Just wanted to update everyone - I had to deal with this exact issue back in January. After finally getting through to ESD, they told me the employer had submitted my application rejection email as "proof" I refused work! Apparently when I replied to their initial offer saying their salary was too low (it was $15K below market rate), they reported that as me refusing suitable work. ESD sided with me in the end because the salary was significantly below my previous earnings. Make sure you explain your full work history and previous salary to ESD when you talk to them.

After you speak with ESD, consider requesting records from the employer as well. You have the right to know what communication they're claiming constituted a job offer. Send a formal email to their HR department requesting copies of all communication between you and their company, specifically any job offers they claim to have extended. Having documentation from both sides will strengthen your case if this goes to an appeal hearing.

Overall the card system works well. My only complaint is sometimes the customer service wait times are long, but that's probably true for most banks.

Just wanted to add that you can also set up account alerts through the ReliaCard website to get notified when payments are deposited or when your balance gets low. Really helpful for keeping track of your benefits without having to constantly check the app.

thats awesome! ya ESD is super picky about how u answer those standby questions. my coworker got her payments delayed for like 3 weeks cuz she messed up the same thing

This is such valuable information for anyone dealing with standby claims! I'm currently in a similar situation where my restaurant is temporarily closing for renovations and I'm waiting for my standby approval to come through. Reading about the weekly claim pitfalls is really helpful - I'll make sure to answer NO to job search activities once I'm approved. It's ridiculous that ESD doesn't make this clearer on their website. You'd think they'd have a specific standby section explaining exactly how to fill out the weekly claims. Thanks for sharing your experience and glad you got it sorted out in time for rent!

Update: My payment just hit my account this morning (Tuesday) around 10am! Looks like for KeyBank it's Tuesday mornings. Thanks everyone for the info!

That's great to hear about the consistency! I'm new to unemployment benefits too and was worried about the timing. Just to add for anyone else reading - I've been getting mine with Bank of America on Tuesday evenings around 6-7pm for the past month. It's been pretty reliable once you get past that initial waiting period. Also wanted to mention that if you're ever unsure about your payment status, the eServices mobile app sends push notifications when your claim status changes, which is super helpful for tracking.

Quick update suggestion: Once you do speak with ESD and resolve this, please come back and let us know what the issue was. It helps others in similar situations, and the community benefits from knowing how these situations get resolved!

I went through something very similar last year. My adjudication dragged on for 7 weeks with zero communication from ESD. Turns out they were waiting for my former employer to respond to a separation verification request, but my employer never got the notice (went to their old HR email). What finally broke it loose was when I called and specifically asked them to re-send the employer request to the current HR contact. Within a week after that, everything cleared and I got all my back pay. The key is finding out exactly what type of adjudication it is and whether there's action needed from a third party that might be stuck. Don't give up - keep filing those weekly claims!