ESD payment stuck on 'pending' for 5 weeks - can't reach anyone by phone

Unfortunately this is super common with ESD right now. I was stuck in 'pending' for almost 7 weeks before my claim finally processed. The system is completely overwhelmed and they're running with reduced staff. Your best bet is to keep trying to call early in the morning right when they open (around 8am). That's how I finally got through.

same here!!! pending for 4 weeks now and cant get anyone on the phone. sent like 5 messages through eservices and NOTHING!!! this is ridiculous how do they expect ppl to pay bills???

I was in the same boat last month! After weeks of calling with no luck, I finally used Claimyr to get through to an ESD agent. It's a service that basically keeps dialing for you until it gets through the queue, then connects you with an agent. Definitely worth it in my situation because I found out my claim was stuck due to an identity verification issue that I was able to resolve in that single call. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Saved me weeks of more waiting.

ESD is a JOKE!!! they expect us to follow all their rules perfectly but they can just leave us hanging for months?? i've been pending for 9 weeks now. contacted my state rep last week to try and get help. still waiting.

Have you checked if there's an "alert" or "action needed" notification somewhere in your eServices account? Sometimes they need additional documentation but the notification gets buried in the system. In my case, I had to upload additional proof of employment but the alert was hidden in a tab I rarely checked. Worth looking through every section of your account just to make sure.

did u check ur spam folder? sometimes they send emails that end up there

To answer your question - yes, Claimyr is legitimate. It's not affiliated with ESD, but it works by essentially automating the phone dialing process to get through the queue. I was skeptical too, but after 6 weeks of not being able to reach anyone, I was desperate. It connected me to a real ESD agent who was able to see that my identity verification documents needed review. Once we handled that on the call, my payments started processing within 48 hours.

One other thing to try while you're waiting to get through on the phone - check if there's a WorkSource office near you. Sometimes they can help troubleshoot basic ESD issues or at least give you information about what might be causing the delay. They won't be able to fix complex issues, but they might be able to see notes on your account that aren't visible to you.

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at ESD this morning! Turns out there was an issue with my identity verification that needed to be resolved. They never notified me about it! The agent was able to clear it up right on the call, and she said my payments should start processing within 3-5 business days. What a relief! For anyone else stuck in pending status - keep trying to reach them. There's almost always something specific holding up your claim that can only be resolved by talking to a rep.