ESD claim stuck in adjudication after contract job ended - adjudication date changed to 02/07/24

Temp/contract jobs can definitely qualify for unemployment as long as you worked enough hours in your base year and the contract ended through no fault of your own (meaning you weren't fired for misconduct). The problem is ESD is notorious for taking forever with adjudication. The date you're seeing (2/7/24) is likely when they've scheduled your claim to be reviewed. Have you been filing your weekly claims while waiting? Make sure you do that even while in adjudication. Also, check your ESD online account for any messages or requests for additional information - sometimes they need more documents but don't make it obvious.

I went through something similar in November! Contract job ended and it took ESD almost 7 weeks to approve my claim. The thing that finally worked for me was using Claimyr to get through to an actual ESD agent (claimyr.com). It's the only way I actually got to speak to someone. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The ESD agent told me my claim was sitting in a backlog and needed to be assigned to an adjudicator. They flagged it for expedited review and I got my decision 5 days later. If you're worried about making rent, it might be worth trying.

THE SYSTEM IS A JOKE!!!! I waited 10 WEEKS for my claim to process last year and almost got EVICTED!!! ESD claims there's no backlog anymore but it's LIE LIE LIE!!!! The governor's office "expedite" promise is MEANINGLESS - they just send an email that gets ignored. The contract job thing might trigger extra review but they should still approve you. KEEP CALLING EVERY DAY!!!

have you checked ur correspondence tab in ur esd account? they sometimes send letters there asking for more info but dont email u about it. happened to my sister and her claim was delayed by 3 weeks bc she didnt see the letter.

I think your claim is probably going through normal adjudication. Mine took 5 weeks after a contract job ended. The fact that it's your first time applying might have flagged it for extra review. They have to verify with your employer that the contract actually ended and wasn't terminated early for cause. One thing that might help: if you have a copy of your contract showing the end date, or any emails from your employer confirming the contract completion, upload those documents to your ESD account under the document upload section. That helped speed up my process.

To directly answer your question: If your contract naturally ended and was not terminated for cause, you should be approved. Contract/temp workers qualify for regular UI benefits as long as you worked enough hours in your base year (about 680 hours across 6+ months). However, adjudication for first-time claimants with contract work often takes longer because: 1. ESD must verify with the employer that the contract ended naturally 2. They need to confirm your status wasn't misclassified (employee vs. contractor) 3. First-time claims get higher scrutiny for fraud prevention The 2/7/24 date likely indicates when your case is scheduled for adjudicator review. While waiting: - Continue filing weekly claims - Complete 3 job search activities each week and document them - Check your online account daily for correspondence - Upload your contract termination documentation For immediate financial needs, consider contacting your county's rental assistance programs.

my claim took 9 weeks last year before getting approved. ESD is the worst. i heard they expedite things if you claim hardship like eviction notice or utility shutoff. maybe try that angle?

Update: I uploaded my contract end documentation and then tried calling ESD again today. Still couldn't get through after 14 attempts. This is so frustrating! I'm starting to wonder if I should just give up and try finding another job ASAP even though I've been applying everywhere for weeks with no luck. The stress is making me physically ill at this point.