ESD appeal hearing timeline - how long for judge's decision and receiving back benefits?

In my experience, it takes about 10-14 business days to receive the judge's decision by mail after your appeal hearing. It can sometimes be faster but don't panic if it takes the full two weeks. If the judge rules in your favor, ESD typically processes the payment within 3-5 business days after receiving the judge's order. So you're looking at roughly 2-3 weeks total from hearing to payment if things go well. Make sure to keep filing your weekly claims during this waiting period!

congrats on getting thru the hearing! mine took 18 days to get the decision letter but my coworker got hers in like 8 days so its kinda random

I went through this last year and the judge took 23 days to make a decision in my case, which was apparently longer than normal. My lawyer said judges are SUPPOSED to issue decisions within 10 days but they're often backlogged. After I won, it took ESD another 8 days to process the payment for all my back weeks. So don't count on seeing money immediately even with a favorable decision. One tip - if the judge rules in your favor and you don't see payment within a week, call ESD directly. Sometimes the payment gets stuck in their system and calling can help move it along. But good luck reaching anyone... I tried calling ESD for THREE WEEKS straight and couldn't get through because of their ridiculous phone system that hangs up on you when they're "at capacity."

i've been waiting 5 weeks after my hearing and still no decision letter!!!! should i be worried????

The timeline really depends on how complex your case was. Mine was pretty straightforward (laid off due to lack of work but employer incorrectly reported it as misconduct), and I got the decision in 9 days. BUT!! Make sure you watch your mailbox carefully. The decision comes in a very plain envelope that looks like junk mail, and I almost threw mine away. As for payment after a favorable decision - my experience was frustrating. It took ESD almost 3 weeks to process my backpay even after the judge ruled in my favor. I had to keep calling them to check on the status. The ESD rep explained that favorable decisions have to go through a separate review process on their end before payment is released. Apparently they have to manually calculate all the weeks you're owed, apply any deductions, etc. It's ridiculous how slow the system is when they're perfectly capable of taking money AWAY from you instantly if they think you've been overpaid!

Just want to add that my experience last year was different from what others are saying. I won my appeal, got the judge's decision in 12 days, and ESD processed my payment THE NEXT DAY after receiving the decision. I think it really depends on who handles your case at ESD and how backed up they are at that particular time. The first half of 2025 has been crazy busy from what I've heard.

good luck!! the waiting is the WORST part!!!!!

Something important no one has mentioned yet - once you receive the judge's decision (hopefully in your favor), you should see the status change in your eServices account within a few days. Look for a change from "Denied" to "Paid" or something similar on the weeks in question. That's often the first sign that ESD is processing your payment, even before the money hits your account.