ESD claim stuck in adjudication for 5+ weeks with no contact - UPDATE: finally approved!
My husband's unemployment claim has been showing 'pending, adjudication in process' since 9/6/24 (over 5 weeks now!), but we haven't received ANY paperwork or requests for more information. Is this normal? I'm trying to understand what 'adjudication' actually means here - is it just their normal review process, or does it mean his former employer disputed something? The ESD handbook says employers have 10 days to respond to claims, so I'm confused why we'd still be in adjudication after 5+ weeks with zero communication. Our savings are almost gone, and I'm starting to panic about November bills. Has anyone experienced this long of a wait with no contact from ESD? Any suggestions on what we should do? UPDATE 10/15: Just received the approval letter today! All back weeks have been paid to our bank account. Thank god it came through just in time. Thanks to everyone who offered advice through this stressful waiting period.
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Liam Brown
The EXACT same thing happened to my wife's claim last month!! They kept it in "adjudication" for 6 weeks with absolutely no contact. It's absolutely ridiculous how they handle these things. My theory is that they're just overwhelmed with claims and using the adjudication status as a way to buy time while they work through backlogs. Glad your husband's claim was finally approved though!
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Emma Johnson
•It was so nerve-wracking not knowing if we should be doing something or just waiting! Did your wife ever find out why her claim was in adjudication for so long? I'm still not sure what the holdup was with ours.
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Olivia Garcia
Adjudication means they're investigating something specific about the claim that needs resolution. It could be that the employer contested it, there was missing information, or simply that something in his application triggered an automatic review. The 10-day employer response period is just the initial timeframe. If an employer raises issues, that's when adjudication starts, and it can take much longer to resolve. 5+ weeks is unfortunately pretty common right now. For context - I went through a 7-week adjudication earlier this year when my employer incorrectly reported my separation reason. ESD is severely understaffed for the volume of claims they're processing.
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Emma Johnson
•Thank you for explaining that! No one at ESD ever told us what might've triggered the review. Since we got approved without ever being asked for additional info, I'm guessing it wasn't anything major. Just wish they'd communicate better during the waiting period.
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Noah Lee
congrats on getting approved!! my claim was stuck for 4 weeks but for a different reason (identity verification). its crazy how they make ppl wait with no updates or info. like do they expect us not to have bills??
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Ava Hernandez
Unfortunately, the ESD system isn't designed to keep claimants informed during adjudication processes. Adjudication can be triggered by several factors, including: 1. Employer disputes or questions about separation 2. Work history inconsistencies 3. Availability issues or job search compliance questions 4. Wage calculation reviews 5. Identity verification needs In most cases, adjudication doesn't mean there's necessarily a problem - it's just a review process that's required for many claims. The system is severely backlogged in 2025 due to staffing shortages and increased claim volumes. For anyone else reading this who's stuck in adjudication: while waiting, continue filing your weekly claims and completing your job search activities. Document everything. If it goes beyond 6 weeks, that's when you should escalate by contacting your state representative.
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Emma Johnson
•Thank you for this detailed explanation. We did keep filing the weekly claims during the wait, which turned out to be the right move since all those weeks were paid retroactively once approved. The complete lack of communication was the hardest part - just not knowing if we needed to do something or if the claim was on track.
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Isabella Martin
i tried calling esd 27 TIMES last month when I was in adjudication!!! never got through once!!!! system is completely broken imo
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Elijah Jackson
•Have you tried using Claimyr? It helped me actually get through to an ESD agent after weeks of trying. I was skeptical at first but it really works - you can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Their system holds your place in line so you don't have to keep redialing. Saved me hours of frustration when my claim was stuck in adjudication with a simple issue that an agent fixed in 5 minutes once I finally reached someone. Their website is claimyr.com if you're interested.
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Sophia Miller
My adjudication took 9 weeks!!! And then I had to appeal because they denied me for a totally incorrect reason. The appeal took another 6 weeks. The whole system is designed to make people give up, I swear. I'm glad yours came through! I almost lost my apartment waiting.
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Olivia Garcia
Pro tip for anyone dealing with adjudication: if you're approaching 6+ weeks with no movement, contact your state representative. I did this after week 5 and my claim was magically "expedited" and resolved within 3 days. Representatives' offices have direct channels to ESD that bypass the normal wait times. ESD will never tell you this, but it works.
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Emma Johnson
•That's a really good tip! We were just about to reach out to our representative when the approval came through. I'll definitely remember this if we ever have issues again.
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Noah Lee
one thing im confused abt - i thought adjudication was only when theres a problem? why would they put u in adjudication if they ended up approving u without asking for more info? esd makes no sense sometimes lol
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Ava Hernandez
•Common misconception. Adjudication doesn't always mean there's a problem that requires claimant action. It can simply mean ESD needs to verify information internally or is waiting on employer responses. Many claims go through adjudication and get approved without the claimant ever needing to provide additional documentation.
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Liam Brown
The real frustration is that they expect US to meet all their deadlines for weekly claims and job search activities, but THEY can take as long as they want with no communication or accountability. It's a completely one-sided system.
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Sophia Miller
•EXACTLY THIS!!! Miss one day on your weekly claim and they can deny everything, but they can sit on our claims for months while we can't pay rent. The double standard is infuriating.
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