ESD disqualified me for 2022 claim before processing my new 2025 claim - is this normal?
I'm so confused right now. I just applied for unemployment last week after getting laid off from my warehouse job (downsizing). Yesterday I got a determination letter saying I'm disqualified because of an old claim from 2022! Here's the weird part - that 2022 claim was denied and I never even filed a weekly claim for it because I found a job right away. I didn't think it would matter anymore since it's been over 2 years. Does ESD really have to resolve old claims before they can process new ones, even when they're years apart? Has anyone dealt with this before? I really need these benefits to start soon - rent is due in two weeks and I've got nothing lined up yet.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
Yes, unfortunately ESD does this. They have to resolve ALL previous claims before processing new ones, even from years ago. I had something similar happen with a claim from 2021 that affected my 2024 claim. Call them ASAP and explain the situation - they should be able to fix it quickly since that old claim was already denied. It's just a procedural thing they have to clear.
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Andre Lefebvre
•Thanks for the info! Did you have to wait long for them to resolve it? I've been calling all morning but can't get through :
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Jamal Anderson
yea this is normal. they gotta clear all ur old stuff even if it was years ago. rlly annoying but thats how the system works. good luck getting thru on the phone tho lol
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Andre Lefebvre
•Thanks. I've tried calling 6 times today already with no luck. So frustrating!
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Mei Wong
The EXACT same thing happened to me!!! My old claim from 2023 that I never used somehow got dragged into my new claim this January. I spent WEEKS trying to get someone on the phone. When I finally did, the agent told me they had to "close out" the old claim properly before the new one could be processed. It's such a stupid system! They're messing with people's livelihoods with all this bureaucratic nonsense!
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QuantumQuasar
•This is actually standard procedure. ESD requires all prior claims to be properly adjudicated before a new benefit year can begin, regardless of how old they are. The system is designed to prevent overlapping benefit years and ensure proper wage calculations. While frustrating, there is a technical reason behind it.
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Liam McGuire
I had this happen in 2023 with an older claim. You need to specifically ask them to "administratively close" the old claim so they can process the new one. It's just paperwork but they won't do it automatically.
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Andre Lefebvre
•That's really helpful advice - thank you! Now if I could just reach an actual human being to ask them to do this...
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Amara Eze
I struggled to get through to ESD for weeks about a similar issue. Finally used a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an ESD agent in about 20 minutes. Cost money, but it saved me from waiting potentially weeks to get this resolved. You can see how it works at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Was worth it for me since I needed to get my benefits started ASAP for rent.
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Andre Lefebvre
•Thank you! I hadn't heard of this service before. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get this resolved quickly.
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Giovanni Greco
hey just wondering did you end up getting this fixed? im having the exact same issue right now with a 2022 claim affecting my new claim. so stressed out about it
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Andre Lefebvre
•Yes! I finally got through on the phone yesterday after trying for days. The agent put in a request to administratively close the old claim and said my new claim should process within 72 hours. She said it's a common issue.
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QuantumQuasar
This is a standard part of ESD's claim processing. When you file a new claim, their system automatically checks for any unresolved prior claims. Even if a claim was denied, if it wasn't properly closed in their system (which happens often if you never filed weeklies), it can trigger this issue. To resolve this: 1. Contact ESD and request an "administrative closure" of the 2022 claim 2. Ask them to expedite your new claim processing once that's done 3. Continue filing your weekly claims while this is being resolved Important: Keep documentation of all contact attempts with ESD, as you may need this if there are delays in processing your claim.
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Andre Lefebvre
•Thank you for the detailed explanation! I'll make sure to use these exact terms when I talk to them. I've been filing my weekly claims even though the system shows my claim is disqualified - sounds like that was the right move.
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Mei Wong
Has anyone else noticed that ESD seems WAAAY understaffed this year compared to previous years? I swear it's taking twice as long to get ANYTHING resolved in 2025 than it did even last year. Are they cutting staff or what?
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Fatima Al-Farsi
•i heard they lost funding after the pandemic stuff ended, so yeah less ppl working there now
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Liam McGuire
Did you check your eServices message center? Sometimes they send instructions there about what you need to do for the old claim. Might save you a phone call.
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Andre Lefebvre
•I did check and there was nothing helpful unfortunately. Just the determination letter saying I was disqualified due to the old claim.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
Just to give you some hope - I finally got my claim processed after dealing with a similar issue. From disqualification letter to benefits being paid took about 10 days once I was able to speak with someone. Hang in there!
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Andre Lefebvre
•That's reassuring to hear! I managed to get through today finally and they're processing the administrative closure of my old claim. The agent said I should see movement on my new claim within 3-5 business days. Fingers crossed!
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