After 8 weeks stuck in adjudication, what finally got ESD to look at my claim

This is actually pretty common. ESD is overwhelmed with claims and unfortunately some fall through the cracks. Contacting the governor's office is one of the most effective escalation methods when your claim has been stuck for an extended period. They have direct channels to ESD leadership that can flag urgent cases. Just make sure when the adjudicator contacts you that you have all your employment separation documentation ready - termination letter, emails, text messages, anything that supports your side of the story. If your former employer disputes your eligibility, having this documentation organized will speed things up significantly.

Thank you! I've gathered everything - emails from my manager about reduced hours, the final separation notice, and even screenshots of our scheduling system showing how they kept cutting my hours until I couldn't survive financially. Do you know how long the adjudication typically takes once they actually start looking at it?

I waited 11 weeks b4 someone looked at my claim!!! The system is TOTALLY BROKEN. They say 3 weeks max for adjudication on their website but thats a complete lie. Nobody at ESD cares about people struggling to pay bills. I lost my apartment waiting for them to do their job.

While I understand your frustration, the 3-week timeframe on their website is actually an average processing time under normal circumstances. Currently, they're dealing with higher than normal claim volumes and staffing shortages. From what I've seen, 8-12 weeks is unfortunately becoming more common for complex adjudication cases, especially those involving employer disputes or eligibility questions. It's not that they don't care - the system is just overwhelmed. That said, the governor's office route that OP took is often effective for claims that have exceeded reasonable timeframes.

I had a similar experience last month! My claim sat for 7 weeks with zero movement. I tried calling ESD 47 times (yes, I counted) and either got disconnected or was told to wait for an adjudicator. I eventually used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to someone who could actually help. They have this system that gets you past the phone queue and connected to an actual ESD agent. Their video shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Two days after speaking with an agent, my claim was assigned to an adjudicator and resolved within a week. Worth checking out if the governor's office route doesn't get you fully resolved.

Does this Claimyr thing actually work? Sounds too good to be true honestly. I've spent literally HOURS on hold with ESD just to get hung up on.

It definitely worked for me. I was skeptical too but was desperate after weeks of trying. They don't actually process your claim or anything - they just help you bypass the phone queue to speak with an actual ESD agent. You still need to explain your situation to the agent yourself.

one thing the governor's office lady told you is super important - be 100% honest with ESD. my cousin tried to fudge some details about his job separation (said he was laid off when he actually quit) and got caught in adjudication for MONTHS and then denied benefits completely. they verify everything with your employer and if stories don't match up it creates huge delays & problems. glad ur getting movement on ur claim finally!

Absolutely! I've been completely transparent about everything. My employer reduced my hours to the point where it was basically constructive dismissal, and I have all the documentation to prove it. I just didn't know how to get anyone to actually LOOK at my claim until now.

When my claim was stuck in adjudication earlier this year, I learned that sometimes the specific reason code on your claim can affect how long it takes. If your separation reason is coded as

That's helpful to know! I've faithfully filed my weekly claims even though nothing was happening. My situation is a bit complicated - they kept reducing my hours until I was barely scheduled at all, so it wasn't a clear-cut layoff, but not exactly a voluntary quit either. Hoping the adjudicator understands constructive dismissal.

The governors office is just gonna tell u what u wanna hear imo. They told me same thing 2 months ago about expediting my claim and guess what? Still waiting!!! ESD is just broken beyond repair

I'm sorry you've had that experience. While contacting the governor's office doesn't guarantee immediate resolution, it does typically flag your claim for review. If it's been 2 months since they said they'd expedite your claim and still nothing has happened, I'd recommend following up with them again and specifically asking for a claim escalation number or confirmation. Also, check your ESD online account and secure messages daily, as sometimes they request additional information but the notifications don't always come through properly.

One important thing to be prepared for: when the adjudicator starts investigating, they'll contact your former employer who will have a limited time to respond (usually 48 hours). If your employer doesn't respond within that timeframe, it typically works in your favor. However, if they do respond and dispute your version of events, be prepared to provide evidence supporting your claim. For cases involving reduced hours leading to separation, bring documentation showing the pattern of reduction. Also, just to set expectations, even after the adjudicator is assigned, it can take 1-2 weeks for them to complete their investigation, especially if they need to schedule a fact-finding interview with you.

Thank you for the heads up. I've been keeping detailed records since my hours started getting cut. I have screenshots of the scheduling app showing how I went from 32 hours/week down to sometimes just 4 hours/week over a three-month period. I also saved texts from my manager acknowledging that they were reducing store labor across the board. Hopefully that's enough evidence if my employer tries to claim I voluntarily reduced my availability or something.

Just so ya know, the ESD office will probably try to contact you for a fact-finding interview when they start the adjudication process. MAKE SURE you answer your phone even if you don't recognize the number!!! I missed their call and it delayed my claim by another 3 weeks 🤦‍♂️

Thanks for the warning! I've been answering EVERY call, even the car warranty scammers lol. I'm not missing that call after waiting this long!

Once your claim is approved, check if you're eligible for the waiting week waiver. Normally there's a one-week waiting period before benefits begin, but depending on your circumstances and when you filed, that waiting week might be waived. Also, make sure you understand the job search requirements going forward - currently it's 3 job search activities per week that you need to document. The WorkSource workshops count as activities and can be done online. Staying on top of these requirements will prevent any interruptions once your benefits start flowing.

I've been dutifully reporting my 3 job search activities every week even though no payments were coming through. Didn't want to fall behind on that requirement in case they eventually approved my claim. I've been doing a mix of applications and WorkSource workshops. Just hoping they approve me and release all those back payments soon - I'm down to my last $43 and rent is due next week.