I work in HR and deal with unemployment appeals frequently. Just so you're aware, the second-level appeal success rate is only about 15-20%. The Commissioner typically defers to the Administrative Law Judge's findings unless there's a clear error in how the law was applied. Make sure your attorney is focusing on legal errors rather than just rehashing the same arguments. Also, if you lose the Commissioner's Review, you still have one more option - filing with the Superior Court, though that's even more complex and expensive.

did u kno u can still file weekly claims while waiting for appeal? even if ur getting denied u should keep filing every week so if u win they pay u for all those weeks. i almost messed that up and woulda lost like $6200

UPDATE: I just got off the phone with ESD (finally!!) and they explained that they think I worked during two weeks in February when I was still claiming benefits. The problem is I didn't start my new job until March 2nd, and I definitely reported that correctly on my weekly claims. The agent I spoke with said I need to gather pay stubs, my official hire letter, and anything else showing my actual start date, then file an appeal ASAP since I only have about 2 weeks left in my appeal window. Wish me luck!

anyone know if they can take the money from your bank account directly??? i just got a overpayment letter too (for $1890) and im worried they'll just take it from my checking account which would literally overdraft me by like $1500 😱

my claim took 9 weeks last year before getting approved. ESD is the worst. i heard they expedite things if you claim hardship like eviction notice or utility shutoff. maybe try that angle?

Update: I uploaded my contract end documentation and then tried calling ESD again today. Still couldn't get through after 14 attempts. This is so frustrating! I'm starting to wonder if I should just give up and try finding another job ASAP even though I've been applying everywhere for weeks with no luck. The stress is making me physically ill at this point.

Give it 5 BUSINESS days before you start worrying. That's the standard processing time for ACH transfers between financial institutions. If ESD shows it as paid, they've done their part. Sometimes smaller banks or credit unions take longer to process incoming transfers, especially if they batch process them only on certain days. I've had unemployment payments take anywhere from 1-5 business days to hit my account, and it seemed totally random. The exact same bank and exact same payment amount could take different times in different weeks. You only need to contact ESD if: 1. It's been more than 5 business days 2. Your payment status on the ESD site changes from "paid" to something else 3. You get a notification of a problem with the payment

update? did u get ur payment yet?? mine finally came through this morning!

When I got a job last December I didn't bother claiming for that last partial week. Just seemed like too much hassle for probably a small amount of money. But I was also kinda paranoid about accidentally saying something wrong and then getting in trouble later. Just my experience, though maybe I left some money on the table.

One time i had a job that lasted only 2 weeks and i didnt report it cause i thought it wasnt worth the trouble and then they found out through tax stuff and i had to pay back everything plus a penalty. so definately always report everything even if it seems small or not worth it!!