ESD adjudication taking 3+ weeks - normal timeline or should I panic?
I'm currently in my third week of adjudication with ESD and starting to worry. My initial claim went through fine but got flagged for review (no idea why) and has been stuck in adjudication since April 4th. My bills are piling up and I'm getting really anxious about how long this is going to take. My savings are almost gone after being laid off from construction work when our project funding got cut. Can anyone tell me what's normal for adjudication times in 2025? The ESD website just says it could take "several weeks" but that's super vague. I've tried calling at least 15 times but can't get through to a human being. Does everyone wait this long? Should I be doing something else to speed this up?
19 comments
Adrian Connor
My claim was in adjudication for 5 weeks before it got approved last month. ESD is seriously understaffed right now. Just keep filing your weekly claims while you wait so you'll get all your backpay when it's approved.
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Mikayla Davison
•5 WEEKS?? Ugh I was hoping it would be done by now. Did they ever tell you why it was in adjudication? Mine doesn't show any issues or pending documents.
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Aisha Jackson
Unfortunately 3 weeks is actually on the faster side for adjudication these days. The average is 4-6 weeks from what I've seen, with some complex cases taking 8+ weeks. Make sure you're checking your eServices account daily for any alerts or document requests - sometimes they need additional information but the notification emails get lost. And yes, absolutely continue filing your weekly claims during this time. If approved, you'll receive payment for all eligible weeks you've claimed during the waiting period.
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Mikayla Davison
•Thanks for the info. I've been checking eServices obsessively but there's nothing there asking for documents. My account just shows "adjudication in progress" with no explanation or timeline. Really frustrating not knowing what's happening.
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Ryder Everingham
hang in there! mine took exactly 4 weeks and 2 days. the waiting is the worst part :
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Lilly Curtis
Three weeks is completely normal for adjudication processing. The ESD adjudicators are working through a significant backlog right now, especially for construction industry claims which are getting extra scrutiny due to some recent fraud cases. To potentially speed things up: 1. Check your Notices/Letters section in eServices daily 2. Make sure your phone voicemail isn't full (they'll call for fact-finding interviews) 3. Upload any separation documents from your employer even if not requested yet 4. Continue your three required job search activities each week If there's truly nothing requested from you, it's just a waiting game. They legally have to make a determination within 21 calendar days, but they frequently miss this target due to volume.
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Mikayla Davison
•Thanks for the detailed info! I didn't know about the construction claims getting more scrutiny - that explains a lot. My voicemail is definitely not full, and I've been doing job search activities. I'll double-check the notices section again.
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Leo Simmons
i waited 7 weeks and then suddenly got approved with no explanation. ESD is a total black box!! they never tell u whats going on and u just have to wait. the worst part is if u miss a weekly filing while waiting u lose that week forever even tho its their fault for taking so long!!
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Mikayla Davison
•7 weeks?! I might lose my apartment by then. This is so stressful.
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Lindsey Fry
This is ridiculous! I've been through this EXACT thing twice and both times they made me wait 5+ weeks before finally approving me. The system is BROKEN! They expect us to live on air while they take their sweet time? The worst part is you can NEVER reach a human when you call. I spent TWO ENTIRE DAYS hitting redial and got nothing but busy signals and disconnects. And the "call back" option? JOKE. Never once got a callback.
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Saleem Vaziri
•If you're having trouble getting through to ESD on the phone, I used a service called Claimyr last month when my claim was stuck in adjudication for weeks. It basically holds your place in line with ESD and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of redial frustration. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video that explains how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Once I got through to an actual ESD agent, they were able to look at my claim and tell me exactly what was causing the hold up. In my case, there was a wage verification issue they never notified me about.
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Adrian Connor
To answer your question from earlier - they actually never told me why mine was in adjudication. The status just changed one day to approved and the money appeared in my account the next day. I think sometimes they just do random checks or something? The whole process is frustrating and not transparent at all.
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Leo Simmons
•same!! they never explained anything 2 me either. just suddenly approved after weeks of nothing
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Mikayla Davison
Thanks everyone for the responses. Still waiting but at least I know it's not unusual. I'll keep filing my weekly claims and hope for the best. Might try that Claimyr thing if it goes another week with no updates.
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Aisha Jackson
•Good plan. And one more tip - when you do finally get approved, double-check that they've calculated your weekly benefit amount correctly based on your highest-earning quarters. I've seen several construction workers get underpaid because seasonal work can create unusual earning patterns. You have the right to appeal the benefit calculation if it seems low.
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Ryder Everingham
just wondering did u get laid off or fired? bcuz if u got fired they have to investigate if it was for misconduct which takes way longer than a normal adjudication
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Mikayla Davison
•Definitely laid off - our whole crew got cut when project funding fell through. My employer confirmed that in their response to ESD. That's why I'm confused about why it's taking so long.
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Lilly Curtis
@original poster - Just wanted to follow up. The fact that you were part of a larger layoff should actually work in your favor. When multiple claims come in from the same employer around the same time, ESD can verify the separation circumstance more easily. One thing to be aware of - even though you're in adjudication, you should have received a monetary determination letter showing what your weekly benefit amount would be IF approved. Have you received that at least? If not, that could indicate a wage verification issue that needs addressing.
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Mikayla Davison
•Yes, I did get the monetary determination letter showing I'd get $825/week if approved. So I guess that part is fine. Just waiting on the adjudication to complete. Thanks for checking back!
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