im confused... if you got a new job why did you need unemployment?? aren't you supposed to stop claiming once you have a job lined up?

Quick update for everyone - my claim was paid retroactively for all 8 weeks it had been pending. I think the key factors that helped were: 1) Having MULTIPLE hardship documents, not just one 2) The letter explaining exactly why I needed immediate action 3) Following up with a phone call to ESD after sending the email (I just mentioned I had submitted hardship documents).

One more thing - make sure your boyfriend continues to attend all scheduled hearing proceedings even if you secure representation. I've seen cases where the claimant thought their lawyer would handle everything and didn't show up themselves, which can result in an automatic ruling against them. The OAH judges expect both parties to participate.\n\nAlso, if you're unable to secure representation before the hearing date, you can request a continuance (postponement) by contacting the OAH directly. You'll need a good reason, but \

That's great advice - thank you! I'll make sure he understands he needs to be present regardless of whether we find an attorney. We'll also look into the continuance option if needed. The hearing notice says it will be conducted by phone - is that standard procedure or should we request an in-person hearing instead?

is anyone else having the SAME problem right now?? im also showing approved but weekly claims say disqualified. ive been trying for 6 weeks. this is very suspicious that multiple accounts are affected the same way!!

UPDATE: It worked!! After completing the ID.me verification I found in my spam folder, it took about 8 business days, but all my weekly claims suddenly switched from "disqualified" to "paid"! The money was in my account the next day. For anyone else experiencing this weird "approved but disqualified" problem: 1. Check your spam/junk folders thoroughly for emails from ID.me or ESD 2. Log into ID.me directly to see if there are pending verification steps 3. Make sure you're correctly reporting your job search activities (exactly 3 per week) 4. Double-check all your weekly claim answers Special thanks to everyone who helped, especially the suggestion to check for identity verification issues. After 18 weeks of stress and no income, I finally have this resolved. Now to catch up on all these bills...

One more thing I forgot to mention - if your appeal is successful, there's sometimes a delay between when your status changes to eligible and when you actually receive payment. Mine took about 5 business days after my status changed for the money to hit my account. Just so you're prepared for that additional wait. The process has several stages and none of them seem to happen quickly with ESD unfortunately.

For clarification on the exact process: After your hearing, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) typically has 30 days by law to issue a written decision, though most try to complete it within 2-3 weeks. This decision is mailed to you and to ESD simultaneously. ESD then needs to implement the judge's decision, which can take another 3-7 business days. If the decision is in your favor, your status will change from disqualified to eligible, and any back payments for weeks you properly claimed will be processed. If you haven't received anything after 30 days, you should contact the Office of Administrative Hearings (not ESD) at 1-800-366-0955 to inquire about the status of your decision. Their office is separate from ESD and handles all unemployment appeals.

One thing that drives me CRAZY is they don't even tell you properly when they're taking money! My friend just found out they were taking 50% when her payment was half what she expected. No advance notice, no explanation, NOTHING! Check your payment details carefully because they won't warn you before they start taking money!

To ensure you're fully informed about your situation, I recommend taking the following steps: 1. Print out your current overpayment balance from your ESD account (under the "Overpayment" section) 2. Complete the Financial Hardship Application (Form ESD 640-001) if the 50% reduction would cause severe hardship 3. Include all required documentation of income and expenses 4. While waiting for processing, track your weekly benefit amount and the actual payment received 5. Budget accordingly, assuming 50% reduction until you receive written notification of a lower percentage The good news is that paying off the overpayment through this method doesn't impact your credit score the way other collection methods might.