ESD payment method delay - will backpay come as checks or direct deposit?

congrats on FINALLY getting approved! when i got my claim approved last year they sent paper checks for the first 2 payments then switched to direct deposit for everything else. the checks came pretty fast tho like 3-4 days

From what I understand, ESD will send the first payment(s) as paper checks since your direct deposit wasn't set up when they processed your claim approval. Any payments they process after your direct deposit information has been fully verified (which does take about 10-14 days typically) will go to your bank account. The good news is that they won't hold all your backpay waiting for direct deposit to be set up - they'll start sending checks right away for the approved amounts. One tip: make sure your mailing address is correct in the system! I've seen several cases where checks were sent to old addresses because people forgot to update that information.

When I went through this last march, I got A BUNCH of checks all on the same day for my backpay!! like literally 8 separate envelopes, one for each week they owed me. it was pretty funny actually, my mailman was confused. But yeah they'll send checks for anything they process before your direct deposit gets fully setup in their system.

I had the EXACT same situation in February!!! Medical leave claim too. They sent me checks for all my backpay (about $4000) and then once my direct deposit was set up all new payments went there. But the most annoying part was that the checks were spread out over like 2 weeks so I kept thinking they were done and then another one would show up!

If you need to talk to ESD about this ASAP, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation with backpay questions and couldn't get through on the phone for days. Claimyr got me connected to an ESD agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The agent I spoke with was able to tell me exactly how my payments would be handled and even expedited setting up my direct deposit. Worth it to get a definitive answer instead of guessing.

Just so you know, ESD's processing time for payment methods isn't always a full 2 weeks. Mine was active in 4 business days last month. The 2 weeks is just their maximum estimate to cover themselves. However, I do think any payments they process before your direct deposit is active will come as paper checks regardless. One thing to watch for: ESD sometimes holds payment processing when they're switching payment methods in their system. It's possible your backpay might be slightly delayed (by a day or two) while they set everything up. This happened to a colleague of mine in March - there was a brief payment pause while they switched her from checks to direct deposit.

Here's the actual ESD policy: Payment preferences take 7-14 days to process, and any payments issued during that processing period will be sent as paper checks. They won't hold your payments - they'll send checks until direct deposit is active. Important: For paid family medical leave claims specifically, ESD batches retroactive payments differently than regular UI. They typically process PFML backpay as 2-3 larger payments rather than individual weekly amounts. So you'll likely get 2-3 checks rather than one for each week you're owed. Also, make sure you're tracking which weeks the checks cover when they arrive. Sometimes the payment stubs aren't completely clear, and you'll want to verify you received everything you're entitled to.

the esd payment system is such a MESS. i got approved for benefits in march and had direct deposit set up right away but they STILL sent me paper checks for the first 3 weeks!!! when i called they said it was a "system glitch" but wouldn't fix it. eventually the direct deposit started working but i never got a clear explanation why. their whole system needs an overhaul.

Just to follow up on what others have mentioned - for PFML claims like yours, make sure you keep all documentation related to your payments. If you're receiving a substantial amount of backpay ($5,300), it's a good idea to create a spreadsheet tracking: 1. Each check/payment received 2. The date range each payment covers 3. The gross amount before deductions 4. Any taxes or other withholdings This will help you verify you received the correct amount and will also be useful for tax purposes next year. PFML benefits are taxable income, and sometimes the tax withholding isn't applied consistently across all payments, especially with backpay situations.