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ESD asking me to file for week BEFORE my layoff - confused about weekly claim
I'm totally lost with this unemployment claim situation. I got laid off on Friday 4/26/25 and filed my initial claim the next day (4/27/25) to start my waiting week. Now when I logged in today, the system is telling me I need to file a weekly claim for 4/21/25-4/27/25... which makes no sense because I was still EMPLOYED for most of that week! I only lost my job on the last day of that week. I've tried calling ESD like 15 times today but either get a busy signal or it hangs up on me after the automated message. I sent a message through eServices but it says response time is up to 30 DAYS?! Are they serious?? I can't wait that long! Do I file the weekly claim even though I worked Monday-Thursday that week? Will I get in trouble for claiming benefits for days I was working? Or should I just wait until I can talk to someone? My savings won't last long and I'm getting really worried. Any advice from people who've dealt with this before?
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ESD paid family leave nightmare - doctor paperwork issues delaying benefits for 4 weeks
Completely fed up with ESD's Paid Family Medical Leave system! Had surgery on June 12th and still haven't seen a PENNY almost 4 weeks later. Every time I call, I get the stupid recording saying 'all agents are busy' and then it HANGS UP ON ME. No queue, no callback option, NOTHING. When I finally got through last week (by calling literally 37 times in one morning), they tell me my claim is delayed because my surgeon filled out the medical certification form at my pre-op appointment on June 9th instead of on the actual surgery date (June 12th). Are you kidding me?! The form clearly states my surgery date as June 12th, but apparently that's not good enough because the doctor signed it 3 days before. Now I have to get my surgeon to fill out ANOTHER form with the "correct date" which means more delays. Meanwhile, my mortgage is due and I have medical bills piling up. The agent had the nerve to say "Don't worry, when it's approved you'll get paid for all weeks" like that helps me NOW. These bureaucrats have no clue what it's like for regular people waiting on these benefits. Four weeks with no income is DEVASTATING. Has anyone else dealt with this absurd paperwork nitpicking? Any advice on how to get this resolved faster? I'm desperate!
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Here's something that might help - contact your state representative's office. I was getting NOWHERE with my claim for weeks, then I reached out to my rep's constituent services person. They contacted ESD directly and suddenly my claim was processed within 48 hours. They have special liaisons who can cut through the red tape. Worth a try!
This is excellent advice. Legislative offices often have direct channels to agency leadership. Be sure to provide your claim ID, contact information, and a brief summary of the issue when you reach out to them.
I never would have thought of this! Going to look up my representative right now. If my doctor's office drags their feet on getting the new form to me, this might be my best option. Thank you!
UPDATE: Got the new form from my doctor (his office manager was actually super helpful once I explained the situation). Uploaded it yesterday afternoon and - surprise! - got an approval email this morning! Money should be deposited by the end of the week. Thanks everyone for the advice and support. This system is still ridiculous, but at least there's light at the end of the tunnel. For anyone else dealing with this, be SUPER specific about date requirements when talking to your doctor's office - apparently this is a common issue but nobody warns you about it!
Wait, I think you might have meant to post this under your own thread! This is my post and I haven't gotten the new form from my doctor yet... But I'm glad your situation worked out! Gives me hope.
Omg I'm so embarrassed! You're right - I thought this was my thread from last week. Sorry for the confusion! Hope your situation gets resolved just as quickly!
Filing weekly ESD claims by phone vs online - which gets paid faster?
Anyone else noticing a difference between filing claims online versus calling in? I switched to filing by phone about 3 weeks ago after my online claims kept getting stuck in processing for 5+ days. Since then, my payments have been hitting my account WAY faster - usually showing as 'paid' by Monday morning and in my bank account by late afternoon the same day. The ESD website still says to expect a 48-hour processing period after filing, but I'm wondering if that's only for web claims? Also heads up - next Monday is President's Day so payments will probably be delayed. Has anyone else compared both methods?
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Just to clarify a few things about ESD's processing times: 1. Weekly claims filed by phone or web are typically processed in overnight batches 2. Phone claims enter directly into the mainframe system with fewer validation steps 3. Web claims go through additional security and validation protocols 4. Bank transfer times vary by financial institution (ACH vs. direct deposit systems) 5. Claims filed early Sunday generally process faster than those filed late Sunday And yes, Monday (February 17) is President's Day, so all payments will be delayed by one business day since banks don't process transfers on federal holidays.
Thanks for breaking this down so clearly! This explains why my phone claims are processing faster. Do you work for ESD or just have experience with their systems?
I don't work for ESD, but I've been through the system multiple times over the years and have spent a lot of time researching how their processing works when my own claims had issues. The phone system actually uses their older but more streamlined mainframe technology, which is why it can be faster but also more error-prone.
tried calling today instead of using the website, the system kept asking me weird questions about my job search that i never get online??? got confused and hung up lol guess ill stick to the website even if it takes longer
The phone system asks questions in a different order and sometimes uses slightly different wording, but it's collecting the same information. If you're required to do job searches, both systems will ask about them - though the web interface might be easier to navigate for that specific requirement.
Successfully expedited ESD adjudication by contacting Governor's office - got backpay in 24 hours!
So after sitting in 'separation adjudication' limbo for almost 8 weeks (!!), I was about ready to sell my car just to make rent. I'd called ESD probably 30+ times and either couldn't get through or got disconnected. Tried emailing twice - nothing. I was seriously losing hope. On a whim, I decided to try calling the Governor's office yesterday (Option #4 on their menu). Only waited about 10 minutes before speaking with a surprisingly helpful staff member. I explained my situation, gave them my claimant ID, and asked if they could please escalate my claim since I was now two months without income and facing possible eviction. Y'ALL... this actually WORKED!! Less than 30 minutes after that call, I got a call from an ESD specialist who said they were personally reviewing my case. They asked a few questions about my separation from my restaurant job (it closed permanently - not my fault), and said they'd expedite the decision. This morning at 5:45am I woke up to an email saying my adjudication was complete and my claim was APPROVED! I checked my bank account at lunch and nearly $6,450 in back payments had already been deposited!! If you're stuck in adjudication hell and getting nowhere with regular ESD channels, CALL THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE! I wish I'd done this weeks ago instead of struggling and stressing. Thank you to everyone in this community who suggested this approach. There's hope!!
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I don't understand why we have to go through all these hoops just to get what we're entitled to. The whole system is designed to make people give up. I was in adjudication for 11 WEEKS last year and ended up having to borrow money from family (which I hate doing) just to survive. The ESD agents should all have to go through what we do and see how THEY like being treated this way.
While I understand your frustration, most ESD agents are genuinely trying their best. The system is understaffed by about 30% compared to pre-pandemic levels, and the technology infrastructure is outdated. The new UTAB system being implemented this year should help with some of these issues, but the transition is causing temporary delays as staff learn the new processes.
Just a heads up for anyone dealing with adjudication - make sure all your job search activities are still being logged properly in your weekly claims EVEN WHILE you're in adjudication. I made the mistake of thinking I didn't need to do them until my claim was approved, and then had to deal with a whole separate issue about failing to meet job search requirements. You still need those 3 activities every week!
ESD excess earnings rule confusion - DoorDash income vs $800 weekly benefit amount
I'm really confused about how ESD calculates 'excess earnings'. My weekly benefit amount is supposed to be over $800, but I've been doing DoorDash to keep some income while my regular claim is still in adjudication. When I report anything over $400 from DoorDash on my weekly claim, the system tells me I have 'excess earnings' and I'm not eligible for benefits that week. But I thought excess earnings meant earning MORE than your weekly benefit amount? I'm earning LESS than half of my weekly benefit amount but still getting denied. Is this right? Does anyone understand how this calculation actually works? I can't get through to anyone at ESD to explain it.
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i think ur supposed to report the week you WORKED not when u got paid too. doordash pays on different schedule than when u actually did the deliveries right? that messed me up before
This is absolutely correct and another common mistake. When reporting earnings to ESD, you must report based on when you performed the work, not when you received payment. So if you delivered for DoorDash on Tuesday but didn't get paid until the following Monday, those earnings would be reported for the week containing that Tuesday. This is different from how you might think about income for your personal budgeting.
Update: I finally got through to ESD today! The agent confirmed everything you all said about reporting gross earnings before expenses. They're having me submit corrected weekly claims for the past 4 weeks. The good news is I'll actually be getting MORE money than I thought once this is fixed, since I was over-reporting my earnings by deducting expenses first. Thanks everyone for your help understanding this confusing system!
Great news! Glad you got it sorted out. For your tax purposes, you'll still be able to deduct all those business expenses on your Schedule C when you file taxes. The unemployment system just doesn't account for those expenses in their weekly benefit calculations.
Javier Hernandez
i had almost the same issue back in february!! i got laid off on a wednesday and had to report my monday+tuesday hours. the dumb part was they made me wait ANOTHER full week for the "waiting week" even tho i already waited partially. ESD system makes no sense sometimes...
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Paolo Marino
EXACTLY!! The waiting week thing is so confusing. It's like they deliberately make the system complicated so people give up trying to get benefits they're entitled to. 🙄
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StardustSeeker
Just to follow up on what others have said: I experienced this same issue a few months ago. To summarize what you need to do: 1. File the weekly claim for 4/21-4/27 and accurately report your work hours 2. Continue filing weekly claims every week after that, even for your waiting week 3. Complete and document 3 job search activities EVERY week 4. If your claim goes into adjudication (which happens randomly), be prepared to wait The system is frustrating, but as long as you're honest and keep filing on time, you'll get through it. Don't skip any weekly claims, even if you think you won't get paid for that week.
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Keisha Taylor
AuthorThanks for the clear summary! I've already filed for the partial week and I'll make sure to keep filing every week going forward. Now I just need to focus on my job search activities. Really appreciate everyone's help!
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