First-time seasonal worker in adjudication - will ESD backpay and how long will it take?

Unfortunately, yes, adjudication can take anywhere from 3-9 weeks currently. It's frustrating but you MUST continue filing your weekly claims during this time. If approved, you will receive backpay for all eligible weeks you've claimed (minus the waiting week). The key is to keep filing accurately each week even when you're not seeing payments yet. Make sure you're completing your three job search activities each week and documenting them properly too.

omg same thing happened 2 me last year. got laid off from summer job and then stuck in adjudictaion for like FOREVER. it sucks but ya just gotta wait it out. keep doing ur weekly claims tho!

mine took like 6 weeks i think? and yeh i got all the money for those weeks at once. was a nice chunk when it finally came thru lol

Don't believe the "9 weeks" garbage. The system is DESIGNED to make people give up. They're hoping you'll just stop filing claims and go away so they don't have to pay you. I've been through 3 rounds of unemployment and they ALWAYS find some reason to put your claim in "adjudication" - it's their favorite stall tactic. Keep calling EVERY SINGLE DAY and eventually you'll get through to someone who might actually help. The ESD phone system is a JOKE though - they'll disconnect you after 2 hours of waiting just for fun!!!

I've tried calling ESD about my adjudication last month and never got through. Busy signals or disconnected every time. Finally found a service called Claimyr that actually got me connected to an ESD agent after I'd been trying for weeks. They have a video that shows how it works here: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Their website is claimyr.com. Was totally worth it to actually talk to someone who could check my claim status and tell me what was happening.

They just got me connected to an actual ESD agent - what the agent can do depends on your specific situation. In my case, they were able to see exactly why my claim was in adjudication (missing employer response) and give me a better timeline. They couldn't speed it up, but at least I knew what was happening instead of being in the dark.

Let me clarify a few things about adjudication that might help you understand what's happening: 1. Adjudication means there's a question about your eligibility that needs to be resolved. Common reasons include: employment separation issues, availability for work questions, or employer contestation. 2. For seasonal work, they often need to verify that your job ended due to lack of work and not performance issues. 3. Yes, you WILL receive backpay for all eligible weeks if your claim is approved, including the weeks during adjudication (minus your waiting week). 4. The 3-9 week timeframe is unfortunately accurate for 2025. The fastest way to resolve things is to be responsive to any questionnaires or fact-finding interviews ESD schedules. 5. Make absolutely sure you're completing your three job search activities each week and documenting them correctly. This won't speed up adjudication but ensures you'll be paid for all weeks once approved. Source: Worked with WorkSource helping unemployment claimants.

so what happens during adjudication anyway? is somebody actully lookin at your file or does it just sit in a pile somewhere? i been in adjudication for 5 weeks now and wondering if anybody is even working on it lol

@OP - They typically send alerts through eServices and sometimes follow up with emails to check your portal. Make sure your contact information is up to date. @SunshineGirl66 - Yes, claims specialists actually review files during adjudication, but they handle them in order and are usually managing hundreds of cases. They may be waiting for information from your former employer or other sources before they can make a determination on your claim.

I just checked my eServices and noticed there's actually a questionnaire that was added yesterday! Thanks for mentioning that - I wouldn't have thought to look. Filling it out right now and hoping that helps move things along. Still worried about the timeline but at least I know what to expect now. Thanks everyone for the advice!

Hang in there. I remember when I first applied for unemployment after losing my restaurant job it was SO confusing. Just remember to keep filing those weekly claims no matter what. My cousin forgot to file for two weeks during his adjudication period and he never got paid for those weeks even though his claim was eventually approved. The system is super strict about that weekly filing requirement.