One additional thing to consider: if you do decide to turn down the temporary position, make sure you continue performing and documenting your three job search activities each week. Sometimes people focus so much on the 'refusing work' issue that they neglect the ongoing job search requirements and get disqualified for that reason instead.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST TEACHERS!!! My wife went through this exact thing in 2022 and ESD denied her no matter what evidence we provided. They expect highly educated professionals to just take ANY job offer even when it means starting over each year. Meanwhile the district that laid her off posted her EXACT position again 6 months later but wouldn't rehire her! KEEP FIGHTING!

to answer ur question about what happened with mine - they finally sent me a letter after 3 weeks asking about some part time work i did during my base year. once i filled out their form it only took like 4 days to approve everything. so annoying they couldnt just ask me that from the beginning!

Good news is that once adjudication is complete, if approved, they'll pay for all the weeks you've been claiming in one lump sum. So even though it's stressful waiting, you won't lose any eligible benefits. Make sure your husband's job search log is being maintained properly (3 job search activities each week) while waiting. The last thing you want is to get through adjudication only to be denied for inadequate job search activities.

To clarify about your 23-hour week: Since you worked part-time, you'll need to report your hours and earnings accurately. If your earnings that week were less than your weekly benefit amount, you'll receive partial unemployment benefits. The first 25% of your earnings are disregarded (this is called the "earnings disregard"), and then for every dollar you earn above that, your weekly benefit is reduced by a dollar. For example, if your weekly benefit amount is $500 and you earned $300 that week: - $300 x 25% = $75 (disregarded earnings) - $300 - $75 = $225 (countable earnings) - $500 - $225 = $275 (partial benefit payment) So in this example, you would receive $275 for your 23-hour week.

btw if ur wondering why the system works this way... its cuz lots of ppl have variable hours week to week so ESD needs to know every week whats going on with ur work situation. my roomate works in construction and some weeks hes full time some weeks hes nothing depending on projects

Just a quick update on current timeframes - my neighbor's claim just got through adjudication after 5 weeks and 2 days. She had the 'requires more research' message too. So that seems to be the current timeline people should expect. Not great, but at least there's an end in sight!

This happens all the time!!! ESD is literally the WORST agency in the state. They intentionally make everything confusing and put everyone in adjudication so they don't have to pay benefits right away. It's their way of discouraging people from collecting unemployment at all. I went through 3 months of adjudication last year for no reason whatsoever - my employer even confirmed everything was fine on their end!

one time my boss didnt pay me for like 3 weeks and i had to file for unemployment too. such a headache lol. ended up quitting that job eventually good luck

To clarify official policy: When reporting 40+ hours worked in a week, you are exempt from job search requirements regardless of wages earned. However, your claim may be flagged because the system detects an inconsistency between full-time hours and zero income. This is likely why ESD is requesting additional information. When you speak with a representative, explain that you're working full-time but experiencing delayed payment. They might request documentation from your employer confirming this arrangement. In the meantime, continue answering honestly - Yes to working 40+ hours, $0 for wages, and No to job search activities. Document everything, including any communications with your employer about the delayed payments.

I work with unemployment cases frequently, and this $0 payment issue with a 'PAID' status after an appeal is something I've seen quite a bit in 2025. What's happening is that when an appeal reverses a denial, the weeks get marked as eligible for payment (hence the 'PAID' status), but an automatic payment block is applied until a claims specialist reviews the case. This is actually a good sign because it means the system acknowledges he's owed the money. The quickest resolution would be speaking directly with a claims specialist who can release the payment. Be sure when you call to specifically mention you're calling about "payment blocks after an approved appeal" - this may help get you routed to the right department faster.

has he checked his bank account info in the system? my friend had a similar thing and it turned out his bank info was wrong so the money had nowhere to go! the payment status was stuck in limbo or somethin

Is this really something worth worrying about? I mean as long as you're actually doing the job search activities and not making stuff up, I doubt ESD is going to care whether you classified a Zoom meeting as in-person or not. They're looking for people who are completely fabricating their job search, not honest mistakes about zoom links vs physical addresses.

Thank you everyone for the helpful advice! Just to update - I called ESD this morning after trying for THREE DAYS to get through. The agent said that virtual interviews should be marked as "not in-person" even if they're on video. She said the system was designed before Zoom interviews were common and they haven't updated it yet. She noted my account about the mistake and said it shouldn't affect my claim. For anyone else dealing with this, definitely select "no" for in-person on video interviews!

I'm curious - did anyone contact you about your missed weeks? I'm in a similar situation where I missed filing for 3 weeks (totally my fault, I got a temporary gig and thought I wouldn't qualify, then found out I still could claim partial benefits). I'm scared to backfile them all at once because I've heard horror stories about people getting their claims flagged for fraud review. Did they put you through extra verification or anything?

so did the money come through??? im in a similar situation and want to know what happened with yours

One more thing - if your husband just joined the union in January, make sure he's listed as an eligible participant in the employer's Shared Work plan. Sometimes new employees aren't automatically added, and they have to be specifically included in the plan by the employer. This is especially relevant for newer union members who may not have been included in the original plan documentation.

Update: I wanted to thank everyone for their helpful advice! My husband talked to both his union rep and the company's HR department yesterday. Turns out the employer hadn't properly included him in their Shared Work certification because he was new to the union. They're fixing it now and said the claim should process within a week once the correction is submitted. We also found a local assistance program that might help with next month's rent if we need it. The waiting is still stressful, but at least we know what was causing the delay now. I'll update again once we actually see any payments come through!

For those asking about the SEAP application process: 1. You need to submit your application through eServices (there's a special section for SEAP applications) 2. You need to include a business plan or outline of your business idea 3. You must participate in an entrepreneurial training program approved by the Commissioner 4. You need to actively work on establishing a business 5. You must be identified as likely to exhaust regular unemployment benefits If approved, you'll continue filing weekly claims like normal, but instead of reporting job search activities, you'll report your self-employment activities. You're still required to be available for the training and other program requirements. Keep in mind that 2025 has new program limits - I believe they're only accepting around 200 participants statewide this year due to funding constraints.

my cousin did this program last year and now he has a successful landscaping business. he said the best part was being able to buy equipment and supplies while still getting unemployment checks coming in. dont listen to all these negative people its a great opportunity if ur serious about being your own boss