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Alice Coleman

Governor's office escalation got my ESD claim moving after months of silence

Finally got some movement on my claim! After being stuck in 'adjudication pending' for almost 9 weeks with zero updates, I decided to call the Governor's office last Friday out of pure desperation. I've been calling ESD 20+ times daily since mid-January with either busy signals or getting disconnected after holding for 2+ hours. Today an actual ESD agent called ME back (shocked!) and said they're now 'escalating' my claim. She mentioned this should be a 'really quick process' from here. Has anyone else tried the Governor's office route? What does 'escalation' actually mean in ESD-speak? Should I expect days or weeks for resolution? My rent is due next week and I'm seriously stressing.

Owen Jenkins

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' Escalation typically means your claim is being moved to a specialist who can make decisions on complex issues. In my experience, that usually takes 3-7 business days, but with the current backlog it might be longer. The'Governor s office trick works because they have direct lines to leadership at ESD! I did something similar in January - called my state representative and had resolution within 4 days after being stuck for 11 weeks. Just make sure you keep filing your weekly claims during thistime.

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Alice Coleman

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Thanks for explaining! I'll definitely keep filing my weekly claims. Do you think I should follow up with the Governor's office again if I don't hear anything by next Wednesday? Or just wait it out?

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Lilah Brooks

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i did the same thing!!!1! but i emailed insted of calling. took them 2 weeks to get back to me but then everything went super fast after that. the lady said somethin about transfering to a 'tier 2 specialist' whatever that means lol

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How did you find the right email? I've been trying to find contact info for the governor's office that handles ESD issues but keep getting lost in generic contact forms.

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Kolton Murphy

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Been there, done that. "Escalation" is just ESD's way of saying they're finally looking at your claim instead of letting it sit in their broken system. When they told me my claim was "escalated" back in February, it still took ANOTHER THREE WEEKS before anything happened! And then they had the nerve to ask ME for paperwork they already had. The whole system is designed to make people give up. Governor's office contacts help but don't hold your breath on that "really quick process" promise.

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Evelyn Rivera

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While I understand your frustration, escalations genuinely do prioritize claims. The main issue is staffing shortages - ESD lost over 40% of their adjudicators last year and training new ones takes months. Did you receive any specific adjudication notices before or after your escalation? Those usually indicate what's holding up your claim.

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Kolton Murphy

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Nope! Not a single notification about WHY it was in adjudication. That's the most infuriating part - they don't even tell you what's wrong so you can fix it! Just endless waiting with no information.

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Julia Hall

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Have you tried using Claimyr? After dealing with busy signals for weeks, I finally used their service at claimyr.com and got through to an ESD agent in under 15 minutes. They have this demo video (https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3) that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration compared to calling hundreds of times. Even with your escalation, it might help to actually speak with someone for updates if things slow down again.

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Alice Coleman

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I hadn't heard of Claimyr before! Checking out that video now. If I don't get an update by early next week, I'll definitely try this route. At this point I'll try anything that actually works.

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Arjun Patel

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The exact same thing happened to me, only it was the state senator's office I contacted. Went from 12 weeks of nothing to approved in 5 days! From what the agent explained to me, here's what happens when your claim gets 'escalated': 1. It gets flagged in their system as priority 2. A senior adjudicator reviews it (regular claims just go to whoever's next available) 3. They're supposed to make a decision within 48-72 hours 4. You should get an automated alert when status changes Keep an eye on your online account - sometimes the status updates there before they call you. And definitely keep filing those weekly claims!

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Alice Coleman

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This is incredibly helpful, thank you! Just logged into my account and there's no change yet, but I'll keep checking. The agent didn't give me any timeframe other than "really quick" which could mean anything.

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Jade Lopez

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my cousin works for esd (not telling which office lol) and she says theyre CRAZY understaffed right now. like hundreds of claims per adjudicator. governers office calls get flagged as "political escalations" in their system and get pushed to the front of the line. its not fair but thats how the system works i guess

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That makes sense - the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Sad that we have to go to these lengths just to get our legitimate claims processed though.

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Alice Coleman

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UPDATE: Just checked my account this morning (4 days after the escalation call) and my status changed to "paid"!!! The money isn't in my account yet, but the portal shows all 9 weeks approved! I'm literally crying right now. Thanks everyone for your advice and support. If anyone else is stuck in adjudication hell, definitely try contacting your state officials - it really works!

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Arjun Patel

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That's fantastic news! So happy it worked out for you. Just so you know - the funds usually hit your account 1-2 business days after the status changes to "paid" in the system. Congrats on getting through this nightmare!

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Owen Jenkins

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Great to hear! Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims on time to avoid any future delays, and if you run into any more issues, you know what to do now!

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Finnegan Gunn

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Congratulations Alice! Your success story gives me so much hope. I've been stuck in adjudication for 7 weeks now and was about to give up. Just called the Governor's office this morning after reading your post - they said they'd reach out to ESD within 24-48 hours. Fingers crossed I get similar results! Did you have to provide any additional documentation when the ESD agent called you back, or did they already have everything they needed?

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Miguel Ortiz

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@Alice Coleman That s'such an incredible relief to hear! I m'in a similar boat - been waiting 6 weeks in adjudication with no communication whatsoever. When the ESD agent called you back after the Governor s'office contact, did they ask for any specific documents or was it more just confirming information they already had? I m'trying to prepare for what might come next if I get a similar callback. Really hoping your success story becomes the norm rather than the exception!

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