Early morning is definitely better - try right when they open at 8:00 AM. However, Tuesdays through Thursdays tend to have slightly lower call volumes than Mondays and Fridays. Also, if you do call, have your claim ID and last 4 of your SSN ready, and be prepared to verify your identity. The more prepared you are, the faster they can assist you once you get through.

UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know what happened. One payment finally showed up in my account this morning! It was for the week ending Jan 7th. The other claim is still in processing status. Seems like they're working through the backlog after the holiday. Thanks for all the advice - I'll give the second payment a few more days before trying to contact ESD. At least I can pay part of my rent now!

not to be mean but i think the rules say you cant leave your labor market area while on unemployment... my cousin got caught with this too

If you appeal, GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING from his employer about the work situation!!! I lost my appeal because I didn't have written proof that there was no work available during my time away. The judge was completely unsympathetic even though I was telling the truth. The system is RIGGED against workers!!

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'm going to skip filing weekly claims until after my severance payment on 9/15, then reopen my claim around 9/16. Sounds like this is the simplest approach and will save me from doing unnecessary job search activities. I'll make sure to keep documentation of my final regular pay and severance payment in case ESD asks for it during the reopening process.

That's a good plan. Just remember that if your financial situation changes or you have questions during this waiting period, you can always contact ESD for clarification. Good luck with your job search when you begin that process!

my friend works at esd (not supposed to tell anyone lol) but she said they added a bunch of new options to everyone's accounts last month. something about "streamlining the user experience" whatever that means. if u dont have an actual notice u should be fine

I just want to clarify something important about overpayments with ESD, since there seems to be some confusion in this thread: 1. Overpayments are NEVER a surprise - they are always accompanied by a formal written determination that explains why the overpayment occurred, how much you owe, and your appeal rights 2. You would have a specific timeframe (30 days) to appeal the determination 3. The waiver application option is separate from an actual overpayment determination 4. ESD has 3 years from the date of payment to establish an overpayment The system update adding this option to everyone's dashboard is unfortunately causing unnecessary anxiety for many claimants. For future reference, always check your ESD message center and mail for official determinations before worrying about dashboard options.

hey just wondering did u ever hear back about ur claim??? im in a kinda similar situation (fired for something not related to actual work) and want to know how it went for u

I went through something similar last year and was approved, but it took about 5 weeks total because my employer contested it. My advice: 1. File online immediately 2. When explaining separation reason, stick to facts without emotion 3. If your claim goes to adjudication, prepare a written statement of exactly what happened 4. Gather any evidence showing the firing was unrelated to job performance 5. Remember that being fired for something outside work hours that doesn't affect your job is NOT misconduct If ESD has questions, they'll contact you for a phone interview. Be prepared to clearly explain the situation and why your actions were reasonable. In my case, the adjudicator specifically noted that my off-duty conduct didn't constitute misconduct because it wasn't related to my work responsibilities.