Does starting a completely new ESD claim after my current one ends require another 6-week waiting period?
I've been on unemployment for a while with my current claim (let's call it claim XYZ) and it's about to expire next month. My industry is still struggling and I might need to file a completely new claim (call it JKL) right after this one ends. Even though I was just receiving payments from my ending claim, will ESD make me wait another full 6 weeks for the first payment on this new claim? Or is the process faster since I'm already in their system? I've heard so many different things from people. Someone told me it's faster the second time around, but my cousin waited 8 weeks when he filed a new claim last year. Can't afford to go that long without income again. Any insights appreciated!
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Freya Ross
ya they make u wait again each new claim has 2 go thru the whole process again even if ur already gettin benefits before. its stupid but thats how esd does it
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Butch Sledgehammer
•Ugh, seriously? That's what I was afraid of. Did you experience this yourself recently?
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Leslie Parker
The waiting period depends on your specific situation. Each new claim does require a new review process, but it's not always 6 weeks. The waiting week (first week) is standard for all new claims, but beyond that, it depends on whether your new claim has any issues requiring adjudication. If you have a clean application with all required documentation ready, and no employer disputes, you might get paid in 2-3 weeks after the waiting week. Have you checked if you qualify for any extensions on your current claim instead of filing a completely new one? That might be a better route.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•Thanks for the detailed info. I didn't even consider extensions - I thought those weren't available anymore post-pandemic. I'll definitely look into that option! If I do need to file a new claim, what documentation should I have ready to speed things up?
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Sergio Neal
went thru this EXACT thing in January!!! my first claim took like 5 weeks to get paid but when i filed my second one after the first expired it only took 3 weeks. still had to do the waiting week though which is BS when ur already in the system!!
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Savanna Franklin
•Actually, the waiting week is required by state law for each new benefit year, regardless of whether you've been on unemployment before. It's not an ESD policy they can waive (except during declared emergencies like they did early in the pandemic). I've been through three claim cycles over the years, and each new benefit year requires establishing eligibility all over again.
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Juan Moreno
If your new claim (JKL) is based on different employment than your previous claim (XYZ), expect the full review process again, which can easily take 4-6 weeks depending on how quickly your former employers respond to ESD. I've been through this cycle twice. What REALLY helped me was getting through to an ESD agent when my claim stalled. I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an ESD rep in about 25 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Whether you use a service or not, definitely call if your claim goes beyond 3 weeks without payment. Sometimes it's just sitting there waiting for someone to look at it.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•I've never heard of Claimyr before. I'll keep that in my back pocket if things get stuck. Did you have any issues with identity verification on your second claim? That's what held up my first claim for weeks.
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Amy Fleming
this is NOT TRUE everyone!!! If u file a new claim right after ur old one ends it's a CONTINUING claim and they process it faster!!! Call the ESD office and tell them its urgent due to financial hardship. Thats what i did and got paid in 2 weeks including the waiting week!!
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Alice Pierce
•I hate to correct you, but there's no such thing as a "continuing claim" when you're starting a new benefit year. Each benefit year is a completely new claim with its own waiting week. What you're describing sounds like you had an existing claim that was temporarily interrupted or had a break in filing weekly claims, which is different from starting a completely new benefit year. To the original poster: If you're filing a completely new claim because your benefit year is ending, you will have the standard waiting week and processing time. However, if your identity has already been verified in their system and your employment history is straightforward, it may process faster than your first claim did.
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Savanna Franklin
One thing to remember is that your new claim must be based on wages earned AFTER your original claim was filed. If you haven't worked since filing your current claim, you might not qualify for a new claim at all. ESD requires you to have worked and earned wages in at least 680 hours during your new base year to establish a new claim. If you haven't worked enough since filing your first claim, you won't be eligible regardless of waiting periods.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•That's really important info - thank you! I did work part-time for about 8 months between claims, around 25-30 hours weekly, so I should have enough hours. I'm getting nervous about this whole process again.
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Sergio Neal
just start filing the new claim like 2 weeks b4 the old 1 expires so they overlap!!! thats what my friend did and she didn't miss any payments!!
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Leslie Parker
•This advice could actually cause problems. Filing a new claim before your benefit year ends can create conflicts in the system and potentially trigger an overpayment situation. The correct approach is to wait until your benefit year officially ends, then immediately file your new claim. Just be financially prepared for a potential gap in payments as the new claim processes.
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Juan Moreno
Something that helped me avoid a long gap between claims was making sure ALL my employment history was thoroughly documented with exact dates and contact information before submitting my new claim. Also, I uploaded my ID documentation again even though they already had it from my first claim. Basically, assume they need everything verified from scratch - that seems to speed things up. If your previous claim had any issues or took longer than normal, expect similar hangups with the new one since it's likely to follow the same pattern.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•This is really practical advice - thank you! I'll gather all my documentation ahead of time and be prepared to upload everything again. Hopefully that will help things move faster.
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