Filing new ESD claim after employment gap - will adjudication delays happen again?

Unfortunately, new claims almost always trigger some level of adjudication review - it's basically standard procedure with ESD when you have new employment since your last claim. The good news is that if you can provide all your employer details upfront (correct employer name, address, dates worked exactly, and separation reason), it can speed things up considerably. Make sure you have your final paystub handy when you file.

i had this EXACT same thing happen last yr!! the new claim took FOREVER and they kept asking for the same info over and over. took like 6 wks to get my 1st payment. total bs when u think how many ppl they deal with every day!!

I went through this in January and can share my experience. My first claim from 2022 had gone into adjudication for 3 weeks. When I filed my new claim this year after my benefit year ended, I actually didn't experience any significant delays! I think it depends on whether there are any "flags" on your account or inconsistencies in the information you provide. Here's what helped me: 1. I made sure all my employment dates and wages matched exactly what my employer would report 2. I uploaded my separation letter immediately after filing (it was a clear layoff situation) 3. I continued filing weekly claims during the transition period One thing to note - even if approved quickly, there's still a one-week waiting period on new claims that doesn't apply to continued claims. So budget for at least that week without payment regardless.

Have you tried calling ESD directly? Sometimes they can tell you what to expect based on your specific situation. Last time I checked they had special hours for claim questions on Wednesdays... or maybe it was Thursdays? Can't remember exactly.

You'll definitely need to file a new claim since you had employment during your benefit year. ESD has to verify your wages with that employer by law. If you've been claiming on your current claim with no issues, make sure you keep filing weekly until the transition happens. One important thing to know - if you received severance pay, you must report it when you file your new claim. Depending on how your severance was structured, it might affect your benefit amounts or eligibility for certain weeks. Not reporting it correctly is one of the main things that can trigger lengthy adjudication delays or even overpayment notices later. Also, with a new claim, ESD will recalculate your weekly benefit amount based on your most recent employment quarters. Depending on what you earned at that job from September to February, your weekly amount might be different from your current claim.

I feel your frustration with trying to reach ESD. When I needed to talk to an agent about my adjudication delay, I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to ESD in about 20 minutes instead of the hours of hold time I was experiencing before. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 I'd recommend getting your questions answered directly by ESD before filing so you know exactly what documentation to have ready. That way you can minimize delays on the new claim. Adjudication is definitely something to avoid if possible!

good luck! the whole system is designed to make ppl give up tbh

One more thing I forgot to mention - make sure all your job search activities are properly logged during the transition period. ESD sometimes pays extra attention to job search compliance when reviewing new claims. Still need those 3 activities per week!

To answer your question from earlier - my new claim took about 10 days from filing to first payment (including the waiting week). So while there was a gap, it wasn't nearly as bad as my first claim experience. I think having all documentation ready and making sure all information matched exactly what employers would report made the difference. And yes, if your new job paid more, your weekly benefit amount should increase accordingly since ESD uses your highest-earning quarters to calculate benefits. That's one silver lining!