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My sister works at a WorkSource office (not ESD directly but they work with them) and she says they've been super backed up lately because of some seasonal construction layoffs. She mentioned something about their system doing maintenance overnight too, so maybe filing at midnight actually puts you at the back of the line for the next day's processing?
UPDATE: My claim finally moved from "processing" to "pending" this morning! So it took about 3 days total. I also got a notice that I need to complete an identity verification interview, which is scheduled for next week. Thanks everyone for the advice and help!
Great news! For the identity verification interview, make sure you have your driver's license/ID, social security card, and at least one recent pay stub ready. They'll likely ask you to confirm details about your previous employers and wages too. If you prepared all this in advance, these interviews usually only take about 15 minutes.
when i had this happen the esd lady told me they only care about employers in your "base year" which is like the last 5 quarters or something before you filed. so if that old job was before your base year it doesnt even matter. but yeah call and make sure the right info is there about your recent employer thats the important part
I had a kinda related issue whre ESD kept sending letters to an employer I worked at for like 3 weeks as a temp job. They were suuuuper confused and kept calling me about it even tho I had a full time job after that for 2 years which was the one that actually laid me off! The system is so weird sometimes lol. But I eventually got it sorted by talking to an agent on the phone who fixed it in their system.
One more thing to know: when you do get through to ESD, ask about setting up a formal repayment plan instead of having them deduct from your benefits. Sometimes they'll let you make smaller payments after your claim ends, which gives you the full benefit amount now when you need it most. Make sure to get any agreement in writing through your eServices account.
UPDATE: Finally got through to someone at ESD this morning! They agreed to reduce the weekly recovery amount to $75 instead of $227. Not ideal but MUCH better than what I was left with before. They said I should see the change on next week's payment. For anyone else dealing with this, definitely call and explain your financial situation - they can adjust it!
My brother had an overpayment from 2023 and his waiver took 9 months to get approved!! By the time they finished he had already paid back half of it because he was scared of the collection threats. Then he had to wait another 2 months to get a refund for what he'd already paid. The whole system is designed to make you give up and just pay even if you qualify for forgiveness.
That's awful about your brother - and exactly what I'm afraid of. They create so much anxiety with their collection threats that people end up paying even when they shouldn't have to. I'm determined to hold out for the waiver decision, but it's stressful not knowing if/when it will ever be resolved.
Update on my earlier comment - I just remembered something important. When I called ESD about my waiver, the agent mentioned they were prioritizing cases where people had submitted a "Financial Hardship Statement" along with their waiver request. It's not officially required, but apparently it helps move your case up in the queue. Basically, write up a 1-page statement explaining: 1. Why you can't afford to repay the amount 2. How the overpayment wasn't your fault 3. How repayment would affect your ability to meet basic needs Submit this through eServices as an additional document for your waiver request. Title it "Financial Hardship Statement - [Your Name] - [Claim ID]
Evelyn Rivera
The exact same thing happened to me!!! My hours got cut to 12 per week back in December and my claim got stuck in adjudication for FIVE WEEKS!! I called ESD like 50 times and either couldn't get through or got hung up on. I finally contacted my state representative's office and they helped push it through. Try that if the governor's office helped last time. So ridiculous we have to involve politicians just to get our legitimate benefits!!!
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Mateo Warren
•Five weeks is awful! I'm glad your state rep was able to help. I might try that route again if this drags on too long. It does seem crazy that we need political intervention for what should be a straightforward process.
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Lilah Brooks
Just an update - I called ESD this morning using Claimyr and managed to speak with someone who explained what's going on with my husband's claim. They said they're verifying with his employer about the reduction in hours, and once they receive that information, they can complete the adjudication. The agent also expedited our case due to financial hardship. So there's definitely value in being able to actually reach someone!
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Jackson Carter
•did they say how long it wuld take after they got the employer info??
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Lilah Brooks
•They said typically 3-5 business days after receiving employer verification. They've already sent the request to his employer, so now we're just waiting for them to respond.
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