Stuck in ESD adjudication since February - mortgage at risk, need urgent advice

Call at exactly 7:59am. Thats how i got through fially. The phone lines open at 8am sharp and if you call right before they open youll be first in que

I'm really sorry you're going through this. Unfortunately, what you're experiencing is way too common with ESD these days. The adjudication backlog is massive since they lost a bunch of staff after the pandemic surge. Four months is excessive though, even by their current standards. A few things that might help: 1. Contact your state representative's office. This seriously works. Explain your situation, mention the risk of losing your home, and they can often expedite by reaching out to ESD directly. 2. Request an escalation specifically due to financial hardship. When you call, use these exact words: "I need to request a hardship escalation due to imminent foreclosure risk." They're required to note this on your account. 3. Make sure there are no unresolved issues on your account that you might have missed. Sometimes there's a question or document request buried in the correspondence section of your eServices account. 4. If your job was in construction, double-check that they have the correct employer information. Sometimes seasonal construction work can trigger additional verification steps. Don't give up - with the right pressure applied, these claims can get resolved.

they dont care about ur situation at ALL. i waited 6 months last year and when i finally got thru they said "oh we were waiting for employer to respond" but never told me!!! system is BROKEN

Have you tried Claimyr? I was stuck in adjudication for almost 2 months and couldn't get through to anyone. I was skeptical at first but used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected to an actual ESD agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending hours on hold just to get disconnected. The agent was able to see exactly what was holding up my claim and flagged it for expedited review. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Definitely worth it when you're facing something serious like missing mortgage payments.

Let me explain what's actually happening with your claim. I worked with ESD until 2023, so I know the system pretty well. When a claim is in adjudication for that long (4+ months), it's usually one of these issues: 1. Employer dispute: Your former employer may have contested your eligibility. 2. Wage verification issue: Especially common in construction where you might have worked for multiple contractors. 3. Identity verification: There might be a mismatch they're trying to resolve. 4. Availability question: If you indicated any limitations on your availability for work. 5. Fact-finding backlog: Sometimes they've tried to contact you for additional information. For construction workers specifically, they often need to verify if your layoff was truly due to lack of work or a seasonal/temporary layoff, which is handled differently. The state rep option mentioned is excellent advice. Also, request a formal "hardship review" in writing through your eServices account. Upload documentation showing your mortgage is at risk. That will flag your claim for expedited review. The system is frustrating, but these specific steps should help move things along.

my claim was stuck for 3 months too but then suddenly got approved last week! hang in there, sometimes they just process them all at once at end of quarter

Update: I tried calling right at 8am this morning but still couldn't get through. I did manage to talk to someone after using the Claimyr service that was suggested here. The agent told me my claim is stuck because they needed additional information from a previous employer who hadn't responded. They've now escalated my claim and marked it for hardship review after I explained about my mortgage situation. The agent said I should have a decision within 5-7 business days. Fingers crossed! I also left a message with my state representative's office as a backup plan. Thanks for all the advice - will update again when I hear something.

I went through something eerily similar in January-April this year. Construction industry as well, but I was in commercial electrical. One thing that really helped me was documenting EVERYTHING. Every call, every person I spoke with, every message in the portal. When I finally got through to someone helpful, I was able to give them a complete timeline which seemed to make them take my case more seriously. Also, I know this sounds obvious, but double-check that you don't have any alerts or questionnaires in your eServices account that might be hiding somewhere. I discovered I had missed responding to something that was buried in a weird part of the portal, and that was part of what caused my delay. The mortgage situation is really tough - while you're waiting, you might want to contact your mortgage company and ask about forbearance options. Many still have COVID-related programs that can give you a little breathing room while you get this sorted out. Hang in there - the system is ridiculous but persistence eventually pays off.

Just wanted to follow up - any news on your claim yet? Did the hardship review help speed things up?