5 weeks in adjudication for ESD claim after quitting for disabled child - is this normal?

Unfortunately this isn't unusual, especially for 'quit with good cause' cases involving CAT (Commissioner-Approved Training). These types of claims require more manual review from adjudicators since they need to verify that your reason for quitting meets the good cause requirements AND that your training program qualifies under CAT guidelines. In my experience, most quit cases with special circumstances are taking 4-8 weeks in adjudication right now. Make sure you're still filing your weekly claims during this waiting period!

im in week 7 of adjudication after quiting my job so ur not alone. ESD is seriously THE WORST at communicating!!!! no updates or timeline or anything just 'pending' forever

When I had a similar situation last year (though mine was for a different good cause reason), I finally got through to an ESD agent after weeks of trying and they were able to expedite my adjudication. They told me my claim was just sitting in a queue waiting to be assigned to an adjudicator. Got approved about 3 days after they flagged it for review. Have you tried calling them? I know their phone lines are impossible, but I eventually used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Totally worth it in my case since I was already waiting over a month and needed the resolution.

I'm an employment counselor and work with many clients in your situation. For CAT claims with a voluntary quit, adjudication times are definitely longer because they're reviewing two separate eligibility factors: 1. Whether your quit meets "good cause" standards (caring for a disabled family member typically qualifies) 2. Whether your educational program meets CAT requirements Most quit/good cause adjudications are taking 5-7 weeks right now. Since you've already hit 5 weeks, I'd recommend trying to contact them directly. Keep in mind that even after approval, CAT training participants must still be able and available for suitable work that accommodates your training schedule AND your caregiving responsibilities. Document everything related to your son's disability and your school schedule, as they may request this during the adjudication interview.

I used the Claimyr service I mentioned and got through to ESD yesterday. The agent saw your post and I asked about typical wait times for CAT claims with voluntary quits. She confirmed they're seeing 6-8 week processing times for these more complex cases. She recommended calling in directly if you hit week 7 without a decision, as they can sometimes flag it for priority review at that point.

has anyone here actually gotten approved after quitting for family reasons? im worried ill wait all this time and get denied

UPDATE: I finally got an adjudicator call today! After 5.5 weeks, they scheduled a phone interview regarding my voluntary quit. The adjudicator was actually very understanding about my situation with my disabled son. She asked for documentation about his medical needs and my school schedule, which I had ready. She said she'd make a decision within 48 hours. I'm cautiously optimistic! Will update again when I get the final decision.

FINAL UPDATE: I was APPROVED! All those weeks of waiting and worrying and my claim was approved with backpay for the 6 weeks I've been filing. The determination letter specifically mentioned that caring for my disabled son qualified as good cause for leaving work, and my educational program was approved under CAT. I'm so relieved! For anyone else waiting - hang in there. The wait is horrible but there's light at the end of the tunnel.