Got through to Governor's Office after ESD kept disqualifying my legitimate claim - what worked!

Just wanted to share my experience after being laid off from my tech job in January 2025. My ESD claims have been marked as 'Disqualified' for over a month with a mysterious adjudication status that never updates. After submitting FOUR weekly claims and getting nowhere, I hit my breaking point this morning. Tried calling ESD over 15 times today using different tactics - first tried the regular English queue, then the Spanish queue (I know enough to navigate), and even tried calling right when they opened. EVERY time I got the automated message saying 'call volume too high' before getting disconnected. Not even the option to wait on hold! Finally remembered seeing someone post about contacting the Governor's Office. Called their main number, extension 110, and spoke with someone named Marcus who was actually HELPFUL. Provided my claim ID, and he immediately sent an 'escalation report' to ESD. He said I should see movement on my account within 2-3 business days. Marcus mentioned they've been swamped with cases since the massive layoffs in the biotech and aerospace industries started in December. Apparently ESD's systems weren't prepared for the volume. The most frustrating part? Thinking about how they managed to pay out MILLIONS in fraudulent claims during COVID, but those of us with legitimate claims can barely get through! Anyone else had luck with the Governor's Office route or found another way to break through?

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24 comments

Jungleboo Soletrain

•9M

Good to know the Governor's Office escalation still works. I had to use this trick last year when my adjudication dragged on for 9 weeks without explanation. One thing to keep in mind - make sure you continue filing your weekly claims even while you're disqualified or in adjudication. If they eventually approve your claim, they'll only pay for weeks you properly submitted claims for, regardless of the delay on their end. The system is incredibly frustrating but at least you've got someone looking at your case now.

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Lukas Fitzgerald

•9M

If you need to get through to an actual ESD agent without the runaround, I'd highly recommend trying Claimyr. I was at my wit's end after trying for WEEKS to reach someone about my disqualification. My coworker recommended it, and I was skeptical at first, but it actually worked - got me connected to an ESD rep in about 20 minutes when I couldn't even get on hold before. You can check out how it works here: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 and their website is claimyr.com. Definitely worth it when you're desperate to get answers about your claim status.

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Collins Angel

•9M

It's likely not random. The adjudication process is triggered by specific flags in the system. Things like having multiple employers in the base year, working for a temp agency, having a period of self-employment, or even just your former employer disputing the claim can send it to adjudication. The current delays are definitely worse than usual though - ESD is supposed to complete adjudication within 21 days according to federal guidelines, but they've been falling far short of that target since the mass layoffs started hitting multiple sectors simultaneously.

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Nadia Zaldivar

•9M

One thing that's important to understand about the "Disqualified" status - there are multiple reasons this can happen, and not all of them are explained clearly to claimants. The most common reasons are: 1. Failure to meet the job search requirements (3 documented activities per week) 2. Employer disputing your separation reason 3. Availability issues (indicating you weren't available for work) 4. Earnings reporting issues 5. Identity verification problems If you log into your eServices account and go to your claim details, there should be a "Decisions" tab or section that might provide more specific information about why you were disqualified. Sometimes the letters explaining the disqualification reason get lost in the mail or the online notices are easy to miss. The adjudication process is meant to resolve these issues, but as you've experienced, it's taking much longer than the standard 21 days right now. Keep filing your weekly claims and documenting your job search activities while you wait for resolution.

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Ev Luca

•9M

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST US!!! This has been going on for YEARS not just since the recent layoffs. ESD's entire process is designed to deny as many claims as possible to save money. They make it impossible to reach anyone, intentionally create confusing requirements, and then use any tiny mistake as an excuse to disqualify you. I've been fighting with them for THREE MONTHS over a simple adjudication that should have taken days to resolve. Their own appeals judge even ruled in my favor but I'm STILL waiting for my backpay! And yes, they paid out millions in fraudulent claims during COVID because they were INCOMPETENT, not because they were being generous. They're trying to make up for that now by denying legitimate claims. It's all about the money. The Governor's office trick sometimes works, but it's ridiculous we have to go to such lengths. This is a FAILED SYSTEM!!!

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Jungleboo Soletrain

•9M

While I understand your frustration, I don't think ESD is intentionally trying to deny claims. The system is definitely overwhelmed and outdated, but there are real people working there trying their best to process claims correctly. The massive fraud during COVID happened because they were trying to get payments out quickly during an unprecedented crisis. You're right that it shouldn't be this hard to get through to them though. If you've already had a favorable decision from an appeals judge, you might want to contact your state representative as well - they can sometimes help with particularly complicated cases that have gone through multiple levels of appeal.

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Collins Angel

•9M

I used to work for ESD (left in 2024), and I can provide some insight into what's happening. The system is genuinely overwhelmed right now, not intentionally obstructive. The recent wave of tech and construction layoffs hit at exactly the same time several experienced adjudicators retired or left for other jobs. For context, a typical adjudicator can handle about 15-20 complex cases per week when fully trained. Training a new adjudicator takes 3-4 months before they're proficient. When you have thousands of new claims suddenly entering adjudication with a shortage of trained staff, backlogs happen. The phone system limitations are a technical constraint, not a strategy to avoid calls. The legacy phone system literally cannot queue more than a certain number of calls, which is why you get disconnected rather than placed on hold. It's a decades-old system that needs replacement. My advice: 1. The Governor's Office escalation does work - they have a dedicated liaison at ESD 2. Continue filing weekly claims even while disqualified 3. Double-check that your contact information is correct in the system 4. If you get any questionnaires or fact-finding interviews, respond immediately 5. Document everything in writing The system is flawed, but not malicious. The staff are genuinely trying to process claims as quickly as possible.

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Jungleboo Soletrain

•9M

This is actually a common issue. The system sometimes flags claims even when you answer correctly if there's any inconsistency with other information in your claim. For example, if you indicated certain work restrictions or limitations elsewhere in your application, it might trigger an availability review even if you answered 'Yes' to being available. Another possibility is that your employer provided information suggesting you might not be available (like if they indicated you turned down work or had scheduling restrictions). The adjudication process is supposed to sort this out, but as we've all seen, that's taking much longer than normal right now.

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