those notices are sooo confusing!!! i thought i had a phone interview but it was actually saying they already made a decision WITHOUT interviewing me and i had to appeal. the whole system is designed to trick people i swear

Just wanted to update - I filed my appeal yesterday and included all the specific details about not receiving any notification. I also requested that the overpayment be waived even if they don't reverse the disqualification decision. Now the waiting game begins... thanks everyone for your help!

Just a suggestion - when you DO finally get your ReliaCard, immediately set up direct deposit transfers to your regular bank account. You can do this through the US Bank ReliaCard website or app. That way you won't have to worry about the card for future payments. I learned this the hard way when my ReliaCard got damaged and I had to wait for a replacement. Now all my unemployment payments automatically transfer to my regular checking account as soon as they hit the ReliaCard. Much more convenient! Also, save the US Bank ReliaCard customer service number (1-888-964-0359) in your phone. You'll likely need it at some point, and it's much faster to deal with them directly than going through ESD.

UPDATE: My ReliaCard FINALLY arrived today - took exactly 18 days! All my payments were there just as everyone said. Thanks for all the helpful advice. I've already set up the mobile app and scheduled transfers to my regular bank account for future payments. For anyone else waiting on their card, the timeline on the ESD website is definitely optimistic. Plan for 2-3 weeks instead of the 7-10 business days they claim. And definitely set up direct transfers once you get it!

Just checking back - did the weekly claim option appear for you yet? If not, I'd recommend trying both the phone approach and visiting a WorkSource center as others have suggested. Sometimes the in-person help can resolve these issues more quickly.

Update: The weekly claim button finally appeared this morning! Looks like it was just a system delay. I was able to file for last week without any issues. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

I once waiting 3 hole months for my hearing descision! Called and called but nobody would tell me anything. But thats because they lost my paperwork and didnt tell me! So dont be afraid to call and check if its been more then 2 weeks.

Just to follow up on my earlier comment - I wanted to add that while waiting for your decision, make sure you continue filing your weekly claims! This is absolutely critical. If you win your appeal but haven't been filing weekly claims, you won't receive benefits for those weeks even with a favorable decision.

@OP - To answer your question about Claimyr, no, you don't need to provide much personal info. They just need your number to connect the call. It's basically a call-back service that gets you through ESD's phone system. After connecting with an actual ESD agent, I was able to get them to look at why my claim was stuck and they found that a simple document was missing that never showed up in my online portal tasks. Fixed it right on the call.

Former ESD employee here. One thing that might help your situation is to specifically request a "hardship escalation" when you do get through to someone. You'll need to clearly explain your financial hardship (rent due, etc.) and they can flag your claim for expedited review. This won't guarantee immediate resolution, but it can move you up in the queue. Also, check your online correspondence section carefully. Sometimes adjudicators send requests for additional information that don't trigger notifications, and your claim could be stalled simply because they're waiting for you to respond to something you don't know about.

ESD IS A COMPLETE JOKE!!!!! I've been dealing with them for MONTHS and every single time its a new excuse!!! They are INTENTIONALLY making it difficult to get benefits we DESERVE after paying into the system for YEARS!!! The whole system is designed to wear us down until we give up!!!!!

Regarding your question about the pension - yes, definitely address both issues in your appeal hearing. Start by acknowledging the pension and explaining that you disclosed it from the beginning and understood it would reduce (not eliminate) your benefits. Then move on to the documentation issue as the main reason for the improper denial. Also, check if the denial letter specifies exactly which documents they claim are missing. Sometimes they'll list specific items, which helps you focus your appeal on those particular documents.

Has anybody else noticed these "availability" checks always seem to happen when your claim is almost up?? Happened to me right around week 20 of my 26 weeks. I swear they do this on purpose to try to disqualify people before they use all their benefits. The whole system is designed to make people give up!!!

UPDATE: Wanted to let everyone know my situation got resolved! I called ESD this morning (got through after 35 minutes on hold) and the agent explained they were doing a random quarterly check on my claim. She said the doctor's appointment wasn't an issue as long as I was available to work the rest of the week. She approved my claim while I was on the phone and said the payment should process tonight. So relieved! Thanks everyone for your help and advice. Seems like this really is just a random thing they do occasionally.

The whole adjudication thing is a joke anyway. Even if you get approved, half the time they mess up your payment amount or miss weeks. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Screenshot your weekly claim confirmations! Take pictures of ALL the documents you submit! The ESD system is designed to frustrate people into giving up on their rightful benefits.

I just got through to an ESD agent using that Claimyr service someone mentioned above. The agent was actually really helpful and explained that my case has been assigned to an adjudicator but they're currently working through a backlog. She added a note about my financial hardship and said while she couldn't promise anything, cases with documented hardships do sometimes get prioritized. She also confirmed all my documents were received correctly, which is a relief. Now it's just more waiting, but at least I know nothing is missing on my end.

I'm on week 8 of waiting for BOTH of my pending issues to be resolved so consider yourself lucky that one went away already!!! This whole system is designed to make people give up. I've called 47 times in the past month. FORTY SEVEN TIMES. And not once has a human picked up. It's absolute garbage.

UPDATE: The second pending issue just disappeared this morning! Looks like they were processed about 3 days apart. No payments showing yet but hopefully they'll come through soon. Thanks everyone for the advice and sharing your experiences!

I had EXACT SAME PROBLEM in January!!! It was infuriating! After winning adjudication, all my claims still said disqualified for 3 WEEKS!!! I called and called but couldn't get through to anyone. I finally got through using that Claimyr service and the ESD person told me there was a "release hold" that needed to be removed manually but no one had done it. Once she removed it, I got all my back pay in 2 days! DON'T WAIT for it to update automatically - sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. If you can't get through on the phone, seriously try that Claimyr thing. Saved me weeks of waiting and frustration.

they did the same thing 2 me!! showed disqualified even after i won adjudication. i think its a BUG in there system. mine changed from disqualified to paid after 11 days but i didnt get any notice or email. just suddenly got a direct deposit. keep checking ur bank account every morning not just the ESD website!!