Can't file claim by phone - ESD automated system only gives fraud reporting option
Really frustrated with trying to file my weekly claim by phone! I've been filing online for months but my internet has been spotty lately and I wanted to use the phone system as backup. I called the claims line, entered my social when prompted, but then the ONLY option I got was to press 7 to report fraud or overpayments. There were literally no other options given! Nothing about filing a weekly claim or checking status - nothing! Did ESD change their phone system? Is anyone else having this problem? I really need to get my claim filed before Sunday's deadline and my internet keeps cutting out. How do I actually file by phone these days?
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Yuki Yamamoto
yep same thing happened to me last week! the phone system is totally broken now. i ended up having to go to the library to use their wifi to file online bc the phone option is useless
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Ethan Brown
•Ugh that's so annoying. The library near me closes early on weekends and I work during their weekday hours. I don't get why they'd remove phone filing when their website is so unreliable!
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Carmen Ortiz
The automated phone system for weekly claims changed about two months ago. ESD now strongly directs claimants to use their online portal for all weekly claims. The phone system is primarily reserved for specific services like reporting fraud, checking payment status, or requesting documents. You can still file by phone, but you need to call their Weekly Claims line directly at 800-318-6022. When you call, you must wait through ALL the automated prompts (don't press anything) until it eventually offers the weekly claim filing option. It's deliberately buried to encourage online filing. Hope this helps!
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Ethan Brown
•Thank you for explaining! I tried calling that number but never made it past the social security verification - it always jumped to the fraud menu right after. I'll try again and be more patient with the prompts. Really appreciate the help!
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Andre Rousseau
the whole system is DESIGNED TO FAIL!!! they make it impossible to file on purpose so they dont have to pay benefits!!! i've been dealing with this garbage for 4 months and they owe me $6,700 but SUPRISE!!! no way to reach a real person!!!
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Zoe Papadakis
•I had the same issue for a while and finally got through using Claimyr. Have you tried it? I was super skeptical at first, but it actually worked and got me connected to a real ESD agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending days trying to get through. Their website is claimyr.com and you can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. It saved me so much frustration when I needed to sort out my adjudication issue.
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Jamal Carter
I had this issue too! I think its because they want everyone to file online now. When I called I got stuck at the same menu loop with just the fraud option. I ended up using my neighbor's wifi to file my claim. Not ideal but it worked.
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AstroAdventurer
•There's actually a way to bypass this. The key is timing. When you call 800-318-6022, listen carefully to all prompts without pressing anything. After about 90 seconds, it will eventually offer filing options. Also, call during off-peak hours (before 10am or after 3pm) for better results. Alternatively, if you're experiencing internet issues, you can request a temporary accommodation from ESD for paper filing if you explain your technical difficulties. But this requires speaking with an agent first. I recommend calling right at 8:00am when they open for the shortest wait times.
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Mei Liu
Is your claim in adjudication by any chance? Because when mine was in adjudication last month the phone system did the exact same thing - only gave me the fraud reporting option. I think it means there's a hold on your account maybe? Just a thought. My online access was also limited during that time.
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Ethan Brown
•That's interesting! My claim was in adjudication briefly about 3 weeks ago, but it got resolved (or so I thought). Maybe there's still some kind of flag on my account? That would explain the weird phone system behavior.
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Mei Liu
•Yeah could be! When my adjudication ended I still had weird account issues for almost a month. The ESD systems don't always update correctly. You might need to talk to a real person to fix the flag on your account.
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Zoe Papadakis
I experienced the exact same issue in February. After trying for days to get through, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an ESD agent in about 15 minutes. The agent explained that my account had a technical flag that was limiting my phone options, but they fixed it immediately. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Definitely worth it when you're stuck with no other options.
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Yuki Yamamoto
•does this actually work? seems sketchy to me
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Ethan Brown
UPDATE: I finally got through! For anyone with the same problem - I called the 800-318-6022 number super early (7:58am) and just stayed silent through ALL the prompts. After about 2 minutes of various messages, it finally gave me the option to file my weekly claim. Thanks everyone for your help!
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AstroAdventurer
•Great to hear! Yes, calling right before they open at 8:00am is usually the best strategy. Also, for future reference, if you're having internet issues at home but have a smartphone, the eServices mobile site actually works quite well for filing weekly claims and uses very little data. It's more reliable than the phone system these days.
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Ethan Brown
•Thanks for the tip about the mobile site! I didn't realize it used less data - that's really helpful to know since I'm trying to conserve my phone data until next month.
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