ESD denied my UI claim citing retirement benefits I'm NOT receiving - appeal deadline in a week!

You definitely need to file that appeal before the deadline! I went through something similar last year. In your appeal letter, you need to clearly state that you are NOT receiving any retirement benefits from your former employer. Get a written statement from your former employer's HR department confirming you aren't receiving retirement benefits - this is crucial evidence. Also include copies of your recent bank statements showing no retirement deposits. Make sure to use the official appeal form from the ESD website and include your claim ID number on everything you submit. Send it certified mail so you have proof of when it was received.

omg the same exact thing happened to me!!! they said i was getting pension money from boeing but im not getting anything!! took me 3 months to get it fixed and they didnt even backpay me for all the weeks i missed. esd is the worst

Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to an ESD agent? I was in the same boat and couldn't reach anyone for weeks. Found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual ESD agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 I was able to explain my situation directly to an agent, who put notes on my account that I wasn't actually receiving the retirement benefits they thought I was. Still had to follow up with documentation, but at least I got to speak to someone before my appeal deadline.

This is a very common issue with ESD. Their system sometimes incorrectly flags potential retirement/pension benefits based on your age and work history. Here's what you need to do: 1. Absolutely file that appeal before the deadline (must be postmarked by that date) 2. Be very specific in your appeal - don't just say "I don't receive benefits" but clearly state "I have never received retirement distributions from Northgate Manufacturing" 3. Contact your former employer's HR and request a formal letter stating you are not receiving pension/retirement benefits 4. If you have a 401k or similar account, get a statement showing it's not in distribution status 5. Continue filing your weekly claims during the appeal process! The appeal process can take 8-12 weeks currently, so be prepared for a wait. Make sure all your contact information is up to date in your ESD account.

Yes, submit your appeal with whatever documentation you have before the deadline. You can submit additional evidence later - just make sure to reference your appeal number. The most important thing is getting the appeal filed on time.

i think its a SCAM by the state to deny peopel benefits!!! they did this to my brother to claiming he got retirement from a job he worked at for like 2 years in his 20s!!! TWENTY!!! make no sense. they just hopin people dont appeal and give up. DONT GIVE UP!!!

One thing to check - on your initial application, there's a question about "Do you have a pension or retirement account with a previous employer?" If you answered YES to that (which is correct if you have a 401k), but didn't clearly indicate you're not receiving distributions yet, the system might have assumed you're getting payments. That might explain the mixup.

@casual_commenter - Yes, Claimyr is legit. I was skeptical too, but got desperate after trying for 3 weeks to reach ESD on my own. They don't handle any of your personal info - they just connect you to the ESD phone system bypassing the busy signals. Still had to wait in the queue once connected, but at least I got in line instead of being blocked at the door.

Just wanted to add - make sure to include your Social Security Number, claim ID, and full contact information on EVERY page of your appeal documents. I've seen appeals delayed because papers got separated and they couldn't match them to the right claim.

and keep screenshots of EVERYTHING!! all ur weekly claims, all emails, all messages in the esd portal. they lost my stuff twice and i had to resend it all!!

I just want to thank everyone for the helpful advice. I've started working on my appeal letter and contacted both HR and my 401k administrator for documentation. I'll definitely be submitting before the deadline and will keep filing my weekly claims. I might try that Claimyr service too - at this point I'm desperate enough to try anything to actually speak to a human at ESD before my appeal. Will update once I know more!