Not told why my ESD claim is in adjudication - normal or should I be worried?

same here! been in adjudication for 5 weeks now with ZERO explanation. this system is just broken, they dont tell u anything and expect u to just wait forever

It's unfortunately very common. ESD doesn't always notify claimants about specific adjudication issues right away. Based on my experience, they're probably verifying details with your former employer about your separation reason. Since you mentioned being laid off, they might be confirming it wasn't for misconduct or a voluntary quit. If your employer reported something different than you did, that would trigger adjudication automatically. You should receive a fact-finding questionnaire eventually, but it can take weeks with their current backlog.

When I went thru adjudication last year they sent me a letter after like 2 weeks explaining why. Maybe check ur junk mail? Sometimes ESD emails get filtered weird.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE US GIVE UP!!! I waited 8 WEEKS in adjudication with NO EXPLANATION and then they DENIED my claim saying I didn't respond to some questionnaire that I NEVER RECEIVED!!! Now I'm in the appeals process which takes EVEN LONGER. They create these "adjudication" periods hoping people will just go away. It's CRIMINAL what they're doing to working people!!

After trying for weeks to reach an ESD agent about my adjudication with no luck, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to an actual person in about 20 minutes. They explained exactly why my claim was in adjudication - turns out my employer had contested my unemployment eligibility even though I was definitely laid off. The agent was able to expedite my fact-finding interview. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Seriously, it saved me weeks of stress.

To directly answer your question: No, ESD is not required to notify you immediately about why you're in adjudication, though they should eventually send you a fact-finding questionnaire or interview notice. Common reasons for adjudication include: 1. Employer reporting a different separation reason than you did 2. Wage verification issues 3. Availability for work questions 4. Job search compliance concerns 5. Questions about refusal of work The best approach is to: - Continue filing your weekly claims while in adjudication - Check your eServices messages daily - Look for mail from ESD (both physical and electronic) - Try contacting ESD by phone early in the morning (7:00-7:30am is often best) - Respond immediately to any fact-finding requests when they arrive The good news is that if your claim is eventually approved, you'll receive all back payments for the weeks you claimed while in adjudication.

my cousin works at esd and she says they're super backlogged right now because of some new system update they did in january. lots of claims getting flagged for adjudication automatically even when there's nothing wrong. keep calling and eventually you'll get thru!

Quick update on the adjudication process based on recent changes: ESD has actually modified their notification system in 2025. You should be receiving an automated alert in your eServices account explaining the general category of the adjudication issue, even if not the specific details. If you're not seeing this, it could indicate a technical problem with your account. I'd recommend checking that your contact information is up-to-date in the system, and also try accessing your account from a different browser or device to see if the alert shows up. Sometimes the eServices portal has display issues with certain browsers.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now - filed my claim 2 weeks ago after being laid off from my retail job and it's been in adjudication ever since. Like you, I haven't gotten any clear explanation about what they're investigating. It's really frustrating because I need these benefits to pay rent and groceries while I'm job hunting. Reading through these comments has been super helpful though! I'm going to check for that notification dot that @Yara Khalil mentioned and also try calling early in the morning like @Amina Toure suggested. At least now I know this is happening to a lot of people and it's not necessarily because I did something wrong on my application. Thanks for starting this thread - it's reassuring to know I'm not alone in this situation!