ESD waiting period confusion - approved claim but no payment after 2 weeks
Got laid off on Friday, Nov 15 and submitted my UI claim on Sunday the 17th. My claim shows as 'approved' in eServices, and I've completed my weekly certifications on the 24th and Dec 1st as required, but I haven't received a single payment yet. Is this normal? I thought the first payment would come after the waiting week, but it's been over two weeks now. My bank account info is correctly entered in the system. Do I need to contact ESD about this delay, or am I missing something about how the payment timeline works? Getting worried since rent is due tomorrow.
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Alice Pierce
there's always a waiting week where you don't get paid, so the first week after you apply (prob nov 17-23) you won't get $$ for. then it usually takes like 3-5 business days for the payment to hit ur account after you file your weekly claim. so for your nov 24-30 week, you might not see payment until like wednesday or thursday this week
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Amy Fleming
•Thanks for explaining! So even though I filed on the 17th, that whole week (17-23) is considered my waiting week? And I should expect payment for the Nov 24-30 certification sometime this week? That makes sense, but I'm still a bit anxious since nothing's pending in my account yet.
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Esteban Tate
There are a few things to understand about the ESD payment timeline: 1. The waiting week is the first week you're eligible for benefits, but you don't receive payment for it. This would be Nov 17-23 in your case. 2. For your Nov 24-30 week, which should be your first payable week, the processing time is typically 2-3 business days after certification, but can take up to 5 business days. 3. Since you filed on Dec 1st (Sunday), and yesterday was a Monday, today would only be business day 2, so your payment might not process until tomorrow or Thursday. 4. If your claim required any additional verification or has an adjudication issue, this could further delay payment. I would recommend checking your claim status in eServices to see if there are any alerts or issues that need addressing. If nothing shows up there and you don't receive payment by Friday, then it would be appropriate to contact ESD.
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Amy Fleming
•Thank you for the detailed breakdown! I just checked eServices again and there are no alerts or issues showing. My claim status just says "Active" with no pending issues. I'll give it until Friday before I start worrying too much.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
I just went through this exact situation!!! The waiting week is super confusing. When I called ESD (took FOREVER to get through), they explained that even though my claim was approved, they were doing some kind of automatic review that delayed my first payment by nearly 3 weeks. It's incredibly frustrating they don't tell you this upfront! Check if your Payment status says "Processing" or "Paid" - that makes a difference too.
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Elin Robinson
•I had something similar happen to me recently. Even after my waiting week, my first actual payment took ages to come through. ESD is seriously understaffed right now from what I've heard - their call center can only handle like 1/3 of the calls they receive daily. It's a nightmare trying to get through to ask questions about these delays.
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Atticus Domingo
ppl freaking out after only 2 weeks lol ESD took FOUR MONTHS to pay me during covid!! consider yourself lucky!!!
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Beth Ford
•While it's true that ESD experienced extreme delays during COVID, that's not particularly helpful to someone concerned about current payment timelines in 2025. The system is functioning much more efficiently now, but standard processes still apply. The waiting week plus 2-5 business days for processing is the current normal expectation.
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Esteban Tate
One additional thing to check - did you select direct deposit or the debit card option for payment? If you selected the ReliaCard debit card, it takes additional time for the card to be mailed to you, usually 7-10 business days after your first payment is processed. The payment will still process on ESD's end, but you won't have access to the funds until you receive and activate the card.
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Amy Fleming
•I selected direct deposit and double-checked that my bank info is correct in the system. Just checked again this morning and my payment for Nov 24-30 now shows as "Processing" with an amount listed! Looks like it's finally moving forward. Thanks everyone for the help and explanations!
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Alice Pierce
awesome! glad its working out. yeah the first payment is always the most stressful cuz you dont know what to expect and ESD doesnt exactly make it clear how long things take lol
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