ESD weekly claim processing time: Online vs. Phone - which is faster for payment?

The processing times are RIDICULOUS right now!! I've been doing weekly claims for 2 months and its been all over the place. Some weeks I get paid in 2 days, other weeks it takes 5!!! ESD keeps saying its "normal processing time" but how are we supposed to budget when we dont know if money comes tuesday or friday???

I've been claiming UI benefits since January and have tested both methods. In my experience, the processing time is basically identical whether you file online or by phone. The system batches all claims together regardless of filing method. The real difference is that online claims have a digital timestamp while phone claims sometimes have a 1-day processing delay before entering the system. What day are you filing your weekly claim? Filing on Sunday night vs Monday morning can sometimes make a difference. ESD typically processes claims in batches starting Monday afternoon, so earlier submissions can sometimes process faster.

I've discovered that the delay isn't usually about how you file (phone vs online), but more about potential flags in your claim that trigger manual review. Things that can cause delays: 1. Reporting work hours 2. Answering "no" to actively seeking work 3. Reporting potential earnings 4. Any changes to your claim information Typically a clean claim with no flags should process within 48-72 hours regardless of filing method. The processing day varies based on banking institutions too - some banks post deposits faster than others.

phone is definetly faster!! i always do phone and get paid wednesdays. my friend does online and gets paid thursdays or fridays. the esd website is just slower than the phone system

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. Just to update, I called ESD this morning to ask about the delay, and they said it was because I reported those 4 hours of work which triggered an earnings review. Apparently that's automatic anytime there's a change in your reported work status. The agent said I should expect similar processing times whenever I report work hours.

I had the same problem getting through until a friend told me about Claimyr. It's a service that holds your place in the ESD phone queue and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me literally hours of waiting on hold. I was skeptical at first but they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out. Way better than redial purgatory!

i think theres a pattern with how they pay out. my weekly claim schedule goes like this: - file sunday night - shows processing monday - changes to paid late tuesday - money in account wednesday morning unless theres a holiday or i report work hours, then add 1-2 days. never tried phone tho so maybe its faster? idk

Just to clarify some misinformation in this thread - I spoke with an ESD supervisor last month about this exact issue. Here are the facts: 1. Filing method (online vs phone) does NOT affect processing speed 2. Claims filed Sun-Mon are processed in the same batch 3. ANY reported work hours trigger a manual review (which adds 1-2 days) 4. Bank processing times vary (credit unions are often faster than major banks) 5. Holiday weeks always add at least one day to processing If you consistently have delays even with clean claims (no work reported), call ESD and ask them to check if there's a flag on your account.