Unexpectedly fired after 5 weeks - ESD claim stuck in limbo - will it be denied?

I went through something similar in February. My claim was held up for almost 7 weeks before being approved. The main thing that might affect your claim is the reason for termination. Since they called it a "restructuring" that actually works in your favor - it means you were laid off rather than fired for cause. Make sure your employer reported it as a layoff/restructuring and not misconduct. Have you tried calling ESD to check your claim status? That's what ultimately moved mine forward, but it took 30+ calls to actually reach someone.

I had my claim denied initially because my employer claimed I was fired for "not meeting expectations" even though I never received any formal warnings. ESD denied me, but I appealed and WON because my employer couldn't provide documentation of any performance issues or corrective actions. The whole process took almost 4 months though. One tip: keep filing your weekly claims even while waiting for the initial determination. If you get approved, they'll pay for all those weeks at once. If you stop filing, you'll lose those weeks of benefits even if eventually approved.

After struggling with ESD's phone system for weeks, I finally found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual ESD agent. You can watch their demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 to see how it works. It basically holds your place in line so you don't have to keep redialing. When I finally got through, the agent was able to tell me exactly what was holding up my claim and fixed it while I was on the phone. In your situation, it sounds like your claim might be in adjudication because of the termination circumstances. An agent could at least tell you if there's anything specific holding things up or if your employer has responded yet.

ESD IS A JOKE!!! i waited 9 weeks last yr and then got denied bc my employer straight up LIED and said i was fired for being late, but i had PROOF i was never late!!! had to appeal and wait ANOTHER 6 WEEKS before finally getting a hearing and winning. meanwhile i almost got evicted TWICE. the system is completely broken!!!!

Have you checked your ESD account for any alerts or messages? Sometimes they need additional information but don't actually call or email you about it - you have to log in and check. There should be an "Alerts" section where you can see if there's anything pending from your side. Also, did you verify your identity through ID.me? That's a common holdup for many claims.

just went thru the same thing. was at my job 6 yrs, got fired bcuz new manager didnt like me. waited 7 weeks for ESD. totally get ur stress about bills!! what helped me was calling my landlord and explaining the situation. they gave me an extension when i showed them my unemployment claim confirmation. might be worth trying?

If it's been 5 weeks with no movement, I would definitely try to speak to someone at ESD directly. After using the service that was mentioned earlier (Claimyr), I got through to ESD in about 45 minutes. The agent told me my claim was sitting in a queue waiting for an adjudicator to review it, but she was able to expedite it since it had been pending so long. Two days later, my claim was approved. If you do get through, specifically ask if your claim is in adjudication, and if so, why. Also ask if your former employer has responded to their request for information - sometimes claims are delayed simply because the employer hasn't responded yet.

Based on what you've described - being terminated due to "restructuring" with no prior warnings or disciplinary actions - your claim should eventually be approved. Restructuring is considered a lack of work situation, which is not disqualifying for unemployment benefits. The delay is frustrating but unfortunately common in 2025 with the current backlog at ESD. Keep documenting everything - save any emails or messages from your employer about the termination, any performance reviews that show you were meeting expectations, etc. This documentation will be crucial if they try to contest your claim. And definitely keep filing those weekly claims while you wait!