No ESD payments after starting new job with delayed paycheck - what's going on?
Started a new job on January 10th, 2025 but my first paycheck won't come until February 12th (monthly pay cycle). I've been filing my weekly unemployment claims and reporting the hours I've worked accurately, and even called ESD to make sure they knew about my employment situation. I specifically told them I wouldn't get paid until mid-February. It's been two weeks now and my weekly benefits have completely stopped showing up in my account. I'm freaking out because I still have bills to pay and no income until that first paycheck arrives! The eServices dashboard just shows my claims as "pending" with no explanation. Has anyone dealt with this before? Does starting work automatically cut off unemployment even if you haven't been paid yet??
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Tyler Murphy
This happens pretty frequently with ESD unfortunately. When you report work hours, their system often stops payments automatically even though you technically qualify for partial benefits until you receive your first paycheck. The key part is whether you reported HOURS or WAGES. If you reported hours worked but $0 income (which is correct), the system sometimes flags this as suspicious and puts your claim in pending status.
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Alana Willis
•I definitely reported the hours worked but $0 for wages since I haven't been paid yet. So what should I do now? Just keep waiting? I've already tried calling like 15 times but can't get through to an actual person.
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Sara Unger
I went through this EXACT thing last year. ESD's system is seriously messed up when it comes to this specific situation. You need to talk to a claims specialist asap because they have to manually override something in their system. It took me almost 3 weeks of calling non-stop to finally get someone who could help. Try calling right when they open at 8am - that worked for me eventually.
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Alana Willis
•3 weeks?! I can't wait that long! My rent is due next week and I was counting on at least partial unemployment until my first paycheck. This is so frustrating.
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Butch Sledgehammer
Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to an ESD agent? I was in a similar situation last month and couldn't get through for days, then someone on this forum recommended it. It's a service that connects you with an ESD agent usually within an hour instead of calling for days. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Totally saved me when I had a pending issue after starting part-time work.
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Freya Ross
•does that actually work? ive never heard of it before seems kinda sketchy tbh
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Butch Sledgehammer
When you report work hours without wages, ESD's system automatically puts your claim in adjudication. This happens because they need to verify that you're being truthful about not receiving payment yet. It's a fraud prevention measure. You need to keep filing your weekly claims and make sure to report your hours accurately. Once you receive your first paycheck, you'll need to report those wages for the appropriate weeks. Also, keep in mind that you may be eligible for partial unemployment during this transition period, but only if your weekly earnings are less than your weekly benefit amount. The system will calculate this automatically once your claim is processed.
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Alana Willis
•Thanks for explaining. That makes sense, but I wish they'd explained this to me when I called to tell them about my new job. I'm still worried about how I'll pay bills while waiting for both the adjudication AND my first paycheck.
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Leslie Parker
If ur claim is in adjudication, ur gonna be waiting a LONG time lol. Mine took 6 weeks and that was after calling them every single day. The whole system is designed to make u give up!! They hope youll just stop filing and go away so they dont have to pay you. KEEP CALLING AND DONT GIVE UP!!!
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Alana Willis
•6 weeks?!? That's insane! I can't survive that long without income. I'm going to try calling again tomorrow.
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Sergio Neal
@OP I just wanted to say I tried that Claimyr thing the other person recommended and it actually did get me through to ESD yesterday after trying for a week on my own. Took about 40 mins instead of days of calling. The agent was able to see that my claim had a flag on it and removed it. Worth trying if you're desperate.
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Sara Unger
•Same here - used it twice now when I couldn't get through. It's legit, just helps you get in the queue without having to redial constantly. The ESD agents are the same ones you'd talk to anyway.
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Savanna Franklin
Quick clarification on this situation - what's happening is that your claim is in what's called 'work verification' status, which is different from full adjudication. Work verification typically takes 1-2 weeks rather than 4-6 weeks for adjudication. Make sure when you call to specifically ask about 'work verification status' and request expedited processing due to financial hardship. Also, keep filing your weekly claims throughout this period. Once the verification is complete, you'll likely receive back payments for any weeks you qualified for partial benefits.
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Alana Willis
•Thank you! I'll ask specifically about work verification status. That's a bit more reassuring if it's only 1-2 weeks instead of 4-6. I'll definitely keep filing my weekly claims.
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Alana Willis
UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD this morning! Used the Claimyr service after getting nowhere for days. The agent confirmed what you all said - my claim was flagged for 'work verification' because I reported hours but no wages. She expedited the review and said I should see payments resume in 3-5 business days, with back payments for the weeks that qualified. For anyone in a similar situation, definitely mention financial hardship when you call - that seems to help get things moving faster. Thanks everyone for your help!
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