Calling governor's office fixed my ESD disqualification after 5 weeks of no response!

Same thing happened to me last year! I was disqualified for 'refusing suitable work' when I actually just asked an employer about remote options (never refused anything). Called for WEEKS with no help. I didn't try the governor's office though - that's brilliant. I wrote to my state representative instead and got results in about 5 days. They have constituent services staff who can cut through the red tape. So glad you got your payments! The ESD system is basically designed to make people give up rather than get the benefits they're entitled to.

ur lucky the govs office even picked up for u!!! i tried calling them 2x last month about my adjudication and couldnt get a human. did u call a specific number or extension??? desperate here

This is actually a really good tip! I've been helping my mom with her unemployment for MONTHS and it's been a nightmare. She got disqualified because they said she didn't upload her ID verification in time, but she absolutely did. We've tried calling ESD at least 40 times and either can't get through or get disconnected after waiting an hour+. I'm definitely going to try the governor's office trick tomorrow! Thank you for sharing this!

If you're still struggling to reach ESD directly, you might want to try Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to an actual ESD agent without spending hours on hold. I was skeptical at first, but it worked for me when I was dealing with an adjudication issue last month. You can check out how it works at claimyr.com or watch their demo video: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The governor's office trick is definitely worth trying first since it's free, but Claimyr is a good backup option if that doesn't work out. The best part is you actually get through to a real ESD agent who can help resolve your issue right away instead of just promising to 'escalate' your case.

I had almost the exact opposite experience calling the governor's office last year. The person I spoke with basically said they couldn't help with individual unemployment cases and told me to 'keep trying' the regular ESD channels. So frustrating!!! When I eventually got through to ESD (after 7 WEEKS), they told me my account had been flagged for fraud for no reason and that's why my payments were held up. The whole system is BROKEN BY DESIGN to discourage people from collecting benefits they're legally entitled to. I'm glad it worked for you though! Maybe they've improved their processes since my experience.

Just want to add an important tip for anyone dealing with disqualifications: Make sure you formally APPEAL the disqualification through the official process, even while trying these other methods to get help. The appeal deadline is only 30 days from when they sent the disqualification notice. You can appeal right through your eServices account. Even if you're trying to reach someone by phone, the appeal creates a paper trail and gets you in line for a hearing if needed. The Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) is separate from ESD and can overturn wrong decisions.

I'm furious reading this. Not at you - I'm happy you got your money! But at how BROKEN the system is that you had to call the GOVERNOR'S OFFICE to get basic customer service from a state agency. This is absolutely unacceptable. My partner has been waiting in adjudication for 9 weeks now with absolutely no updates. We've called over 200 times. How is this acceptable? ESD has had YEARS to fix their customer service issues since the pandemic and they've done NOTHING. Thank you for sharing this tip though. We're going to try calling the governor's office tomorrow. Desperate times...

lol i tried callin the govs office last year and got nowhere! guess it depends who answers the phone. congrats on getting paid tho!

For those who keep hitting roadblocks with ESD, there are a few other escalation options you can try: 1. Your state representative or senator's office (as someone mentioned) 2. The ESD Ombuds Office - they're independent from regular ESD 3. Legal aid organizations like Unemployment Law Project who can advise on complex cases 4. If you have evidence of a genuine mistake on ESD's part, sometimes the media can help (local news stations often have consumer problem-solver segments) The key with any of these approaches is to be clear, polite, and have all your documentation organized. Note down exactly when you filed, when you were disqualified, what reason was given, and all your attempts to resolve it. Also, make sure you continue filing your weekly claims even during a disqualification or adjudication period!

This is incredible - thank you so much for sharing this! I've been dealing with a similar nightmare situation for 3 weeks now. Got disqualified for "voluntary quit" even though I was actually laid off due to budget cuts (have the termination letter to prove it). I've called ESD probably 60+ times and can never get through to an actual human. I had no idea the governor's office could help with individual cases like this! I'm definitely calling them first thing Monday morning. The fact that you got results in just 3 hours is amazing - that's faster than ESD responds to anything normally. Quick question - did you have to provide any specific documentation when you called the governor's office, or did they just take your claim ID and contact info? Really hoping this works for me too. At this point I'm willing to try anything!