


Ask the community...
btw when you finally get ur hearing make sure u have ALL ur documents ready. the judge only gave me like 15 min to explain my situation and I almost messed up by not having my work search records printed out. have everything organized by dates and bring extra copies
Great advice. When preparing for your hearing, organize your documents chronologically and create an index. For my hearing, I prepared a timeline summary showing when I filed claims, when I reported work, and all communications with ESD. The judge appreciated having this overview, and it helped keep my testimony organized.
Just to give you some hope - my overpayment was completely dismissed after my hearing. The ESD representative couldn't prove I had been properly notified about reporting requirements. Make sure you review all notifications they sent you during your claim period. If they failed to properly inform you about any requirements they're using as basis for the overpayment, that's a strong defense. About 70% of the overpayment appeals I've heard about were either reduced or dismissed entirely.
One more thing to try - if you're dealing with a disqualification specifically, you might want to contact the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) directly. Once you've filed an appeal, they handle the hearings process, not ESD. Their number is 800-366-0955 and they tend to be much easier to reach than the main ESD line. If you've already submitted your appeal online, you should receive information about your hearing date within 2-3 weeks. The OAH can tell you exactly what evidence you need to prepare for your specific type of disqualification.
Just a quick update on current ESD procedures - as of January 2025, they've implemented a new queue system where calls are prioritized based on the issue type and how long your claim has been pending. Make sure when you do get through that you clearly explain your disqualification is affecting your ability to pay essential bills (like rent). This can sometimes get your case flagged for expedited review. Also, if you're within 7 days of a deadline for responding to a disqualification, mention that immediately to the agent. Time-sensitive issues are supposed to be prioritized.
Update: My payment just came through this morning (Thursday)! Looks like everyone was right about the holiday delay. Thanks for helping me not panic!
FYI for anyone who finds this thread in the future - I've been on UI for about 5 months now, and I've noticed this pattern: If there's a Monday holiday: Payment usually arrives Thursday If there's a Friday holiday: Usually no delay Multi-day holiday periods (like Christmas/New Year): Can delay payments by 2-3 days Just sharing so others can plan ahead better than I did initially!
I had this same problem for 5 weeks back in January. Turned out there was a flag on my account because my previous employer contested my claim but ESD never sent me any notification. The only way I found out was by finally getting through to someone on the phone. Once I talked to them, they moved my case to adjudication and I eventually got backpay for all the weeks, but it took almost 2 months total. Did you check your spam folder? Sometimes their emails end up there. Also, did you verify your identity through ID.me? That's another common holdup.
UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD this morning! Used the Claimyr service that someone recommended above and it worked great. Turns out there was an employer response issue that never showed up in my online account. They've now moved my claim to adjudication and said I should see some movement within 1-2 weeks. The agent also approved provisional payments while they review my case, so I should get some money by next week. Thank you to everyone who helped!
Eduardo Silva
just wait it out. my claim fixed itself after like 3 weeks of being stuck lol. esd eventually processes the backlog even if you cant reach anyone
0 coins
Isabella Costa
•That is TERRIBLE advice. Waiting 3 weeks without benefits when you need them to pay bills is not an option for most people. Plus the system doesn't just magically fix itself - someone at ESD eventually processed your claim.
0 coins
Connor O'Brien
UPDATE: I did not manage to reach a live representative on the number in my post, however based on the advice in the comments I was able to find an option that asked me if I want to restart my claim and I pressed "yes". It asked me to create a PIN, and voila, my claim is now automatically restarted. I no longer have the old weeks blocking my current claims. It did ask me if I was available for work for the first week during which I was travelling and I replied no. That was all. I could swear that option was NOT available previously in the automated system. It somehow appeared the 10th or 15th time I called...
0 coins
Hiroshi Nakamura
•Great news! Yes, the restart claim option can be elusive - it sometimes only appears after certain inputs or at specific times. This is actually a known quirk in their system. For anyone else reading this in the future: persistence with the automated system can sometimes solve these issues without needing to reach a human representative. Glad it worked out for you!
0 coins