Weekly claims stuck in processing for 5 weeks - no payments from ESD

You might have an identity verification issue that's not showing up in your portal. This happened to me in January - my claims were stuck in processing for 6 weeks with no explanation. I kept calling and eventually got through to someone who told me they needed additional identity verification documents, but the system never sent me the notification. Check your spam folder for any emails from ESD too.

mine was stuk for like 7 weeks last year. turned out i needed to verify my identity but nobody told me until i finally got thru on the phone. the whole system is broken imo

You need to check if you have an adjudication issue. Log into your eServices account, click on the current claim, then look for "Decisions and Alerts" section. If there's something there about identity verification or separation issue, that's likely why it's held up. Also, check your weekly claims - make sure you didn't accidentally report something that triggered a review (like answering "no" to being able and available for work). If everything looks clean on your end, you'll need to reach an agent. The best times to call are right when they open at 8am or around 3:30pm when call volume sometimes dips. Keep detailed notes of when you call and what the system tells you - you might need this documentation later if you request backdating.

This EXACT thing happened to me!!!! 5 weeks of NOTHING!!! And guess what? I finally found out they had put my claim on hold because my previous employer contested something, but ESD never bothered to tell me! I was just sitting there waiting like an IDIOT while my landlord was threatening eviction. The whole system is DESIGNED to make you give up.

I had a similar situation last month. After weeks of frustration trying to reach someone at ESD, I tried using Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an ESD agent within 30 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Turns out I had an employer response issue that needed adjudication, but the notification never appeared in my portal. The agent was able to expedite my claim review once I finally reached them. Definitely worth it when you're desperate to talk to someone.

they do this on purpose i swear. makes people give up claiming

Here's what you need to do: 1) Document everything. Write down every time you've attempted to contact ESD. 2) Triple-check your weekly claim answers for consistency. Any changes can trigger reviews. 3) Make sure you're submitting your job search activities correctly - 3 per week, properly documented. 4) Check if your identity verification is complete. Many claims get held up here. 5) Contact your state representative's office. Many have unemployment assistance staff who can escalate issues. 6) If you can reach an agent, request that they expedite your claim due to financial hardship. The system is overwhelmed right now due to seasonal layoffs and some system updates they implemented in January 2025. Keep persisting - once your claim is approved, you'll receive all backdated payments.

After I tried that Claimyr service someone mentioned, I got through to ESD in about 25 mins. My claim was stuck because they needed to verify my identity but the letter got lost in the mail. Once I uploaded the documents they needed, my payments started processing within 2-3 days and I got all my back payments. Hope this helps!

Were you on a previous claim within the past year? Sometimes if you had a prior claim, there can be issues with the benefit year transition that cause processing delays. Also, did you work for multiple employers in your base year? That can sometimes cause additional wage verification steps that delay the initial processing.

Good news is that once they resolve whatever is causing the hold, you'll get all your back payments at once. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims on time even if they're not paying out yet. I had a similar situation and ended up getting a large lump sum payment once they fixed the issue.

uhhh this reminds me of when my roommate went through the same thing last yr... he kept calling and calling and it turned out they needed like one more piece of paper or something? but nobody bothered to tell him until he finally got someone on the phone. try the Claimyr thing others mentioned, my roommate didnt know about that and spent like 3 weeks just calling and getting hung up on

Just as an update based on other comments - I've seen a significant increase in identity verification holds in 2025. ESD implemented a new verification system in January, and many legitimate claims are getting caught in it. The frustrating part is that the system often doesn't notify claimants about the hold. Hopefully that's all it is in your case - relatively easy to fix once you reach someone.