Approved for ESD benefits but payments still stuck in pending status - normal wait time?

same thing happened to me last month. took almost 2 weeks after approval before money actually showed up. esd is so slow with everything!!!

This is actually quite common with ESD right now. Your claim might be approved, but each weekly payment still goes through a verification process. A few things to check: 1) Log in and make sure there are no "alerts" or tasks in your account that need attention 2) Verify your payment method is set up correctly (direct deposit or debit card) 3) Check that your job search activities were properly logged If everything looks correct, it could just be processing delays. Unfortunately, ESD is running about 3-4 weeks behind on payments for many people right now, even with approved claims. They don't always communicate this clearly.

NOBODY EVER GETS PAID ON TIME!!!! I swear ESD holds onto our money as long as possible. My claim took SIX WEEKS from approval to first payment and they never explained why. Then suddenly one day BAM! all the back payments showed up at once. The system is designed to make people give up.

have you tried calling them? sometimes there's a hold on your account they don't even tell you about. happened to me and i only found out when i finally got through to someone. they said something about needing extra verification but never sent me any notification!

Last year when I was on unemployment I had almost the exact same issue! My claim was approved but payments just sat as pending for what felt like forever. In my case it turned out there was some extra identity verification they needed but the notification got lost in their system. Only found out when I finally reached someone on the phone. Have you checked your spam folder too? Sometimes their emails end up there.

I had success using Claimyr to get through to ESD when my payments were stuck in pending status. It's a service that basically waits on hold for you and then calls you when an ESD agent is available to talk. Saved me hours of frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 showing how it works. In my case, there was a flag on my account that needed to be cleared, and once I spoke with someone, my payments started processing within 48 hours.

Another thing to check - did you select "no" to any of the weekly claim questions? Especially the one about being able and available for work, or if you reported any earnings? Those can trigger automated holds that delay payment processing even on approved claims.

Based on your situation, you're dealing with what ESD calls a "payment processing delay" rather than an adjudication issue (since your claim is already approved). These typically resolve on their own, but contacting ESD directly is the fastest solution. Regardless of what method you use to reach them, when you do get through, specifically ask if there are any "payment holds" on your account. Sometimes these are applied automatically but aren't visible to you in the online portal. The agent can often remove these holds immediately, and payments typically process within 48-72 business hours after the hold is lifted. Be sure to note the name of the agent you speak with and request a confirmation number for the call. This helps if you need to follow up later.

just throwing this out there but sometimes its ur bank too. my credit union holds esd deposits for like 3 extra days for "verification" or something. might be worth calling ur bank to see if theyve received anything that hasn't posted yet?

when i was on unemployment it was like this the whole time. first payment took like 4 weeks after approval, then after that it was pretty regular. hang in there!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Got approved two weeks ago but all my payments are still showing "pending" with no explanation. It's so stressful not knowing if there's an issue or if it's just their normal slow process. Reading everyone's experiences here is actually really helpful - at least I know I'm not the only one dealing with this. Going to try calling again tomorrow morning right when they open, maybe I'll have better luck getting through then. Thanks for posting about this!