After you report the fraud, you'll want to get a copy of your full ESD account record. You can request this through a public records request on their website. This will show all claim activity under your SSN, including what address and bank account information was used for the fraudulent claim. This evidence is super helpful for clearing things up with the IRS too.

maybe the $430 is some kind of adjustment from your old claim? like did you ever appeal anything from back then?

THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE US WAIT!!! They PURPOSELY delay payments at end of month because they know rent is due!!! I've tracked this for MONTHS and ALWAYS slower at month-end! They want people to get evicted so they don't have to pay benefits anymore!!!

UPDATE: My payment just processed! It switched from "Processing IVR" to "Paid" about an hour ago. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for the reassurance. I'll definitely be filing early on Sundays from now on. Lesson learned!

Glad it worked out! The first payment is always the most stressful.

told ya! now u know for next time :

i've spent 17 HOURS on hold with esd over the past two weeks!!! seventeen!!!!! and got disconnected every single time. this is my FOURTH claim over the years and it's never been this bad. their phone system is completely broken. i'm going to try your trick tomorrow and i don't even care if it's not the "right" way. my kids need to eat.

I don't think people understand how desperate it gets when you're relying on unemployment benefits that suddenly stop with no explanation. After my hours were cut in January, I filed for partial unemployment. Everything was fine for 6 weeks, then suddenly my payments stopped with a mysterious "adjudication" status. After two weeks of failed call attempts through the main line, I finally reached someone using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a system that navigates the phone tree and gets you in line without you having to keep redialing. There's a demo on their site: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The issue turned out to be that my employer had contested my availability (saying I turned down hours, which wasn't true). Once I finally got through to explain, the adjudicator cleared it right away. If I'd been able to reach someone sooner, I wouldn't have fallen behind on bills.

has anyone gotten backpay for all the weeks they waiting? im on week 5 of waiting

UPDATE: Finally got through to ESD this morning using Claimyr! The agent found that my claim was flagged for manual review because my employer reported a slightly different last day of work than what I entered (I put my last day in the office, they put the official termination date which was 2 days later). The agent updated it and said my payments should process within 48-72 hours. Such a relief to finally know what was happening! Will update when money arrives.

anyone else notice ESD always says 'paid' way before it actually pays?? like why even have that status if it doesnt mean anything lol

Actually, 'paid' means ESD has processed the payment on their end and sent the payment instruction to the bank or card processor. It doesn't mean the money has arrived in your account yet. There are multiple systems involved: ESD's payment system, the ACH transfer network, and your bank's processing system. Each step takes time. From what you've described, I think you'll see the money very soon. First payments almost always take longer than subsequent ones. Once you're in their regular payment cycle, it becomes much more predictable.

Wanted to clarify something - I work for ESD (not speaking in any official capacity). The Governor's office doesn't directly expedite claims, but they do sometimes forward constituent concerns to our Commissioner's Office, which can flag claims for review. The most effective routes right now are: 1. Your state legislators (as others have mentioned) 2. The ESD Ombuds Office 3. Getting through to an agent who can see if there's a simple issue holding up your claim And yes, hardship flags do exist in our system, but they require specific criteria and documentation. The agent needs to verify the hardship meets certain thresholds. Also, make sure you're continuing to file your weekly claims while in adjudication. I've seen too many people stop filing because they think it doesn't matter until adjudication is complete, but then they lose those weeks of potential benefits.

UPDATE: I wanted to let everyone know what worked! I tried several of the suggestions here. The Ombuds office took my info but said it could be 5-7 business days before they could look into it. I also contacted my state rep's office yesterday morning with all the details about facing eviction. THIS WORKED!! I got a call this afternoon from an ESD supervisor who said my case was expedited after the legislative inquiry. Apparently there was a simple question about my last employer that was holding everything up. She processed my adjudication on the spot, and my account now shows the payments as pending! THANK YOU all so much for the advice - especially about contacting my state representative. You literally saved me from eviction. I'm going to cry from relief.

Just wanted to follow up and mention that while you technically have to attend these workshops as part of your job search requirements, if you miss it for reasons beyond your control (like not receiving the link), you can request to be rescheduled without penalty. Call WorkSource immediately after the missed workshop time and explain the situation, then document the call. ESD generally grants leniency if you can show you made a good faith effort to attend.

UPDATE: I got my link for tomorrow's workshop!! Just came in about 30 minutes ago. Thanks everyone for the help and calming my nerves. Will let you know how it goes!

how did u even get approved in the first place if ur employer was going to fight it? did they just not respond at first?

One more important thing: while your appeal is in process, you should continue looking for work and documenting your job search activities. The appeal process doesn't pause your job search requirements if you're still claiming benefits on weeks you're eligible for. Also, make sure to request a payment plan application right away, even before your appeal. This shows good faith on your part and starts the process in case your appeal is unsuccessful. ESD has reasonable payment plans that can be as low as $25-50 per month depending on your financial situation. Having your employer not contest the appeal is a huge advantage, but remember the burden of proof is still on you to show you met all eligibility requirements. Be prepared to explain why you qualified for benefits initially.

To answer your question about applying for different positions at the same company - yes, those can count as separate activities as long as they're genuinely different positions requiring separate applications. Regarding job search logs, make sure you record: - Date of the activity - Company name and contact information - Position applied for - Method of application (online, in-person, etc.) - Any follow-up actions - Name of contact person if applicable Keep copies of confirmation emails for online applications as additional documentation. ESD randomly audits job search activities, and having detailed records makes this process much smoother.

Btw job searches can also include going to WorkSource workshops and those count as activities too! Thats what I do when Im running low on jobs to apply for that week. They have resume help and interview practice stuff. Just make sure you get documentation that you attended.