Are ReliaCards automatically sent to everyone who applies for ESD unemployment benefits?

No, ReliaCards are not automatically sent to everyone. They're only issued if you choose the debit card option instead of direct deposit for receiving your benefits. Since you already set up direct deposit with your checking account, ESD should deposit your payments directly to that account once your claim is approved and you begin filing weekly claims. You don't need to do anything else regarding payment methods.

WRONG!!!! They DO send ReliaCards to EVERYONE regardless of what you pick!!! I set up direct deposit too but still got a stupid card in the mail 2 weeks later. It was empty because my payments were going to my bank, but they waste money sending these useless cards anyway. The ESD system is SO inefficient and confusing!!!

I can clarify this based on my recent experience. As of 2025, ESD's policy is that ReliaCards are ONLY issued if: 1. You specifically select debit card as your payment method, OR 2. Your direct deposit information is invalid or cannot be verified If your direct deposit info is properly entered and verified, you should only receive payments to your bank account. However, the system sometimes has glitches where cards are sent erroneously. If you do unexpectedly receive a ReliaCard, you can simply ignore it if your payments are coming through direct deposit correctly. One important note: check your ESD account within 3-5 business days to make sure your direct deposit was properly verified. If there was an issue, they'll switch you to ReliaCard by default.

unrelated but has anyone been able to get through to ESD lately?? I've been trying for THREE DAYS and keep getting either busy signals or the automated message saying call volume is too high! so frustrating!!

i got a reliacard even tho i did direct deposit but then i realized my bank account number was wrong lol. so yeah they'll send you one if theres a problem with ur bank info. check ur account details!!

Just to add a bit more info - if your claim is approved and you're eligible for retroactive payments, sometimes those can be substantial. In that case, ESD might split payment between direct deposit and ReliaCard due to bank deposit limits, especially if you're receiving several weeks of benefits at once. This doesn't happen often, but it's another case where you might receive a card even with direct deposit set up.

One thing nobody mentioned - make sure to check your Correspondence preferences in your ESD account too. Sometimes payment method notifications get sent there rather than to your email, so you might miss important updates about how your payments will be processed. Just another thing to keep an eye on during the waiting period.

Just wanted to share my experience from filing last month - I had direct deposit set up and never received a ReliaCard, which matches what most people are saying here. However, I did get a letter in the mail about 10 days after my claim was approved that confirmed my payment method was direct deposit. So if you're worried about whether everything went through correctly, keep an eye out for that confirmation letter too. It gave me peace of mind knowing the system had everything set up properly. Good luck with your claim!