Adjudication taking 5+ weeks - no ESD benefits yet! Normal or should I worry?

yep pretty normal these days - mine took 7 weeks in adjudication last fall. theres literally nothing u can do but wait. esd is a total mess

While adjudication delays are unfortunately common right now, 5+ weeks is definitely on the longer side. There's likely an issue with your claim that needs investigation - perhaps your employer contested it, there's a question about your job separation reason, or they need to verify your identity further. You need to keep trying to reach ESD. Best times to call are Tuesday-Thursday right when they open at 8am. Also, send a secure message through your eServices account specifically asking about the adjudication issue.

I was stuck in adjudication for almost 6 weeks last month!! It was a NIGHTMARE. Turns out they needed some additional documentation about why I left my previous job but NEVER TOLD ME. I only found out after finally reaching someone. Have you checked your "Decision Status" tab? Sometimes there are letters there explaining what's needed, but they don't notify you when they upload them.

This happened to me too! It's because ESD is understaffed and they prioritize new claims over issues with existing ones. The only reason mine finally got resolved was because I contacted my state representative's office. They have special channels to inquire about unemployment cases. Worth a try if you're desperate!

Have you heard of Claimyr? I was in the exact same situation last month - stuck in adjudication for weeks with no way to reach anyone at ESD. I used Claimyr.com and they got me connected to an ESD agent in about 25 minutes when I had been trying for weeks on my own. The agent was able to see exactly what was holding up my claim and resolved it that same day. They have a video demo of how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Seriously, it saved me so much stress and I got my benefits the following week.

ESD IS THE WORST!!! I waited 9 WEEKS for my adjudication last year!!!!!! Every week they said they'd get to it "soon" and they NEVER did. I filed a complaint with the state ombudsman and magically my claim was resolved THREE DAYS LATER. Coincidence??? I THINK NOT!!! The system is designed to make people give up!!

my friend just went thru this last month. he said the key is checking ur account every day for new notices. sometimes they need info but the email notifications dont work. he finally got paid for 8 weeks all at once. hang in there

One important thing to keep in mind - make absolutely sure you're completing your three job search activities every week and documenting them properly, even while in adjudication. When your claim finally processes, they'll review your job search history and could deny benefits for any weeks where you didn't meet the requirements, even if the delay was on their end.

UPDATE: Just wanted to share that I used Claimyr this morning and got through to ESD in about 30 minutes. Turns out there was a flag on my account because my employer reported a slightly different last day of work than what I entered (February 1st vs January 31st). The agent was able to fix it right away and said my benefits should start processing within 48 hours. Such a relief to finally know what was happening! Thanks everyone for your advice.

I'm dealing with something similar right now - filed my claim in early February and it's been stuck in adjudication for 3 weeks already. Reading through all these responses is both helpful and terrifying! It sounds like there's no rhyme or reason to how long these things take. I'm going to try the Claimyr service that @Aaliyah Jackson mentioned since calling ESD directly seems impossible. Has anyone else had success with contacting their state representative's office like @Giovanni Rossi suggested? I'm in King County if that matters for who to contact.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now - filed in late January and been stuck in adjudication for 4 weeks with zero communication from ESD. It's absolutely maddening! Reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel less alone but also more frustrated that this is such a widespread problem. @Aaliyah Jackson thanks for sharing your Claimyr success story - I'm definitely going to try that tomorrow morning. And @Giovanni Rossi I'm also going to look up my state rep's contact info tonight. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get basic information about our own claims, but I'm willing to try anything at this point. Has anyone had luck with the secure messaging system or is that just a black hole too?

I feel for everyone dealing with this nightmare! I'm currently on week 6 of adjudication hell myself. Filed in mid-January after being laid off from my restaurant job when they closed for renovations. Like many of you, I've tried calling dozens of times with no luck, sent secure messages into the void, and watched my savings disappear while ESD sits on my claim. What's really frustrating is that my case should be straightforward - documented layoff, no disputes, clean work history. But here I am, same as all of you, just waiting and waiting with no end in sight. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and solutions. I'm going to try the Claimyr service first thing tomorrow, and if that doesn't work, I'll reach out to my state representative. It's honestly shameful that people are forced to go to these lengths just to get basic unemployment benefits they're entitled to. The system is clearly broken when 5+ week delays are considered "normal." Hang in there everyone - hopefully we'll all get through this soon!

I'm in a very similar boat - filed my claim on January 20th after being laid off from my marketing job, and I'm now going on week 5 of adjudication with absolutely no updates. Like many of you, I've tried calling ESD countless times only to get disconnected or face impossible wait times. The secure messaging system has been completely useless - I've sent 4 messages with zero responses. What's particularly frustrating is that my separation was completely straightforward - company-wide layoffs due to budget cuts, fully documented by HR. Yet here I am, watching my emergency fund drain while ESD sits on what should be a simple approval. After reading through all these responses, I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service tomorrow morning. @Aaliyah Jackson, thanks for sharing your success story - it gives me hope that there might actually be a way to reach a real person! I'm also going to look into contacting my state representative's office as @Giovanni Rossi suggested. It's absolutely shameful that so many of us are going through the exact same nightmare. The system is clearly overwhelmed and broken when 5+ week delays have become "normal." We shouldn't have to jump through all these hoops just to access benefits we've paid into and are legally entitled to receive. I'll update this thread once I try these solutions - hopefully with good news for everyone still stuck in this adjudication purgatory!