has anyone else notice that they seem to be denying more waivers this year??? i know 3 ppl who all got denied even with good reasons!! seems like they just want our $$

Update: I actually just checked my mail and received a letter from ESD requesting additional information about my income for the 3 months after my benefits ended. They're giving me 7 days to respond. My friend still hasn't heard anything beyond the request for rent verification. Seems like they're processing our waivers separately even though we applied around the same time. I'm relieved to at least know someone is looking at my application!

One more important thing: after the hearing, the judge won't immediately tell you their decision. You'll receive a written decision in the mail about 1-2 weeks later. Continue filing your weekly claims during this time as well. If the decision goes against you and you've been receiving benefits, you may face an overpayment situation. However, you can appeal that decision too and even request a waiver of overpayment if repayment would cause financial hardship. Based on what you've described though (position elimination during restructuring), you have a strong case as long as you present it clearly.

Also, WATCH OUT for the fact that employers often bring up TOTALLY NEW ALLEGATIONS during the hearing that weren't in their original appeal!!! My employer suddenly claimed I had been warned multiple times when that NEVER HAPPENED. Be prepared for them to make stuff up on the spot!

My cousin in Oregon told me they do something kinda like this already. When COVID hit and unemployment went crazy, they took people who were waiting for benefits and hired them as temp workers to process other people's claims. Makes WAY more sense than making everyone sit around doing nothing while waiting for money!!!

what im wondering is how much would these temp state jobs pay? cause if it's minimum wage that wouldn't even cover my rent. unemployment benefits are supposed to be like 60% of your regular pay up to the maximum. would these temp jobs match that or would people take a big pay cut to work for the state?

the status date changes are SUPER confusing and ESD doesn't explain them anywhere!!! i had mine change like 4 times then nothing for 2 weeks then suddenly all my payments appeared. the system is seriously messed up.

As the others have mentioned, status date changes do indicate some activity, but unfortunately it doesn't provide any specific information about progress. Important steps to take while in adjudication: 1. Continue filing weekly claims on time 2. Complete and document your 3 job search activities each week 3. Check your ESD account daily for any alerts or messages 4. Keep an eye on your email, including spam/junk folders 5. If you haven't already, upload all potential documentation they might need (ID, paystubs, separation notice) If you reach the 4-week mark with no resolution, that's when I typically recommend trying more aggressive measures to contact ESD directly. The status date change is promising though - it typically means someone has at least looked at your file.

I'm a nurse and had to do one of these in January. Since you mentioned healthcare, make sure to ask if they have any healthcare-specific resources. My WorkSource had connections with several hospitals that weren't posting all their openings publicly. The career counselor put me in touch with a recruiter directly. Bring multiple copies of your resume. They'll probably have you apply for a few positions while you're there. And dress professionally - they sometimes set up interviews on the spot with employers who work with their office.

One important thing nobody mentioned - if you absolutely cannot make the scheduled appointment, call them BEFORE the appointment to reschedule. If you miss it without prior notification, that's when they'll disqualify your benefits. Also, the RESEA program can actually include up to 3 required appointments over time, not just one. They'll tell you at the end of your first appointment if you need to come back for follow-ups.

UPDATE!!! You were all right! Woke up this morning and all my weeks switched to PAID!!! The money isn't in my account yet but the status changed. THANK YOU everyone for helping me not completely lose my mind yesterday. Looks like their system does update overnight!

My husband went through something similar with his construction job layoff. When we called, nobody even mentioned a supervisor review? I wonder if that's only for certain types of claims or if his adjudicator just skipped telling us that part. His took exactly 24 hours to change from pending to paid after talking to the adjudicator. I remember because we were checking constantly too!

Just wanted to update that I heard back from the Governor's office this morning! They said they've contacted their liaison at ESD, who confirmed my claim was flagged for "additional verification" but no one had been assigned to review it. The liaison manually assigned my case to an adjudicator who should be reaching out within 72 hours. I'm cautiously optimistic! I'll keep you all posted on what happens. Thanks for all the advice and support.

UPDATE: So the Governor's office actually did call me back today! Just 26 hours after I contacted them. The woman I spoke with was really helpful and said my claim had been flagged for wage verification (even though I submitted all my W-2s). She said she's emailed their direct contact at ESD and requested an expedited review because of my housing situation. She said it typically takes 3-5 business days after their intervention to see movement on a claim, but they'll be monitoring it and will call me again on Monday to check in. I'm still anxious but at least something is happening now! Will update again when I know more.

hi i use the phone system every week bc my computer is old and the esd website crashes it. what i do is call the weekly claims line early monday morning (like 7am) and then call the regular esd number right after to verify it went thru. this way i dont have to worry about website status. but ya its confusing that they dont match up sometimes

UPDATE: Finally got through to ESD today using the Claimyr service that someone recommended here. The agent confirmed my weekly claim DID process correctly despite what the website shows. She said they're having a system issue where phone claims aren't updating the online status, but the payments are still being processed correctly. My payment should arrive tomorrow as scheduled. She noted in my account that I called to check on this so there's a record of it. Such a relief! Thanks for all the advice everyone.

I thought PFML paid more!! I got $825/week on PFML but was only getting $680 on unemployment for same base year. The calculations are definitely different even if they use the same time period for wages.

Thank you all for the helpful information! I'm going to apply for PFML this week and make sure to notify ESD when I stop my UI claim. I'll also prepare for a potential 3-week gap between benefits by setting aside some money. I'll have my doctor complete all the paperwork thoroughly to avoid delays. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences!

ok but has anyone actually tried that claimyr thing the person mentioned? seems sketchy to me... how does it actually work?

Quick update on my earlier comment - I've noticed ESD sometimes processes claims in batches. If you filed your initial claim at the end of a week or during a holiday period, it might take a bit longer. Those who file right at the beginning of a business week sometimes get processed faster. Also, while you're waiting, make absolutely sure you're still filing your weekly claims correctly. The biggest mistake I see people make is they stop filing weekly certifications while in adjudication, and then they have to go through an additional process to backdate those claims.