ESD claim still processing after waiting week - normal delay or problem?
Filed for my partner's unemployment on February 18th after he was let go from his construction job on the 16th. His first week says 'waiting week' which I understand doesn't get paid. But we just submitted his second weekly claim Sunday at midnight and it still shows 'processing' with no payment. No notifications or messages saying we need to provide additional info. His previous pandemic overpayment was already waived last year, so there shouldn't be any flags on his account. How long does processing normally take after the waiting week? Should we be worried or is this typical ESD timeline? Anyone been through this recently?
18 comments
Join the conversation
Genevieve Cavalier
its totally normal for the 2nd week to be processing for a few days. mine took 4 business days to switch from processing to paid after my waiting week. unless it stays stuck for more than a week i wouldnt worry
0 coins
Zane Hernandez
•That's a relief to hear! I was getting nervous because his coworker who got laid off the same day already got paid. I'll give it until next Monday before panicking then.
0 coins
Ethan Scott
The first payment after the waiting week typically takes 5-7 business days to process in 2025, especially for new claims. ESD has to verify several eligibility factors before releasing the first payment, even if there's no obvious issue. Make sure your partner has completed his job search requirements (3 activities per week) and documented them correctly. Also verify that all employer information is accurate in the system. You can check claim status in eServices under 'UI Claim Status.
0 coins
Zane Hernandez
•Thank you for the detailed info! He definitely did his 3 job search activities and logged them properly. I'll have him check the employer details though - his company recently changed names so maybe that's causing a hiccup.
0 coins
Lola Perez
Has he got a message asking for identity verification?? That's what held mine up for WEEKS! I didn't even see the message at first cause it wasn't in the alerts section, it was buried in some other tab. Check all the sections in eServices just to make sure there's not something you're missing that they need.
0 coins
Zane Hernandez
•Oh no, I didn't think to check everywhere! We've only been looking at the main dashboard and alerts. I'll have him log in and check all the different sections tonight. Thanks for the tip!
0 coins
Nathaniel Stewart
my boyfriends claim did this exact same thing last month!!! stayed on processing for almost 3 weeks with no explanation. turns out there was an adjudication issue but they never sent us ANY notification about it. we only found out when he finally managed to talk to someone
0 coins
Lola Perez
•This is why I HATE the ESD system!! They expect us to provide everything perfectly but then don't even tell us when there's a problem. So frustrating.
0 coins
Zane Hernandez
•Ugh that's exactly what I'm afraid of - some hidden issue they haven't told us about. How did your boyfriend finally get through to someone? We've been calling but just get the automated system saying high call volume.
0 coins
Riya Sharma
I was in the exact same situation last month. After days of trying to call ESD with no luck, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an ESD agent in about 20 minutes. It basically keeps dialing for you until it gets through their busy lines. Totally worth it because the agent found a flag on my account that was holding everything up. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 or go to claimyr.com. Saved me weeks of waiting.
0 coins
Santiago Diaz
•does that really work?? ive been trying to get through to esd for DAYS
0 coins
Zane Hernandez
•Thanks for the tip! If we don't see movement by Friday I think we'll try this. Currently on day 3 of the processing status and getting more worried.
0 coins
Millie Long
Let me clarify some things about the current ESD timeline in 2025: 1. Waiting week is standard and unpaid (correct) 2. First payment typically processes within 7-10 days IF there are no issues 3. "Processing" status can mean several things: - Normal verification period (most common) - Employer response pending (they have 10 days to contest) - Wage verification hold - Potential identity verification needed - Adjudicator review flag If it's been less than 7 days since you filed the second week, this is likely normal processing. If it goes beyond 10 days without changing, then I recommend contacting ESD directly as there may be an unreported issue. The waived pandemic overpayment is unrelated to this new claim and shouldn't affect processing time.
0 coins
Zane Hernandez
•This is super helpful, thank you! It's been 4 days since we filed the second claim, so sounds like we're still within normal timeframes. His former employer is pretty disorganized, so I wonder if they're slow to respond. We'll give it until the full 10 days before really worrying.
0 coins
KaiEsmeralda
when i got laid off in january my claim got stuck in processing too but it was because i accidentally put the wrong social security number (transposed two digits lol). double check all the info you entered is 100% correct. sometimes the smallest error can hold things up for weeks!
0 coins
Zane Hernandez
•Oh gosh, I never thought of that! I'll have him review all his personal info tonight just to make sure. We were pretty tired when we filed it, so it's possible we made a small mistake. Thank you!
0 coins
Lola Perez
Any updates? Did your partner's claim move from processing to paid yet? I'm in a similar situation now and wondering how long I'll be waiting...
0 coins
Zane Hernandez
•Yes! It finally changed from processing to paid yesterday - took 8 days total. We never did figure out what the holdup was, it just suddenly moved forward. My guess is his employer was slow to respond. Hope yours moves quickly too!
0 coins