To directly address your question: File your claim immediately. According to ESD rules, your claim will be effective the Sunday of the week you file. The waiting week is the first week you're eligible for benefits (meet all eligibility requirements including job searches) after your claim is processed. So if you file today, and there are no issues requiring adjudication, your waiting week would likely be this current week. You won't receive benefits for the waiting week, but you must complete job search activities and file a weekly claim for it. There's absolutely no advantage to delaying your application. Only disadvantages as it pushes back when you might receive benefits.

btw the esd website says u need these for job search activities: in-person visit, virtual job fair, job application, interviews, resume submission, workshop, civil service test....i think there's more but those r the main ones they look for

Have you tried just getting through to ESD directly to discuss this? Maybe there's a way to resolve it before the hearing? I had an issue with job search requirements last year and was able to clear it up by talking to an agent.

I think everyone here is missing an important point - you need to bring evidence that you actually did your job searches properly! What documentation do you have? The judge will want to see SPECIFIC evidence like: names of companies, dates of applications, contact information, method of application, etc. THAT is what will win your case, not just having a lawyer there.

One more important tip: While waiting for your appeal or correction, make sure you're meeting the job search requirements each week (3 job search activities). Document everything carefully in your job search log. Even though your claims show as disqualified now, if the disqualification is overturned, they'll check that you were meeting all other requirements during that time.

update us when u get through to someone! im having similar problems and want to know if that claimyr thing actually works

Just to confirm - you should be able to see your previous weekly claims in the system. Look for "Weekly Claims" or "Weekly Claim History" in the menu. You should see all previous claims with their status. This can help you verify your normal filing pattern and confirm which weeks you've already claimed. Your filing day is determined by ESD and generally doesn't change, but the approval process can sometimes cause temporary system adjustments.

Hey, just checking back - did your weekly claim option ever reappear? Mine came back after about 40 hours, right before I was about to call ESD in a panic!

One important thing to remember: even though you're on standby, you still must be physically able to work and available for work each week. If your employer calls you back early, you need to be ready to return. If you're unavailable during your standby period (like taking a vacation where you couldn't return to work if called), you need to report that during your weekly claim. This is sometimes where people get confused and end up with overpayments.

When you return to work, you'll simply report your hours and earnings on your weekly claim. If your earnings exceed your weekly benefit amount, you won't receive benefits for that week, and your claim will essentially become inactive (though still open during your benefit year). You don't need to do anything special to 'turn off' the standby status when you return to work - just accurately report your work and earnings each week.