I had a similar situation last year and used Claimyr to get through to an agent who helped me understand my qualification status. Really saved me a lot of stress and uncertainty. Sometimes it's worth paying for the peace of mind when you need accurate information quickly.

Based on what everyone's shared here, it sounds like you should be fine to qualify with 8 months of part-time work as long as you hit those wage thresholds. The key things to remember are: you need at least $7,000 total earnings during your base period, with at least $1,000 earned in each of two different quarters. Since you mentioned making around $12,000 last year, you should meet the total requirement easily. The quarter distribution is what you'll want to double-check - make sure your earnings were spread across at least two calendar quarters with $1,000+ in each. Good luck with your application!

You mentioned you called and actually spoke to someone - I'm jealous! I've been trying for weeks. How many times did you have to call before you got through? Any particular time of day that worked better?

This is such a common issue and it's absolutely infuriating! I went through something similar last year - had to wait 6 weeks for payments because they said my SSN verification failed, but nobody bothered to tell me. I only found out when I finally got through to someone after calling dozens of times. The lack of communication from ESD is honestly unacceptable. There should be clear notifications in your online account when payments fail, not just leaving people in the dark for months. I'm glad you finally got through and that they're sending all your back payments on the card. Make sure to keep calling if that card doesn't arrive within their estimated timeframe - I've heard of those getting delayed too. Hang in there, and definitely try that early morning calling strategy if you need to reach them again!

my cousin had one of these and it got approved after like 14 months so dont lose hope. but also they sent the approval letter to his old address even tho hed updated his address with esd THREE TIMES so keep checking ur account online too

I'm in almost the exact same boat - $9,800 overpayment from 2023, waiver submitted in April 2023, and it's been "in review" for 13 months now. Reading through these responses gives me some hope but also shows how broken this system really is. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service to actually get through to someone and check if my application got misfiled. Also planning to contact my state rep's office like Axel suggested. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get a response on something that's been sitting there for over a year. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least I know I'm not alone in this nightmare.

One more thing to note - if your overpayment was due to an ESD error rather than any misrepresentation on your part, make sure that's prominently mentioned in all your communications. The pandemic-era rules were changing constantly, and many overpayments are because ESD initially told people one thing and then changed their interpretation later. This is especially true for the work search requirements, which were waived and then reinstated at different points. Document exactly when you filed, what the rules were at that time, and how you followed the guidance available then. This can strengthen your waiver case significantly.

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now. Filed my waiver in September 2024 for a $4,800 overpayment - they're saying I didn't meet work search requirements during a period when those requirements were literally suspended! It's now been 6+ months with zero updates except "pending" in the portal. Reading through these responses gives me some hope though. I'm definitely going to try the Governor's office complaint route that @LongPeri mentioned, and maybe look into that Claimyr service too. The stress of this hanging over my head is affecting my sleep and my job performance. Has anyone had luck with contacting their state legislators about this? I'm wondering if reaching out to my district representative might help put additional pressure on ESD to actually process these waivers in a reasonable timeframe.

I went through a similar situation last year and wanted to share what worked for me. I had exactly 2 weeks between getting my offer and start date, just like you! Here's what I did: I submitted my standby request immediately and then called ESD every single day starting day 3. I know it's frustrating, but persistence pays off. Try calling right when they open at 8 AM - that's when I had the most success getting through. When I finally reached an agent on day 5, they expedited my request and I got approval 2 days later. The key things that helped: - Had my offer letter ready with clear start date - Emphasized the urgent timeline when I spoke to the agent - Kept doing job searches until I saw "APPROVED" in my account - Filed my weekly claims normally and answered YES to having a return-to-work date You've got this! The timing should work out if you stay on top of it. And honestly, even if the approval comes through after you start work, at least you'll have those final benefit payments coming your way.

Just wanted to add another data point - I went through standby approval in December 2024 and it took exactly 8 business days. I submitted on a Monday and got approved the following Tuesday. One thing I learned that might help: when you submit your standby request, make sure to select "Return to Work - Definite Date" as your reason (not just "Return to Work"). The agent I spoke with mentioned this helps flag it properly in their system. Also, don't panic if you don't hear anything for the first week - that seems to be pretty normal based on what I've seen. Just keep doing your job search activities and filing your weekly claims. The system will backdate everything once your standby gets approved. Good luck with your new job! Retail management can be really rewarding if you enjoy working with people and problem-solving.