Fed up with ESD's phone system - impossible to reach an agent for auto-disqualified claims

have u tried calling different ESD numbers? sometimes the regional offices r easier 2 get thru. i had luck once by calling right at 3:30pm instead of morning. worth a shot maybe??

I went through this exact nightmare scenario last month. The auto-disqualification issue is usually because the system detects your previous claim but doesn't properly reconcile it with your new one. This requires manual intervention by an agent. What worked for me was using Claimyr to get through to ESD. It's a service that basically connects you with an ESD agent by navigating their phone system. I was skeptical but it worked after weeks of failed attempts. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Once I got through, the agent fixed my issue in about 10 minutes. All those weeks of calling for nothing!

The auto-disqualification due to an existing claim is actually quite common in the ESD system. What's happening is that their database is flagging your new claim against previous benefit years. ESD agents can resolve this quite easily, but you're right - reaching them is the real challenge. If your claim is showing as 'approved' but individual weekly claims are getting disqualified, you need to specifically ask them to check for a "benefit year crossover" issue or "multiple claim conflict." Make sure to document exact dates of your approved claim and when the disqualifications started occurring. Three escalation options if you can't get through by phone: 1. Submit a request for callback through the Technical Support page (different from regular messaging) 2. Email your state representative with your claim ID and specific issue 3. Contact the Office of Administrative Hearings to possibly file an appeal of the disqualifications Don't wait too long - you only have limited time to appeal disqualifications!

OMG the ESD phone system is THE WORST!!!! I literally set 5 alarms on different devices to make sure I was calling at EXACTLY 8:00:00am and still couldn't get through for THREE WEEKS STRAIGHT!!! It's like they have 2 people answering phones for the entire state! I ended up having to drive 250 miles to an actual ESD office just to talk to someone. Such a broken system!!!

In response to the 'scam' comment - it's not a scam, it's just a service that connects you through the phone system. They don't access your account or anything. I was desperate after 6 weeks of trying, and it worked. Not trying to push anything, just sharing what finally worked after I'd basically given up.

Have you tried finding your local state representative and contacting their office? I couldn't get through to ESD for 5 weeks, was about to lose my apartment, then my rep's office made ONE call and suddenly ESD called me back the next day. They have special channels. Google "(your county) state representative" and most have forms specifically for unemployment assistance.

Just to add some clarity on the technical issue you're experiencing: When your weekly claims show as "disqualified" due to an existing claim, it's typically because the system has detected an overlap between benefit years. This happens when: 1. You had a previous claim that's still in the system 2. The new claim period overlaps with the previous benefit year 3. The automated system flags this as potentially duplicate benefits An ESD agent needs to manually review and override these flags. It's a simple fix on their end but does require human intervention. Be sure to specifically mention "benefit year conflict" or "claim overlap issue" when you do reach someone.

Try calling exactly at 4:25pm. That worked for me twice because most people don't realize they're open until 5pm and stop calling after lunch. The queue usually clears out a bit by then.

Any luck getting through? I'm curious if any of these suggestions worked for you.