ESD taking 4-6 weeks for benefit decisions in 2025 - rep confirmed yesterday

Yep, same here. Filed my initial claim on March 2nd and still showing as 'pending adjudication' with zero updates. It's ridiculous they expect people to survive with no income for nearly 2 months while they figure things out! Did they give any indication when this new system will be fixed??

I waited exactly 5 weeks and 3 days for my decision last month. The frustrating part is that they don't tell you what's happening during that time - just 'pending' with no explanation. If you need to check on your claim status, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). It's a service that helps you get through to an actual ESD agent without the endless redial nightmare. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. It saved me hours of frustration when I needed to verify they had all my documents.

Here's what nobody tells you: if you have ANY issues with your claim - even minor ones - it automatically goes to adjudication, which adds those 4-6 weeks. And about 60% of claims have some kind of issue. The most common triggers are: 1. Your employer contests your reason for separation 2. You worked for multiple employers in your base year 3. You had any periods of self-employment 4. You answered 'yes' to being able but not available to work 5. Your reported earnings don't match employer reports If you're in adjudication, make sure you respond to ANY communications immediately. If they need additional info and don't get it, they'll make a decision without it, which usually means denial.

my wife waited 9 weeks!!! and then they denied her for some BS reason about not being available for work even tho she said yes to everything!! now we're appealing and thats another freakin wait time. this system is designed to make you give up

I've been working in HR for 15 years, and these processing timelines are definitely worse than usual. In previous years, ESD typically processed straightforward claims in 2-3 weeks. The 4-6 week timeline is likely due to their system upgrade that happened in January 2025, plus they're short-staffed in the adjudication department. One tip: if your claim is in adjudication for more than 6 weeks, you can request an escalation by sending a secure message through your eServices account. Use the subject line "Escalation Request - Adjudication Exceeding 6 Weeks" and include your claim ID number. This sometimes gets them to prioritize your claim.

Is anyone else getting really stressed about paying bills during this wait? I'm already behind on rent and my landlord is NOT understanding. Do they seriously expect people to just not have income for almost two months??? I don't understand how this is legal!!

Have any of you tried contacting your state representatives? My cousin was stuck in adjudication for 7 weeks, then emailed her state rep and magically got approved 3 days later. Worth a shot if you're desperate.

UPDATE on wait times: I just attended a WorkSource webinar yesterday where an ESD representative said they're now prioritizing claims that have been in adjudication for more than 5 weeks. They've also added 15 new adjudicators this month who are completing training. The rep said we should start seeing processing times improve by late May, possibly getting back to 3-4 week timeframes by June. Just wanted to share this bit of hope!