ESD approved my claim but weekly claims still show disqualified - can't appeal
I'm so confused about my ESD claim status. Two weeks ago, I received an approval letter stating my claim was approved, but it had this weird disclaimer saying there might be 'other issues' that could prevent payment. The letter mentioned I would receive separate notifications about each issue, but I haven't gotten ANYTHING else in the mail or my eServices inbox. Every weekly claim I've filed since then shows up as 'disqualified' when I check online, but since my main claim status shows 'approved,' the system won't let me file an appeal! I've called ESD at least 15 times but never get through to a real person. Has anyone dealt with this bizarre limbo situation? I've got rent due next week and I'm starting to panic.
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Laila Prince
This is actually pretty common with ESD right now. The system is showing you as 'approved' for eligibility (meaning you qualify for UI benefits in general), but each weekly claim has some kind of issue causing disqualification. It could be your work search activities, availability, or earnings reported. You should be able to appeal each individual weekly claim disqualification separately - look under 'Decisions' tab in eServices, not your general claim status.
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Drew Hathaway
•Thanks for explaining that! I looked under Decisions but there's nothing there showing reasons for disqualification on the weekly claims. It just says 'disqualified' with no explanation or appeal option. Should I just keep filing my weekly claims while trying to sort this out?
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Isabel Vega
same thing happend to me!! got aproved then everythng was disqualifed for like a month. turns out i needed to verifiy my identity but the letter about it went to my old address lol. have u checked ur address is current in the system??
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Drew Hathaway
•Hmm, that's a good point. My address is correct in the system, but I wonder if maybe the letters got lost in the mail? Did you ever get through to someone to fix it?
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Dominique Adams
I experienced this issue in November 2024. The problem is that the approval letter is for your overall eligibility, but there are likely specific issues with your weekly claims that need addressing. Common reasons include: 1. Incomplete work search activities (need 3 per week) 2. Answering a question incorrectly on your weekly claim 3. Identity verification pending 4. Earnings reported that exceed your weekly benefit amount Here's what worked for me: Check if you have any tasks in your eServices account under "Alert" or "Action Needed" sections. Also, since you can't see the appeal option, you need to speak with an actual ESD agent to find out what's causing the disqualifications and how to resolve it.
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Drew Hathaway
•Thank you so much for the detailed response! I don't have any alerts or action items showing, which makes this even more frustrating. I've been documenting all 3 of my work search activities carefully and haven't reported any earnings. I keep trying to call but never get through.
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Marilyn Dixon
ESD is such a joke. Their system is DESIGNED to be confusing so people give up. I went through EXACTLY the same thing last summer. approval letter then every week disqualified with no reason. Turns out they had me flagged for "ability to work" verification but NEVER SENT THE LETTER requesting the info!! I wasted 6 WEEKS before I got it fixed!
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Drew Hathaway
•That's exactly what I'm afraid of! Some flag or hold on my account that I don't even know about. How did you finally get it resolved? Did you ever get back pay for those 6 weeks?
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Marilyn Dixon
•I finally got through on the phone after calling like 200 times. Once I knew what the issue was I uploaded the documents they needed and got paid about 2 weeks later. Yes I got all the back pay but it was HORRIBLE stress for no reason. Their communication is the WORST.
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Louisa Ramirez
Have you tried using Claimyr to reach an ESD agent? After struggling for weeks to get through to ESD about a similar issue (approved claim but disqualified weekly claims), I used claimyr.com and got connected to an agent within 20 minutes. They have a video demo here: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. The agent I spoke with immediately saw that my claim had an unreported adjudication flag that was causing all my weekly claims to be disqualified, and they fixed it on the spot.
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Drew Hathaway
•I've never heard of Claimyr before. Did they actually get you through to a real ESD agent? I'm willing to try anything at this point since calling directly has been useless.
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Louisa Ramirez
•Yes, they connected me to a real ESD agent who had full access to my claim. Totally worth it because the agent saw a flag on my account that wasn't visible to me in the eServices portal. Once the agent removed the flag, my next weekly claim was processed correctly.
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TommyKapitz
maybe check ur spam folder? sometimes the esd emails go there thats what happened to my boyfriend
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Drew Hathaway
•I've been checking my spam folder daily - nothing there either. It's like they're expecting me to resolve issues they haven't told me about! So frustrating.
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Angel Campbell
Is it possible you missed answering one of the eligibility questions when filing your weekly claim? I had a similar situation where I was disqualified because I accidentally clicked that I wasn't available for work one week (hit the wrong option). If you're filing online, double-check each answer before submitting. Also, are you on standby status or regular UI? The requirements are different.
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Drew Hathaway
•I'm on regular UI, not standby. I've been super careful with the weekly questions but maybe I did mess something up. The weird thing is it's happened 3 weeks in a row now, which seems unlikely to be the same mistake repeatedly. I really think there's some underlying issue they haven't communicated to me.
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Dominique Adams
Update us once you get through to an agent. This definitely sounds like there's an adjudication issue or eligibility question that wasn't communicated properly. In the meantime, keep filing your weekly claims correctly, document everything, and maintain your work search activities. When they finally fix whatever the issue is, you should receive all eligible back payments at once.
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Drew Hathaway
•I'll definitely update once I make progress. I managed to get through to someone using that Claimyr service another person mentioned, and you were right - there was an undisclosed adjudication issue related to my job separation that wasn't showing in my online account. The agent told me they're sending a questionnaire I need to complete, and once that's processed, my weekly claims should be reconsidered. Thanks for all the help everyone!
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