ESD wrongly disqualified me while on approved standby - office closure confusion

This happened to me last month! The system sometimes flags standby claims incorrectly when there's a break in your usual filing pattern. You need to call ESD directly and explain you have approved standby status - they can reverse the disqualification pretty quickly once they verify your standby status is still active. The problem is getting through to them... I spent 3 days hitting redial.

When did you receive your standby approval letter? And what is the exact wording of the disqualification notice? There are a few different reasons this might have happened: 1. The system might not have your standby status properly coded 2. Your standby period might have an issue with the dates given your office closure 3. Sometimes ESD requires you to still report work search activities even on standby (you just enter "ON STANDBY" as your work search) You'll need to file an appeal immediately (within 30 days of the disqualification notice) while you also try to get through to ESD by phone. Take screenshots of your standby approval letter for the appeal.

This is SOOOOO typical of ESD's broken system. I've been dealing with them for years and they always find some way to mess up claims that should be straightforward. Their computer system probably glitched when your employer reported the facility closure and somehow that triggered a flag on your account. But of course instead of CHECKING if you're on standby, they just automatically disqualify you. And then expect you to spend days trying to reach them by phone to fix THEIR mistake. It's absolutely ridiculous how they treat people.

i think you just need to check the right box when filing. i'm on standby too at my construction job and i have to check YES for looking for work but then write STANDBY in the box where it asks what jobs i applied for. maybe you clicked no for job search? that would trigger automatic disqual

I had the exact same issue last month when my manufacturing plant closed for retrofitting. The ESD phone lines are completely jammed and I couldn't get through after trying for days. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an ESD agent in about 20 minutes. The agent confirmed my standby status was still valid and removed the disqualification on the spot. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 - definitely worth it to avoid waiting weeks for an appeal hearing.

Just to clarify something important about standby status - the official ESD guidance says that when you're on approved standby, you should answer "No" to the job search question BUT you must enter a note in your weekly claim stating you're on standby. It sounds like you've been answering "No" but not adding the standby note, which might be why the system suddenly flagged you. The system might have overlooked this previously, but something about the full-week closure might have triggered additional scrutiny of your claim.

my brother had this problem with his claim when the restaurant he works at closed for renovations last month. he had to file an appeal but while waiting for the hearing he called esd and they fixed it over the phone once they saw he was on valid standby. took him forever to get through tho

To address your concern about backdating: Yes, when ESD corrects a standby-related disqualification, they will typically backdate the fix and release any held payments once they confirm your standby status was valid. Be sure to continue filing your weekly claims during this process, even though they'll show as "disqualified" until the issue is resolved. This ensures you'll receive all payments once the standby status is verified. For your weekly claims going forward, remember to: 1. Answer "No" to job search question 2. In the notes/comments section, type "ON APPROVED STANDBY UNTIL 9/15/2025" 3. If asked for work search activities, enter "STANDBY" for each required slot This properly documents your standby status each week and helps prevent future flags.