really is. Oliver, I'm so glad you finally got through and discovered what was actually happening - 10+ weeks of financial stress because your employer falsely claimed you "quit" from a documented layoff is absolutely inexcusable. The fact that the adjudicator never sent you the required questionnaire shows how many critical communication failures can happen without anyone noticing. I'm bookmarking Claimyr immediately - it's ridiculous that we need third-party services just to reach our own state agencies, but here we are. Your persistence in documenting everything and trying different approaches is going to help so many people who find this thread when they're dealing with similar nightmares. Really hoping that 72-hour timeline holds up and you get every penny of backpay you're owed. Thanks for sharing your journey and keeping everyone updated - it takes guts to be this transparent about such a stressful situation, but your experience is going to be invaluable for others navigating this broken system.

Holy cow, Oliver! I just read through this entire thread and I'm absolutely livid on your behalf. 10+ weeks without income because your employer had the nerve to falsely claim you "quit" from what was clearly a documented mass layoff?? That's beyond infuriating - there should be serious penalties for employers who file bogus disputes like that. I'm so relieved you finally got through using Claimyr and discovered what was actually happening. The fact that ESD never sent you the adjudication questionnaire is a massive system failure that could have left you hanging indefinitely. I'm definitely bookmarking that Claimyr service - it's ridiculous that we need third-party help just to reach our own state agencies, but if it works then it's worth every penny. Your whole experience really highlights how broken ESD's communication system is and how many people are probably stuck in similar situations right now without even knowing why. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they actually stick to that 72-hour timeline they promised you and approve everything with full backpay. After everything you've been through, they better make this right! Thanks for sharing your journey and all the helpful tips - this thread is going to be a goldmine for anyone else dealing with ESD nightmares.

This thread is absolutely incredible - Oliver, you've been through such an ordeal! I'm a new member here but had to jump in because your story perfectly illustrates everything that's wrong with ESD's system right now. The fact that you were part of a documented layoff with 12 other people and your employer STILL had the audacity to contest it as a "quit" is just outrageous. That's basically filing a false report and there should be consequences for that kind of behavior. What really gets me is that you went 10+ weeks in complete limbo because they never sent you the adjudication paperwork you were supposed to receive. That's not just inconvenient - that's a fundamental failure of due process. How are you supposed to defend your claim if you don't even know there's something to defend against? I'm definitely saving that Claimyr recommendation - it's sad that we need third-party services just to communicate with our own state agencies, but if it actually gets results then it's clearly worth it. Your persistence in trying every avenue and documenting everything is going to help so many people who stumble across this thread in similar situations. Really hoping that 72-hour timeline they promised you actually holds up and you get approved with full backpay for all those weeks. After everything you've endured, they owe you way more than just the benefits - the stress and financial hardship caused by their system failures is inexcusable. Please keep us posted on the outcome!