Sudden 'pending adjudication' after claim showed 'processing' - how long will this ESD nightmare last?

Unfortunately, this is still happening a lot. The good news is adjudication times are generally faster now than during covid. Most of my clients are seeing 3-4 weeks for straightforward issues. Did you check your letters/notices section in eServices? Sometimes they'll tell you what the issues are there, which helps you prepare documentation.

Similar thing happened to me last month! It turned out they needed to verify my employment history since I'd worked at two different restaurants within the past 18 months. The adjudication was automatically triggered because my previous employer didn't respond to their initial inquiry fast enough. Mine took exactly 17 days to resolve, and I got paid for all weeks at once. Still stressful though! Do you know if your employer is contesting your claim? That's usually what causes multiple adjudication items.

OMG this system is such garbage!!!! I swear they do this ON PURPOSE to discourage people from claiming benefits we EARNED. I had 5 different adjudications in 2021 and each one was for something STUPID like they needed to verify my identity AGAIN even tho they already verified it. THEN they asked me the same questions over and over. By the time I finally got paid I was already back at work!! The state KEEPS the money they don't pay out so they have every reason to delay!!!!!

Have you tried calling them yet? You absolutely need to talk to a human ASAP to find out what those adjudication issues are about. If you can get more information, you might be able to upload the right documentation to speed things up. I went through something similar in January. Called about 30 times before getting through, but once I did, the agent told me exactly what documents they needed. I uploaded them that day and my adjudication was resolved within a week. I discovered a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to ESD when I couldn't get past the busy signals. Their website (claimyr.com) has a video demo of how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 - it basically holds your place in line so you don't have to keep redialing. Worked for me when nothing else did!

I used claimyr last month when I had a similar issue! Totally worth it. Got through to ESD in about 45 minutes instead of spending days trying to call. The agent was able to see that one of my adjudication issues was just that they needed proof of my layoff, which I emailed right away.

hey not to freak u out more but check if they sent u a questionnaire cuz sometimes they send those through eservices and if u miss the deadline to answer it makes everything take way longer. happened to me.

Great catch about the questionnaire! That's exactly what likely triggered the adjudication. Here's what you should know: 1. Answer the questionnaire completely and accurately 2. For the job separation reason, make sure you clearly state the business closed permanently and you were laid off (not that you quit) 3. Keep filing your weekly claims even while in adjudication 4. If you have any documentation from your employer about the closure (letter, email, etc.), upload that to your documents section The fact that this was a business closure should make your adjudication fairly straightforward. Just make sure to clearly document that this was not a voluntary separation on your part.

When I had an adjudication last year I also had good luck contacting my state representative's office. They have liaisons who can sometimes help speed things up when your case is stuck. Just google your district and "state representative" and there should be a constituent services contact on their website.

Just wanted to follow up - how's your claim going? Did filling out the questionnaire help resolve anything?

That's such a relief to hear you got through to someone and have a clearer timeline! 7-10 business days is definitely manageable compared to the horror stories we all hear. It sounds like having that employer letter really made the difference - smart thinking to get that documentation upfront. I'm in a similar boat right now (just filed last week after my company downsized) and this whole thread has been super helpful. Definitely going to make sure I have all my documentation ready just in case. Thanks for sharing your experience and please do update us when it gets resolved! Stories like yours give the rest of us hope that the system can actually work sometimes.

Welcome to the ESD nightmare club! I just went through something very similar about two months ago. My claim went from "processing" to "pending adjudication" overnight with no warning or explanation - it's absolutely terrifying when you're counting on that money. The silver lining is that it sounds like you're doing everything right. Getting that employer documentation was crucial, and having a 7-10 day timeline from an actual ESD agent is huge. When I was stuck in adjudication, I spent weeks not knowing if it would be days or months. One thing I learned that might help others: keep detailed records of every interaction with ESD. Screenshot everything, save confirmation numbers, write down agent names and what they told you. I had to call back multiple times and having that documentation helped me avoid starting over each time. Really hoping your case resolves quickly! Please do update us - success stories help keep the rest of us sane while we navigate this broken system.

I'm so sorry you're going through this stress - the uncertainty of waiting for adjudication is absolutely brutal, especially when you're facing bills and rent. I went through a similar situation about 6 months ago when my retail job eliminated my position. One thing that really helped me was setting up automatic notifications in eServices so I'd get alerts the moment anything changed in my claim status. That way I wasn't obsessively checking the website every few hours (which was driving me crazy). Also, if you haven't already, make sure you're continuing to file your weekly claims even while in adjudication - I almost made the mistake of stopping because I thought there was no point, but you can lose benefits if you don't keep filing. It sounds like you're on the right track with the employer documentation and getting through to speak with an agent. The 7-10 day timeline they gave you is definitely more reasonable than the horror stories from a few years back. Hang in there - this community has been a lifesaver for me in understanding that these delays are unfortunately normal but not permanent. Rooting for a quick resolution for you!

I just wanted to say how helpful this entire thread has been! I'm currently dealing with my first unemployment claim after being laid off from my tech job last month, and reading through everyone's experiences has been both educational and reassuring. The advice about keeping detailed records, setting up automatic notifications, and continuing to file weekly claims even during adjudication is invaluable. I had no idea about some of these things and would have probably made mistakes without this community guidance. @Ethan Wilson - I really hope your 7-10 day timeline holds up and you get resolution soon! It's encouraging to see that you were able to get through to an actual person and get some concrete answers. The employer documentation really seems to have made a difference in your case. For anyone else reading this who might be in a similar situation - this thread is a goldmine of practical advice. The tip about checking for questionnaires in eServices is particularly important since those seem easy to miss but can cause major delays if ignored. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and advice. This community support makes navigating the ESD system so much less isolating and scary!

Just wanted to jump in and say this thread has been incredibly reassuring for someone who's never dealt with unemployment before! I got laid off from my marketing job two weeks ago and have been absolutely terrified about the whole process after hearing so many horror stories. @Ethan Wilson - your situation sounds so stressful but I'm really glad you got some concrete answers and a reasonable timeline from ESD! The fact that you had that employer letter ready seems to have made all the difference. Definitely keeping my fingers crossed that your 7-10 day estimate holds up. The advice everyone's shared here is pure gold - especially about checking for those hidden questionnaires in eServices and keeping detailed records of everything. I had no idea about the automatic notifications feature either, so I'm going to set that up immediately to save my sanity from constantly refreshing the website. It's such a relief to find a community where people actually share practical, helpful information instead of just complaining. Thank you all for making this scary process feel more manageable! I'll definitely be bookmarking this thread for reference as I navigate my own claim.