How to back-date unemployment weeks after successful adjudication with ESD?

Congrats on getting through adjudication! For backdating weeks, you need to call the ESD claims center directly. Unfortunately there's no way to request this online through eServices. When you call, specifically ask for "missed week filing" or "backdating previously eligible weeks" - using those exact terms helps the rep understand what you need. Have your employment separation date ready as they'll verify you were eligible during those missed weeks. They'll manually add those weeks to your claim.

thye wont let u backdate unless u have a REALLY good reason why u didnt file. i tried this last yr and they denied me bcuz "not knowing you could file" isnt good enough for them. maybe u'll have better luck tho since the lady already told u it was possible

I went through something similar in Feb. You absolutely CAN backdate, but you MUST have a good reason. "Looking for work" usually counts as valid. Call the claims center and explain your situation exactly like you did here. They'll have you complete a form for each backdated week separately (it's annoying). You'll need to document your job search activities for those weeks too, so start gathering that info now!

SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME!!! Got approved after adjucation but missed 6 weeks of benefits. Called ESD literally 47 times and either got hung up on or was on hold until they closed for the day. HORRIBLE SYSTEM!!!

I think everyone's making this more complicated than it is. Just go to your weekly claim section and there should be an option for "claim previous weeks" or something similar. That's how I did it when I missed filing for 2 weeks when I was sick last year. No phone calls needed.

Update: I called ESD this morning (took forever) and finally got through. For anyone who needs this info in the future: YES you can backdate if you were eligible during those weeks, but you MUST provide a "good cause" reason for not filing. The agent said job searching is considered good cause. They're sending me a form for each week I missed, and I'll need to provide 3 job search activities per week. Once approved, they'll issue payments for those weeks. Thanks for all the advice everyone!

This is such helpful information! I'm in a similar situation where I was laid off in December but didn't file right away because I had some freelance work lined up that fell through. I've been putting off calling ESD because the wait times are so brutal, but seeing that you actually got through and they were able to help gives me hope. Quick question - when you say they're sending you forms for each week, do they mail those or send them through eServices? And roughly how long did they say the processing would take once you submit everything back? I'm looking at potentially 8-10 weeks to backdate so I want to make sure I'm prepared for the timeline. Thanks for sharing your experience and congrats on getting through the whole process!

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else going through this - I successfully backdated 12 weeks last fall after my adjudication was approved. The key thing I learned is to be VERY organized with your documentation before you call. I created a spreadsheet with dates, company names, job titles, and application methods for every single job I applied to during those missed weeks. When I finally got through to ESD (used the callback feature which helped avoid sitting on hold), the agent was impressed with how prepared I was and processed everything much faster. They told me having detailed records upfront often means they don't need to request additional documentation later, which speeds up the whole process. One tip: if you applied through multiple job sites (Indeed, LinkedIn, company websites), take screenshots now if you can still access your application history. ESD likes to see variety in your job search methods. Good luck everyone - it's definitely worth the hassle to get those missed weeks!