ESD holiday payment schedule - will Christmas delay our unemployment deposits?

ESD usually processes payments a day early for federal holidays. Last year they paid out on the Monday before Christmas instead of the usual Wednesday. As long as you file your weekly claim on Sunday as normal, you should get paid on the 23rd. They don't always announce these schedule changes clearly on the website, but that's been their standard practice for holiday weeks.

my sister got her payment early last thanksgiving so probably the same for xmas. they know people need $ for holidays

I remember waiting for my payment last christmas and it NEVER SHOWED UP until dec 27th!!! esd is TERRIBLE with holiday schedules. dont count on that money for presents just saying...

I called ESD about this exact question last week. The representative confirmed that for Christmas 2025, they're processing payments on Monday, December 23rd for anyone who files their weekly claim by Sunday night at 11:59pm. If you file late (on Monday), you might not get paid until Thursday the 26th. Make sure you don't have any issues with your claim that could trigger adjudication, as that would delay payment regardless of the holiday schedule. I'd recommend filing your weekly claim as soon as the system allows on Sunday morning to ensure the smoothest processing. Also, if you're really depending on this money for Christmas, it might help to try reaching ESD directly to confirm your specific claim is on track.

Regarding debit cards vs. direct deposit: both payment methods should follow the same schedule according to ESD's policies. The confusion might happen because sometimes the bank processing on the receiving end can add delays. With direct deposit, once ESD sends it, your bank might make it available immediately or might hold it for 24 hours. With the debit card, it's usually available as soon as US Bank processes it, which is typically same-day or next morning at the latest. Either way, ESD is supposed to release all payments on Monday the 23rd for Christmas week. The variation people experience is usually on the receiving institution's end, not ESD's.

Has anyone tried using Claimyr to reach an ESD agent? I had a similar question about holiday payments last year and couldn't get through on the regular line. Used claimyr.com and got connected to an ESD rep in about 15 minutes who confirmed my payment would process early. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 that shows how it works. Definitely worth it when you need answers right away about time-sensitive payment issues like holiday schedules.

One important thing to note: if you have ANY issues with your weekly claim, even minor ones, the system might flag it for review, which would override the early holiday processing. Make sure you don't have any job search activities that might look questionable, and double-check that your reported hours/earnings are accurate. Even a small discrepancy can trigger a hold. Also, sometimes ESD experiences system glitches during high-volume periods like holidays. In 2024, their system crashed briefly on the Sunday before a holiday, causing many claims to process a day later than expected. Have a backup plan just in case, even though the official schedule should have payments out on the 23rd.

wait are we supposed to do job searches on christmas week too??? i thought holidays meant we didnt have to do those??

Just for future reference (and for anyone else reading this thread later), ESD actually posts their holiday payment schedules on their website usually about 2-3 weeks before each major holiday. You can find it under "Announcements" on the main dashboard after you log in. It's not always prominent, but it's there if you look for it. I just checked my account and they haven't posted the Christmas 2025 schedule yet, but based on past years, Monday the 23rd is almost certainly when payments will process. I've been through four holiday seasons on unemployment (unfortunately) and they've been very consistent with this pattern.