Recently laid off and stuck in ESD adjudication - how to avoid waiting months?

samee boat here! been stuck since nov 27th and still nothing. i call everyday but just get hung up on cuz 'high call volume' bs. sucks but i think we just gotta wait

I was in adjudication for 5 weeks last year after being laid off from my teaching job. What really helped me was making sure I had submitted ALL documentation they might need before they even asked for it. Did your employer contest your claim? That's usually what triggers longer adjudication periods. Keep filing your weekly claims even while waiting! That's super important. If approved, you'll get backpay for all those weeks, but only if you filed the weekly claims on time.

My brother-in-law got stuck in adjudication back in October and it took him until last week to finally get his benefits! The ESD system is completely broken if you ask me. They keep people waiting for months while bills pile up. It's disgraceful!!

I work in HR and deal with ESD claims regularly. Adjudication happens when there's something the system can't automatically verify or approve. Common reasons include: 1. Your employer reported a different separation reason than you did 2. You had variable hours/income in your base year 3. You worked for multiple employers in your base year 4. There was an eligibility issue flagged (even minor ones trigger this) First, check your notices tab in eServices to see if there's any information about what's causing the adjudication. Second, keep detailed notes of all contact attempts with ESD. Third, if you do get through to someone, ask specifically what's causing the hold and what documentation you can provide to resolve it.

After spending 6 weeks in adjudication hell last year, I found a service called Claimyr that actually got me through to an ESD agent in about 15 minutes. I was shocked because I'd been trying for weeks with no luck. It basically keeps dialing for you until it gets through. Once I actually spoke with someone, they were able to tell me exactly what was holding up my claim (missing info from a previous employer) and I got it resolved within a week after that. They have a demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Website is claimyr.com if you're interested. Definitely worth it for my sanity alone.

I'm currently on week 7 of adjudication 😩 What I've learned is that you NEED to be persistent! I call every morning right when they open at 8am, and I've gotten through twice this way. Both times they told me my claim was "still under review" but at least I could verify they had everything they needed. Also make sure you're checking your eServices account daily for new questionnaires or document requests! They don't always send emails when they add something. I missed one for 5 days and I'm sure that delayed my claim even more.

One thing that actually helped in my case was contacting my state representative's office. I know it sounds weird, but their constituent services staff can sometimes make inquiries with ESD that get faster responses. Look up who represents your district and give their office a call. Explain your situation and ask if they can help. They won't be able to change any decisions, but they can sometimes get ESD to look at your claim sooner. In the meantime, also look into emergency assistance programs in your area. Many counties have rent assistance and utility payment help that can tide you over while waiting for unemployment to come through.

anybody else notice that some ppl get through adjudication in like 2 days and others wait months?? its so random!!

UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD this morning! Called exactly at 8:00am and only waited about 20 minutes. The agent confirmed my adjudication is because they're waiting for response from my previous employer (the one before my most recent job). She said they have 10 business days to respond, and that period ends next Tuesday. If they don't respond by then, ESD will make a determination without their input. She also mentioned my current claim looks straightforward since I was laid off due to lack of work. So hopefully I'll see some movement next week! Thanks everyone for the advice and support.