Identity verification stuck for weeks - can't pay rent while ESD claim pending

omg same boat!!! my identity verification has been pending since nov 20th and nothing is happening. called like 15 times and keep getting told 'it's in the queue' whatever that means. i'm about to be evicted and esd doesn't seem to care at all.

The identity verification backlog is a major issue right now. I went through this in October and it took exactly 4 weeks for mine to clear. What helped me was contacting my state representative's office - they have liaisons who can reach out to ESD directly. Look up your district and send an email explaining your hardship situation. Include your claim ID and contact info, and specifically mention that you're facing eviction/utility shutoffs. Their office got mine processed within 3 days after I'd been waiting for weeks.

Identity verification purgatory is awful - I've been through it too. Along with contacting your state rep (which is excellent advice), I'd recommend checking if there's anything specific they're looking for. Sometimes the issue is that one of your documents is hard to read or they need additional verification. One thing that worked for me was getting through to an actual claims specialist rather than the first-level agents. I was finally able to reach a specialist using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they got me connected to ESD within about 20 minutes when I'd been failing for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The specialist I talked to was able to look at my specific verification issue and tell me exactly what was missing, which the regular agents couldn't do.

The identity verification steps have gotten more complicated since all the fraud during the pandemic. My advice: 1. Call early morning (7:01am) for best chance to get through 2. When you do reach someone, ask specifically if there are ANY issues with your documentation - sometimes there's a flag they can see but don't tell you unless asked 3. Request to speak with a claims specialist who can actually see the verification queue 4. Ask them to note on your account that you're facing imminent eviction (this can sometimes flag your case for expedited review) 5. If your case has been pending more than 3 weeks, specifically ask if you qualify for a hardship payment - they don't advertise this but sometimes they can release partial funds I was stuck in identity verification for 5 weeks in September, and doing these steps got me unstuck.

ESD is THE WORST!!!1!! They make these stupid impossible hoops to jump though just so ppll will give up and they dont have to pay!!! I mailed my ID stuff TWICE and they still said they never got it. Then i uploaded online and they still said pending for 2 months!!! I ended upo havin to go to the worksource office in person and have them scan my ID right there and call ESD. Only thing that worked. Try that if nothing else does.

Has anyone tried uploading their identity docs multiple times? I've heard sometimes the uploads fail on ESD's end even though it shows as successful on our end. I'm thinking about re-uploading mine just in case.

UPDATE: I wanted to let everyone know what worked for me! I ended up trying multiple approaches: 1) Contacted my state rep's office yesterday morning, 2) Used Claimyr to get through to ESD yesterday afternoon, and 3) Re-uploaded my documents with better lighting/resolution. The claims specialist I spoke with using Claimyr was actually able to look at my documents in real-time and said my driver's license photo was too dark for their verification system. I immediately took better photos and uploaded them while on the phone. They flagged my account for review and this morning my identity was verified! My payments are now processing. The state rep's office also reached out and said they'd follow up, but the Claimyr route got me to someone who could actually fix the specific issue. Thanks everyone for your help - I was seriously panicking about rent!