ESD denied my claim citing school attendance from 2017 - but I'm not even in school now!
I'm completely baffled by what's happening with my unemployment claim. I just got laid off last month and applied for benefits, but ESD denied me saying I was attending school. Here's the crazy part - I did go to school back in 2017 and got denied for benefits then (which I understood), but I haven't been in any educational program for years! I'm 100% available for work now. The determination letter specifically references my 2017 school enrollment as the reason for denial in 2025! It's like they're using outdated information in their system. I've tried calling the claims center literally 37 times over the past week but either get disconnected or told the queue is full. Has anyone dealt with this kind of weird clerical error? Do I need to file an appeal or is there a faster way to get this fixed? Bills are piling up and I'm starting to panic.
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Ryder Ross
OMG same thing happened to me!!! I was in a nursing program in 2019, got denied benefits then, but when I applied in January 2025 after getting laid off from construction work, they denied me for the SAME reason. It's like they never updated my file or something? So frustrating. I ended up having to file an appeal and it took almost 5 weeks to get it straightened out. 😡
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Kyle Wallace
•5 weeks?? I can't wait that long... did you try anything else before the appeal that might have worked faster?
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Gianni Serpent
This is a known issue with ESD's system. They sometimes fail to clear old eligibility flags from previous claims. You definitely need to file an appeal within 30 days of the determination letter, but also try to get through to an ESD agent who can potentially fix this more quickly. In your appeal, include: 1. Your current employment status 2. Documentation showing you are not currently enrolled in school 3. Dates of when you were last in school 4. Statement that you're available for full-time work The good news is these types of appeals are usually successful since it's clearly an error.
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Kyle Wallace
•Thank you so much for this detailed advice! I'll start putting together those documents today. Do you think I should also include a letter from my former employer confirming the layoff?
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Henry Delgado
yeah dont bother with the appeal just call them directly and theyll fix it. took me like 5 mins when they did this to me. the systems are all messed up beacuse they never updated after covid
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Olivia Kay
•That's terrible advice. ALWAYS file the appeal within the deadline even if you're trying other solutions. If you miss the appeal window and can't get through by phone, you lose your right to contest the decision. Don't risk it.
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Joshua Hellan
I had this exact problem in November! The ESD system apparently doesn't purge old data properly and the school attendance flag stays active in their system. I tried calling for two weeks with no luck, but then I used Claimyr.com and got through to an agent in about 20 minutes. The agent was able to see it was clearly an error and removed the school attendance flag from my account while I was on the phone. My claim was approved 3 days later. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Still filed my appeal just to be safe though!
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Kyle Wallace
•I've never heard of this service before. Did you still have to wait on hold or did it actually get you through to someone right away?
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Jibriel Kohn
The ESD computer sytem is GARBAGE!!! been dealing with thesse idiots for years and they nevr fix anything!!! my cousin works for the state (not esd) and says their using computer systems from the 1990s that dont talk to eachother right. YOU HAVE TO APPEAL. dont trust that theyll fix it by phone even if u get thru. everything has to be in writing or they pretned it never happened!!!!!
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Edison Estevez
•While I understand your frustration, I work with government IT systems and want to clarify that ESD actually updated their claim management system in 2023. The issue here isn't outdated technology but rather data persistence policies that maintain historical flags. They're designed this way to prevent fraud, but it does sometimes cause these kinds of false denials.
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Joshua Hellan
To respond to the question about including employer documentation - yes, definitely include your layoff notice or separation letter from your employer. When I went through this, the more documentation I had, the faster they resolved it. Also make sure you're still filing your weekly claims even while your case is in appeal/under review!
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Kyle Wallace
•That's really helpful, thank you! I do have my separation letter. And I wasn't sure about the weekly claims - I'll make sure to keep filing them.
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Emily Nguyen-Smith
this happened 2 me 2! if u filed in 2017 and checked the box for student then, they keep that info forever i guess. i had to go to the worksource center in person with my id and they helped me fill out some form that fixed it faster than appeal. try that maybe?
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Ryder Ross
•Which WorkSource center did you go to? I didn't know they could help with this kind of issue. The one near me always just refers me back to the phone system. 🤔
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Joshua Hellan
@OP - One more thing to try: In the eServices portal, go to your profile settings and check if there's still an active flag for "In Training" or "Student Status". Sometimes you can see these flags in your profile and request a profile update directly through the portal. Not always visible, but worth checking.
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Kyle Wallace
•Just checked and you're right! There's still a flag there from 2017 saying I was in an approved training program. I've submitted a profile update request. Fingers crossed this helps! Still going to file that appeal though just to be safe.
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Olivia Kay
To the person who suggested Claimyr - did that actually work? I'm in a similar situation (different issue, but also can't get through) and I'm desperate to talk to an actual human at ESD.
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Joshua Hellan
•Yes, it did work for me. I was skeptical too, but I was able to get through to an agent within about 20 minutes. You still have to wait in the queue after they connect you, but at least you're actually IN the queue instead of getting the "call volume too high" message. The agent was able to fix my issue during that call.
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