ESD approved my benefits - how long until I get my first payment?

Congrats on the approval! In my experience, you'll usually get your first payment within 2-3 business days after approval if you have direct deposit set up. They typically process all your pending weeks at once too, so you should see everything you're owed. I was in your situation back in January and got approved on a Thursday, then had all my money (4 weeks worth) by Monday morning. Such a relief! If you don't see anything by the end of the week, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an ESD agent quickly. Their video demo shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Saved me hours of frustration when I needed to check on a payment issue.

my payments took over a week after approval letter came dont get ur hopes up too high esd is always slow with everything

It really depends on several factors. Direct deposit is typically 2-3 business days after approval, while debit cards can take 5-7 business days (since they have to mail the card first). One thing to watch for: make sure your claims don't have any issues that need addressing. Even with an approval letter, individual weekly claims can still get held up if there's an issue with your job search activities or if you reported earnings that need verification. When you log into your eServices account, check if your weekly claims show as "pending" or if they have any alerts next to them.

UGH the waiting game is THE WORST!!! I remember when I got approved last year and literally checked my bank account like 50 times a day lol. Mine took exactly 2 business days after my approval letter came through. BUT that was after waiting in adjudication for SEVEN WEEKS!!! The system is so broken it's ridiculous. At least once you get your first payment, the rest come every week like clockwork as long as you keep filing correctly.

I got my approval letter on a Tuesday and money showed up Thursday same week. All 4 of my pending payments came at the same time. Is your bank account info correct in the system? Double check that.

My cousin had her benefits approved but didn't get paid for 2 weeks because there was a problem with her identity verification that didn't show up in her account. She ended up having to call ESD and it was fixed right away once she talked to someone. Those phone lines are impossible tho - she said she called like 47 times before getting through.

I work with unemployment claims frequently, and here's the accurate information: After approval, ESD processes payments for all pending weeks within 48 hours. However, when that money appears in your account depends on your bank's processing time. With direct deposit, most people see funds 2-3 business days after approval. Important to know: The payment issue date in your ESD account is not the same as the deposit date. You'll see payments listed as "issued" in your account before they hit your bank. Also, all pending weeks are typically processed together, so you should receive a lump sum for all the weeks you've claimed so far. If it's been more than 4 business days since approval and you don't see payment issued in your ESD account (not just your bank), then you should contact ESD directly.

wait did anyone else have to pay taxes on their ui benefits?? i just realized i have no idea if they withhold taxes automatically or if i'm gonna get screwed next april 😱

UPDATE: You all were right! All three of my pending payments hit my account this morning - exactly 2 business days after I got the approval letter. Such a relief! I also went ahead and set up that tax withholding that was mentioned. Thanks everyone for your help!