Has anyone else noticed that the ESD website literally contradicts itself in different sections about this stuff????? I swear the FAQ says one thing and then the handbook says something else and then when you finally talk to someone they tell you a third thing????

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to report my severance payment when I file my weekly claim. It sounds like I might not receive benefits for a few weeks while they allocate the severance, but I'll keep filing my weekly claims so everything stays active. I'll also try the Claimyr service to get confirmation directly from ESD about how they'll handle this specific situation. Really appreciate all the advice!

did u check if theres legal aid that can help?? sometimes theres free lawyers for unemployment stuff but u gotta apply quick!!!

When you get your continuance (and I'm confident you will), the first thing you should do is request all records ESD has about your case through a records request. This will show you exactly what they're basing their overpayment determination on. For SharedWork specifically, make sure you get copies of all the employer certifications and your weekly claim records. The most common issue I've seen is that ESD's system doesn't properly record the reduced hours under SharedWork and then incorrectly flags it as an overpayment. Having those records will be crucial for your case.

Another thing to check: did you have any vacation or severance pay when you were laid off? Sometimes people don't realize that certain types of separation pay can affect your claim filing date. If you received severance that extended into January, you might have a case for adjusting your effective date of claim. Worth asking about if you speak with an ESD representative.

anyone else think its crazy that we have to become unemployment system experts just to not get screwed over?? like why isnt there a calculator on the esd website that would tell you "hey maybe wait 3 weeks to file and you'll get $200 more per week" 🙄

i think the job search requirements changed too??? isnt it 4 now not 3?? someone told me it changed

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I talked to my supervisor and she's emailing me a letter today confirming the February 10 return date. I'm going to submit the extension request through eServices tomorrow and also make sure my employer reports the new date to ESD directly. If I don't hear back before January 11, I'll start doing the 3 job search activities just to be safe. Really appreciate all the guidance!

My cousin had a baby in December and did Paid Family Leave. She said if you're filing for past weeks, make sure you have your hours worked properly documented for each specific week before you start the process. Apparently that's where people run into issues. Good luck!!

Update: I was able to file all three weeks at once! The system walked me through each week individually, but I did them all in one session. Thanks everyone for your help. The only confusing part was that I had to enter my hours worked for each week (which was zero since I was on leave), but once I figured that out it was straightforward. Claims are pending now, fingers crossed!

One important thing nobody mentioned yet - if your former employer did say they might bring you back, you should ask them about applying for Standby status. If approved, it can reduce or eliminate your job search requirements. You'd need to apply for it separately, and your employer would need to provide a specific return-to-work date (within 4 weeks for regular standby, up to 8 weeks for employer-requested standby). It's worth asking about if there's a real possibility of recall.

my claim took 6 weeks to get approved last time but i still got paid for all those weeks once it went thru. just keep filing weekly and doing job search until u hear back

anybody know if u have to report adjudication on weekly claim? theres no question for it but just wondering

Just wanted to update everyone - the adjudication status disappeared from my account this morning! Still no explanation of what it was about, but I'm relieved it seems to be resolved. I'm going to keep filing as normal and hopefully won't have any more surprises. Thanks for all the advice and reassurance!

WHY DOES ESD MAKE EVERYTHING SO COMPLICATED?!!!! I had this EXACT same issue and had to call 67 TIMES before someone would help me! Their system is DESIGNED to make people give up on getting their benefits! The fact that it just silently fails without telling you there's missing information is criminal negligence!!

I had a similar issue but mine was because I had the wrong account number not routing number. They ended up sending paper checks instead for like a month before I figured it out. Maybe check your mail?

Don't panic yet! The ESD system sometimes slows down processing times when they're doing back-end updates or when they have higher claim volumes. I've had claims stay in 'processing-ivr' for up to 5 business days before suddenly switching to 'paid' without any action on my part. That said, I'd recommend checking your Notices/Letters section in eServices to see if they've sent you any requests for information that you might have missed. If there's nothing there and you hit day 5 with no movement, then it's definitely time to call.

Just want to update everyone - my claim that was stuck in 'processing-ivr' finally moved to 'paid' this morning. It took 6 days total. I never got through to ESD on the phone, but it resolved itself. So sometimes it really is just a delay in their system without any actual issues. Hope this helps calm some nerves!

Update on my earlier comment - I found out from a colleague who used to work at ESD that there's actually a specific form you can submit to potentially speed up the refund process. It's called the "Refund Request Form" (or sometimes "Form RRF-2025") and you can ask them to email it to you when you call. You'll need to fill it out with: 1. Your claim ID 2. The overpayment ID number (from your waiver approval letter) 3. Details of all payments you made (dates and amounts) 4. Copies of proof of payment (receipts, bank statements, etc.) You can upload this through your eServices account, and it supposedly puts you in a separate, faster queue than just calling and requesting the refund verbally. I didn't know about this when I went through the process, but it might be worth trying!

I waited 5 months for my refund and then they only sent half of what they owed me! Had to go through the whole process again for the rest. The trick is to be super persistent. Call every week and keep detailed notes of who you talked to and what they said. Eventually you'll get someone who knows what they're doing.