Two weekly claims still showing 'Pending' status with no payment - is this normal for ESD?

yep this is totally normal. my first 3 claims stayed pending for almost a month before anything happened. ESD is slow AF with new claims. keep filing each week like they said.

It's typical for initial claims to take 2-3 weeks before payments start coming through. The first payments almost always have a delay while they verify your information and establish your claim. The good news is that as long as you continue filing weekly claims, once your claim is approved, you should receive all back payments for the weeks you've claimed. Keep an eye out for any correspondence in your online account or by mail. Sometimes there are identity verification requirements or additional information they need which can cause delays. If you don't see any alerts in your account and it's been more than 3 weeks, then it might be worth trying to contact ESD directly.

I had the EXACT same issue in January! My first 2 claims sat in pending forever, then suddenly I got an alert saying they needed additional verification of my identity. Check your ESD correspondence section or your physical mail - they might have sent you something requiring a response. After I uploaded my ID documents, it took another week, but then ALL my pending payments came through at once.

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED TO MAKE YOU WAIT!!! They DELIBERATELY make the first payments take forever hoping people will give up or find jobs before they have to pay. I waited SIX WEEKS last year when I filed and nobody ever explained why. Keep calling every day until you get through!!!

I had to wait almost 3 weeks for my first payment also. My friend said her initial claim was 'pending' for only 10 days though so it seems to vary. Probably depends on how complicated your work history is and how busy they are. After I finally got through the initial approval, my weekly claims have been processing much faster - usually within 3 days now. Just hang in there!

Two weeks in pending status for initial claims is fairly standard. Here's what might be happening: 1. Your claim is undergoing routine verification (employment history, wages, reason for separation) 2. There might be an identity verification process that hasn't triggered an alert yet 3. Your employer has a certain period to respond to your claim As others have mentioned, continue filing your weekly claims on time. If you reach the 3-week mark with no movement, that's when you should try to contact ESD directly. The challenge is that their phone lines are notoriously difficult to get through. I found success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with an ESD agent when my claim was stuck for a month. They have a service that helps you get through the phone system to speak with someone. There's a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 - definitely saved me weeks of frustration.

also make sure you didnt accidentally answer something wrong on your weekly claims. i said NO to being able and available one week cause i was confused about what they were asking and it held up ALL my payments for weeks

One thing to keep in mind - if your claim is delayed beyond 3 weeks, you have a right to know why. Request a status update through your eServices account by sending a secure message. Sometimes this alone can trigger someone to look at your claim. Also, double-check that your job search activities are meeting the 3 required activities per week and that you're documenting them properly. Inadequate job search information is a common reason for delays. But from what you've described, this sounds like the normal verification process that happens with new claims. The system is telling you to continue filing weekly claims because that's exactly what you should do - it's good advice.