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To follow up on my earlier comment, since your appeal was specifically about a 2020 claim, the judge's decision should make ESD process your claim under the rules that were in effect at that time. This includes: 1. Job search requirements were waived for much of 2020, so you likely won't need to provide that documentation 2. The additional pandemic benefits (FPUC $600/week, later $300/week) should apply to eligible weeks 3. Extended benefits like PEUC would apply if you exhausted regular UI However, be prepared for this to take time. ESD's systems weren't designed to retroactively process claims from years ago, especially for programs that no longer exist. Document everything and be persistent with your follow-ups.
ESD typically has 30 days to implement an OAH judge's decision. However, complex cases involving backdating to pandemic programs may take longer due to the technical challenges. If you haven't seen any action after 30 days, you should contact the Office of Administrative Hearings to inquire about enforcement of the decision. Remember to keep copies of the judge's decision letter and all correspondence with ESD about this matter.
For those still waiting, I just received an email update from ESD. They confirmed they've resolved the technical issue and all remaining delayed payments should process overnight tonight. They apologized for the delay and inconvenience.\n\nLooks like they're finally getting better at communicating these issues! The email mentioned they're implementing a new notification system to alert claimants about potential delays in the future.
Quick update for others finding this thread: Standard ESD payment processing times are 2-3 business days after 'paid' status for regular ongoing claims, but initial payments with multiple weeks of backpay typically take 3-5 business days due to additional verification steps. Wells Fargo specifically is known to hold larger first-time government deposits for additional review. For the original poster - if you need to reach ESD quickly, definitely try the Claimyr service I mentioned earlier. With 5 weeks of backpay at stake and rent coming due, speaking directly with an ESD agent is your best option. They can verify if the payment was actually sent and give you a more precise timeline.
UPDATE: My payment finally came through this morning (Thursday)! Looks like it just took a bit longer than I expected. Thanks everyone for your help and advice during my mini-freak out. For anyone else reading this in the future - be prepared to wait 3-4 business days after approval, especially for first payments with multiple weeks of backpay.
The terminology can be confusing, but there's an important distinction here: your claim being approved means you're eligible for the program, but each weekly certification can still be disqualified for various reasons. Check if you've answered any of these questions in a way that would trigger disqualification: - Did you report being unavailable for work on any day? - Did you refuse any job offers? - Did you report being unable to work due to illness? - Did you travel outside your job search area? If you can get through to ESD, ask them to review your weekly claim answers specifically.
Update us once you figure out what the issue was! It will help others who might run into similar problems in the future.
I definitely will! Going to try calling again tomorrow morning and if that doesn't work, I might try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. Really appreciate everyone's help here.
QuantumQuest
UPDATE: I finally got through today! I tried the Claimyr service that someone mentioned in the comments and was connected to an ESD agent within about 90 minutes. The agent was actually super helpful - turns out my former employer did contest the claim saying I quit (I didn't), but the adjudicator hadn't processed all the documentation I uploaded at the beginning. The agent escalated my case and said I should have a decision within 3-5 business days. She also put a hardship flag on my account because of my potential eviction situation. Thanks everyone for the advice! I'll update when I hear about the decision.
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Mei Zhang
•Great news! Make sure to keep doing your weekly claims while you wait for the decision. If they approve your claim, they'll pay all those pending weeks at once. The hardship flag should definitely help speed things up.
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Jamal Anderson
i had something similar happen with my former job. they tried saying i was fired for misconduct when actually they eliminated my whole department!! make sure u have any emails or paperwork showing it was a layoff. the adjudicator might call u for a phone interview to explain ur side.
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QuantumQuest
•Thankfully I saved all the emails about the layoff, including the one from HR that specifically calls it a "reduction in force" and mentions the department restructuring. I uploaded those with my initial claim but I guess they didn't look at them yet. The agent I spoke with today said she could see them in my file and added notes about where to find them.
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