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Has anyone else noticed that ESD seems to be automatically denying more claims lately?? My sister and two friends all got disqualified for ridiculous reasons in the past few months. One of them used ULP and won her appeal, the other is still waiting. Seems like they're trying to save money by hoping people don't appeal disqualifications!! Anyway good luck with your case OP!
This is actually a common misconception. ESD adjudicators don't have denial quotas or incentives to deny claims. What's happened is that with the new ESD computer system implemented in late 2024, there are more automated flags that trigger investigations, which can lead to more initial denials. However, the appeal success rate has remained fairly consistent at around 30-35% over the past several years.
UPDATE: I just got off the phone with ULP and they're going to represent me! Even though my hearing is soon, they said they could help. They're sending me a questionnaire to fill out and then will prep with me before the hearing. I'm so relieved! Thank you all for your advice and encouragement (except for the doom and gloom lol). I'll update again after my hearing.
i had 2 go through this last yr with seasonal work & tbh it depends who looks at ur claim when u reopen. 1st time was easy peasy, took like 4 days & i was back getting benefits. 2nd time they decided they needed 2 "investigate" why my seasonal job ended (um, cuz the season ended???) & i got nothing for 3 weeks. no rhyme or reason 2 it just luck of the draw with which case worker u get lol
One more thing that could help you avoid adjudication when reopening: make sure your employer reports your final day correctly to ESD. Many reopenings get flagged for adjudication because of mismatched information between what you report and what your employer reports. When your temp job is ending, it might be worth confirming with your supervisor or HR what date they'll be reporting to ESD as your final day. Having matching information can prevent unnecessary flags on your claim.
my brother in law waited 12 weeks last year and then got denied anyway so consider yourself lucky! the whole system is designed to make people give up i swear.
Quick update on my similar situation - I actually just got my approval today! Only took 4 weeks total in adjudication. I think what helped was I called and spoke with an ESD rep last week who noticed my employer hadn't responded to their inquiry yet, so they pushed it through without waiting any longer. For anyone stuck in adjudication, it might be worth calling to check if they're still waiting on something that could be expedited.
NOT THE GOVERNORS OFFICE!!!! Call your state rep instead!!! I waited 2 weeks for gov office to do nothing, then called my state rep and had help in 3 days!!!!!
This is good advice. Both can help, but in my experience, state representatives often have dedicated staff who work specifically on unemployment issues and may have established relationships with ESD contacts. The governor's office tends to handle a much broader range of issues and may not be as specialized with ESD problems.
Just an update since I replied earlier - when I called the governor's office, I made sure to emphasize that I had already tried all normal channels and was facing financial hardship due to the wait. That seemed to help get their attention. Also, follow up with an email summarizing your situation after the call. Documentation of your attempts to resolve this will help your case.
Chris Elmeda
Great news! I'm glad you got it resolved quickly. This is exactly why it's important to be proactive about these situations.
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Josef Tearle
awesome! glad it worked out for u. way better than waiting forever to get thru
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