Identity verification adjudication took just 18 days instead of 5 weeks - ESD success story!

Thanks for sharing your success story! This is really helpful information. The direct number for the Special Investigations Office is gold - most people don't know about that and waste time with the general helpline.\n\nRegarding payments after ID verification: in my experience (I went through this in January), once your identity is verified, your payments should process within 2-3 business days for any weeks you've already claimed. Make sure all your weekly claims are filed and that you don't have any other issues besides the identity verification.\n\nOne tip - check your \

Thank you so much! I just checked my Notices/Letters section and there is a new letter confirming the identity verification was completed. You're right - it says payments for my weeks already claimed should process within 48 hours! What a relief. I've been stressing about bills coming due next week.

congrats!!! im on week 4 of waiting for id verification and getting SUPER frustrated. tried calling the main number like 40 times and either get hung up on or told to just \

Definitely try that number! They seem to have much more specific information about identity verification cases than the general helpline. Hope it works out for you!

You got really lucky with the timing. I had the exact same issue back in December and it took the full 5 weeks and 2 days. I called that special investigations number twice during the wait and they just kept telling me they were \

I called around 9:30am on a Tuesday - maybe that timing helped? The person I spoke with was really thorough and took time to look at my specific case. Sorry you had to wait so long! It's definitely nerve-wracking when bills are due and no money is coming in.

I'm so confused about all this identity verification stuff. I submitted my drivers license and social security card 2 weeks ago but my claim still says

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Oh crap really?? Thanks for clarifying! I've been doing them but I wasn't documenting them properly. Gonna fix that right now!

I've been stuck in identity verification hell for THREE MONTHS!!! This is absolutely ridiculous. I've called every number, uploaded my documents FOUR TIMES, and still nothing. The regular phone line is a joke - I can't even get through most days. When I do, they just tell me to wait. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PAY MY BILLS???\n\nThe system is BROKEN. They demand all this verification but then don't have enough staff to actually review it in a reasonable timeframe. I'm about to lose my apartment because of this garbage.

I had a similar nightmare situation last month that dragged on for weeks. Have you tried using Claimyr? It's a service that helps you get through to an actual ESD agent without waiting on hold for hours. I was skeptical but desperate, so I tried it at claimyr.com and they got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. The agent was able to escalate my identity verification issue to a supervisor.\n\nThey have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3\n\nMight be worth trying since you're in such a difficult situation. Sometimes you need to talk to a higher-level person to get these issues resolved.

Never heard of this service before. I'm willing to try ANYTHING at this point. Just watched the video and it looks legit. Going to try it tomorrow morning. Thanks for the tip!

Honestly, your story is giving me some hope. My situation is a bit different - I had to verify my identity because I moved from California to Washington last year, and something about my previous state's records triggered the verification process. Been in adjudication for 3 weeks now.\n\nJust called the Special Investigations number you shared, and the person confirmed they have my documents but said they're currently processing documents from early February (this is March 15th as I'm writing this). So it sounds like they're about 5-6 weeks behind right now.\n\nOne question - after your adjudication status was removed, was your claim immediately approved or did it go into another status first?

Mine went straight from adjudication to approved! Once the identity verification was complete, everything else processed pretty quickly. The money hit my account about 3 days later for all the weeks I had claimed. Hope yours moves faster than they're estimating!

wait so ur saying after they verify ur identity the claim gets paid like right away?? thats awesome! i thought there would be more waiting after that part was done lol

It depends on whether identity verification was the ONLY issue with your claim. If you have other issues (like an employer disputing your reason for separation, missing work search activities, etc.), those would still need to be resolved before payment. But if identity verification was the only holdup, then yes, payment should process quickly once that's resolved.

oh that makes sense. i dont think i have any other issues so fingers crossed 🤞

Just wanted to add my experience - I went through identity verification back in January because I had an old SAW account that I couldn't access anymore (similar to your situation with the name change). The ESD Special Investigations Office was definitely more helpful than the regular helpline.\n\nOne thing that seemed to help speed things up was that I sent a secure message through my eServices account after uploading my documents. I specifically mentioned the date I uploaded everything and listed exactly what documents I provided. My verification was completed in about 3 weeks.\n\nThere's definitely a lot of variation in how long these take, but following up definitely doesn't hurt. I think sometimes documents get lost in their system or assigned to agents who are out sick or something.

That's a great tip about sending a secure message through eServices! I just did that now, listing all the documents I've uploaded and when. Thanks for the suggestion - anything that might help at this point is worth trying.

For anyone struggling with identity verification or any other ESD issues, I highly recommend being strategic about when you call. Based on my experience and talking with others:\n\n1. Early mornings (right when they open at 8am) usually have the shortest wait times\n2. Mondays and Tuesdays tend to be the busiest days\n3. Thursdays often seem to have the shortest queues\n4. Always have your claim ID number and all relevant documents ready before calling\n\nIf you've been waiting more than 4 weeks for identity verification, ask to speak with a supervisor or claims specialist when you call. Sometimes they can expedite cases that have been pending too long. Be polite but persistent!\n\nAlso, check your spam/junk email folders regularly - sometimes ESD sends important notices that get filtered.

These are great tips! I didn't think about checking my spam folder, and just found an email from ESD in there from last week. It was just confirming receipt of my documents, but still important. Thanks for mentioning that!

So I've been in adjudication for ID verification for about a week but I never uploaded my social security card because I lost it. I only uploaded my drivers license and birth certificate. Is that why mine is taking longer? Should I order a replacement SS card first?

ESD typically wants to see at least two forms of ID, and one of them usually needs to be a government-issued photo ID (like your driver's license). The second can be a Social Security card, birth certificate, passport, or sometimes utility bills showing your name and address.\n\nSince you've already provided your license and birth certificate, those might be sufficient. However, if you want to be sure, you could upload a W-2, tax return, or pay stub that shows your SSN. That might be faster than waiting for a replacement Social Security card.

Oh that's a relief! I have my W-2 from last year that shows my SSN. I'll upload that right now. Thanks!

This is such helpful information, thank you for sharing! I'm currently on day 12 of identity verification after submitting documents for a similar name change issue (divorce in my case). Reading that you got through in 18 days instead of 5 weeks gives me hope. I called the regular ESD line yesterday and got the usual "several weeks" response, so I'm definitely going to try that Special Investigations Office number tomorrow morning. The fact that they can actually tell you they have your documents and give you a realistic timeline sounds so much better than the vague responses from the main line. Quick question - when you called the Special Investigations Office, did they ask for any specific information beyond your claim number? I want to make sure I have everything ready when I call. Also wanted to mention for others reading this - make sure you keep claiming your weekly benefits even while in adjudication! I almost forgot to do mine this week because I was so focused on the ID verification issue.

This is exactly the kind of detailed success story we need more of in this community! I'm currently on week 2 of identity verification (moved states and had to update my address with ESD) and have been getting nowhere with the regular phone line. That Special Investigations Office number is a game-changer - I had no idea that existed. I've been banging my head against the wall calling the main line and getting either busy signals or generic "wait several weeks" responses. Going to call (800)246-9763 first thing tomorrow morning. One thing I'm curious about - did you have to provide any additional documentation beyond what you initially uploaded, or did they just need time to review what you had already submitted? I uploaded my lease agreement, updated driver's license, and a utility bill showing my new address, but I'm wondering if I should add anything else to strengthen my case. Also really appreciate you sharing the timeline breakdown. 18 days is still nerve-wracking when bills are due, but it's so much better than the 5+ weeks some people are reporting. Fingers crossed I have similar luck!

This is incredibly helpful timing for me! I just filed my claim last week and immediately got hit with the identity verification requirement. I was dreading the wait based on all the horror stories I've read here, but your experience gives me hope that it might not take the full 5+ weeks everyone talks about. I'm definitely going to call that Special Investigations Office number - (800)246-9763 - instead of wasting time with the main line. The fact that they can actually confirm they have your documents and give you real timeline estimates sounds so much better than the generic responses. Quick question - when you uploaded your documents, did you upload them all at once or separately? I have my birth certificate, current driver's license, and a recent bank statement, but I wasn't sure if I should submit them as one batch or individual uploads. Also really appreciate you mentioning to check the spam folder for ESD emails - I almost missed an important notice last month because it got filtered. Going to keep a close eye on that during this process. Thanks for taking the time to share your success story and all the specific details. Posts like this are exactly what people in this situation need to see!