ESD disqualified me after job ended - missed December letter while not logging in - appeal with OAH?

Same thing happened to me last year. You definitely need to appeal with OAH and explain that you didn't see the letter because you weren't logging in after finding work. I had to wait about 5 weeks for my appeal hearing, but at least they backdated my payments once I won. Make sure you gather any documentation about your job ending (termination letter, emails, etc). Good luck!

This happens all the time. You need to file an appeal within 30 days of the disqualification notice. The OAH process typically takes 4-6 weeks for ESD cases right now. Make sure to keep filing your weekly claims during the appeal process - this is CRITICAL! If you win your appeal, you won't get paid for weeks you didn't claim. Also, you should try calling ESD directly - sometimes they can resolve these issues faster than the appeal process if it was just a matter of missing information. The problem is getting through...

ugh esd is THE WORST!! i went thru this exact thing in january and spent literal DAYS trying to get someone on the phone. kept hanging up on me after waiting for hours!!!

I used Claimyr to get through to ESD when I had a similar issue. It's a service that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. In my case, the agent was able to see I had legitimate reasons for missing the letter and fixed my claim status without needing a formal appeal. Worth a try before going through the whole OAH process.

@worried_claimant It's completely legitimate. They don't call on your behalf - they just hold your place in the phone queue and call you when it's about to connect with an ESD agent. Then you talk directly to ESD yourself. No personal info needed beyond your phone number for the callback. I was skeptical too but it worked great.

When i had to appeal last year, i made sure to write down EVERYTHING. dates, times, who i talked to, what was said. The judge asked me for specific details during my hearing. Also make sure you have proof that your job ended - like your final paystub or termination notice. And they'll want to know exactly why the job ended.

wait did u actually get the disqualification LETTER yet or are u just seeing disqualified status online?? cuz sometimes their system shows weird statuses that don't mean what u think. u might not actually be disqualified!

That's a great point. Definitely wait for the official disqualification letter before filing an appeal - it will explain the exact reason for disqualification, which you need to address in your appeal. The letter will also have your appeal rights and deadline information. But absolutely keep trying to reach ESD in the meantime, and don't stop filing your weekly claims regardless of the status you see.

My sister works for WorkSource and she says like 50% of disqualifications are just from stupid paperwork issues and missed communications!! Its not hopeless!! Just keeeeeep calling!!!! But yeah def file that appeal before the deadline just in case!!!!

I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above when I was in appeal limbo. Got through to ESD in about 1.5 hours instead of days of redialing. The agent I spoke with actually helped me understand exactly what documentation I needed for my appeal. Totally worth it.

UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD this morning! The agent explained that I was disqualified because they needed verification of my work separation. Since I didn't respond to the February letter (which I never saw), they automatically disqualified me. She said I can either appeal OR submit the separation verification now through my eServices account. I'm going to try uploading my documentation today and see if that resolves it without needing a formal appeal. Will update again when I know more. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!