ESD approved my claim but payments stuck as 'pending' for weeks - when will I actually get paid?

pnding paymnets is normal, takes like 4-5 wks somtimes. they say approved but still gotta do checks or whatever. hang in there lol

There's actually an important distinction between being approved for benefits and having your weekly claims processed for payment. Your overall claim was approved (meaning you qualify for benefits), but each weekly claim still needs to go through processing. A few things to check: 1. Look at your "Alerts" tab - any messages about missing information? 2. Verify your payment method is set up correctly (direct deposit or debit card) 3. Make sure you answered all work search questions correctly If everything looks correct, it's likely just processing time. In my experience helping people with ESD claims, the first payment after approval typically takes 7-10 business days, but can take up to 3 weeks during busy periods. Subsequent payments are usually faster.

I'm in literally THE EXACT SAME SITUATION!! Approved Nov 22 and still nothing but "pending" on all my payments. This system is absolute garbage. I've called over 30 times and either get disconnected or told the wait is 4+ hours. How are we supposed to survive while they sit on approving payments for claims THEY ALREADY APPROVED?!? Makes me want to scream!

Have you checked if your identity verification is complete? Sometimes they approve the claim but then put a hold on payments until they verify your identity. Look under "Pending Issues" in your account. Also, did you select any weeks for backpay that might be under separate review? That can delay the whole batch of payments.

I had this exact problem last month after getting approved. The trick that worked for me was using Claimyr to actually reach someone at ESD. I spent days trying to call on my own and never got through. With Claimyr, I got a callback from an ESD agent in about 45 minutes. Turns out there was a flag on my account that wasn't visible to me but was holding up my payments. The agent fixed it and my money arrived 2 days later. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Saved me from missing my car payment.

Yes, it honestly worked for me after I wasted days trying to call myself. They just help you get in the callback queue faster. I was super hesitant too but my payments had been pending for almost a month and I was about to lose my mind.

Just to add some factual info here: There's often a payment processing delay that happens at year-end because of ESD's accounting systems. Late November/December approvals sometimes get caught in this cycle. What typically happens is that payment processing slows down during the last few weeks of the year and then speeds up again in January. This is completely normal but frustrating if you're caught in it. One thing that can help: Send a secure message through your eServices account specifically asking for the status of your payments. Include the weeks that are pending and ask if there's any action needed on your part. Sometimes this can trigger a review of your pending payments.

my buddy said he got aproved then had to wait THREE MONTHS for money! ESD is crazy slow man

UPDATE: Finally got through to ESD this morning! Turns out there was a payment block on my account because of a random quarterly review flag. The agent removed it and said my payments should process in the next 2-3 business days. She said this happens sometimes and isn't visible in the claimant portal. So if anyone else is stuck in payment pending status despite being approved, keep trying to reach them because there might be something they need to fix on their end!

I ended up using that Claimyr service someone mentioned above. Honestly didn't want to pay for something that should be free, but I was desperate. Got a callback from ESD within an hour and they fixed it right away. Worth it considering I was about to miss rent.

Congratulations on getting it resolved! This is such a perfect example of why ESD's system is so frustrating - they approve your claim but then have invisible blocks that prevent payments without telling you. It's crazy that we have to pay third-party services just to reach our own state agency. Your story gives me hope though - I'm in week 4 of pending payments after approval and was starting to think I'd never see the money. Definitely going to try the Claimyr route if I can't get through by next week. Thanks for sharing the update!

Once you get the approval, notice your payments are automatically sent out. Natalie, I don’t think you know what you’re talking about. I know a lot about the unemployment system, and when I was in adjudication, and I got the approval letter, my payments were issued immediately.

This is exactly why ESD needs better transparency in their system. You shouldn't have to pay a third-party service or wait hours on hold just to find out there's a "quarterly review flag" blocking your payments. It's ridiculous that these blocks aren't visible to claimants in the portal. At minimum, they should show a status like "Payment under review" instead of just leaving everyone hanging with "pending" and no explanation. Glad you finally got it resolved, but the fact that you had to go through all that stress and expense just to get money you were already approved for is unacceptable. Hopefully your experience helps others who are stuck in the same situation realize they need to be persistent about actually reaching someone at ESD rather than just waiting and hoping the payments will magically appear.