One more important suggestion: After you call and (hopefully) get your claim moved forward, make sure to log into your account daily to check for any new action items. Sometimes fixing the pending status triggers other verification requirements that need prompt response. Also, document everything - write down the date and time you call, the name of any agent you speak with, and notes about what they tell you. If you have to call back, having this information can help tremendously.

Update: I FINALLY got through to ESD this morning! Called right at 8am and used the "pending claim over three weeks" phrase when the automated system asked why I was calling. Still waited about 45 minutes, but I actually got a human! Turns out there was indeed a "clear-pending" flag on my account that needed manual override. The agent said my claim had passed all verification steps but was sitting in a review queue that wouldn't have been processed for ANOTHER 2-3 weeks without my call. She pushed it through while I was on the phone and said I should see payment within 48 hours for all my back weeks. Thank you all for pushing me to call instead of waiting longer. Will update when the money actually hits my account!

One more thing to try - check if you can make an in-person appointment at your local WorkSource office. They can sometimes look up your claim status and identify issues that aren't visible on the portal. I've seen people get their pending issues resolved much faster with in-person help than trying to call the main ESD line.

update: i tried that claimyr thing someone mentioned and actually got thru to ESD! turns out i had an identity verification issue that never showed up in my portal. they fixed it and said my claim should move forward in 72 hrs. might be worth trying for u too

I had a somewhat similar situation last year. What fixed it for me was going to my state representative's office. They have constituent services staff who can cut through ESD bureaucracy FAST. I was stuck for 2 months trying on my own, representative's office fixed it in 4 days. Google your district and state rep and send them an email explaining the situation.

Update us on what ends up working! These stories help others who run into the same ridiculous issues with ESD's broken system.

After seeing all these replies, I wanted to share what finally worked for me. I used Claimyr to get through to ESD after wasting days trying to call myself. It costs money but was worth it - I got through in like 30 minutes instead of days of calling. Once I finally talked to an actual person at ESD, they cleared the fraud hold in minutes. Still took about 5 days for the payment to process though.

UPDATE: I wanted to share what's working for me so far. I followed the security escalation advice with SAW and they put a special block on my account. Then I used Claimyr this morning to get through to ESD (it actually worked!) and got connected with an agent who specializes in fraud cases. She verified my identity over the phone and is expediting my case. Said payments should resume in 3-5 business days if everything checks out. THANK YOU everyone for your help - this community literally saved me from eviction!

Does anyone know if you can still file weekly claims while waiting for the appeal to be resolved? I'm in a similar situation and confused about whether I should keep claiming each week.

Update: I was able to get through to ESD using Claimyr and they fixed the technical issue on my account. Just submitted my appeal online and got a confirmation number! The agent said this happens sometimes when there are multiple issues being processed on one claim. Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions! Now I just need to prepare for the hearing...