Just to add one more thing - different claim types have different work search requirements. Regular UI claims require work search, but if you're on a partial claim, DI, or have a union hiring hall agreement, your requirements might be different. Double-check your specific requirements in your UI Online account messages or your award letter.

As someone who just went through the EDD appeal process last month, I can't stress enough how important it is to document EVERYTHING. I initially thought like your cousin that reporting was optional, but when my claim got flagged for review, having zero documentation in the system made proving my eligibility incredibly difficult. Even though I was actually doing work search activities, I had to scramble to recreate records from my email history and browser bookmarks. The appeals judge specifically mentioned that claimants who use the online reporting system have a much easier time during hearings because there's an official timestamp and record. It's basically free insurance for your claim - takes 5 extra minutes per week but could save you thousands in benefits if you ever get audited. Better safe than sorry!

UPDATE: Money Network just posted on their status page that the issue has been resolved as of this morning. Try your card again at stores now - it should be working properly. If you're still having problems, then it might be a different issue specific to your account and you should contact Money Network customer service.

This is exactly what I needed to see! I've been having the same issue for the past few days and was starting to panic thinking something was wrong with my account. My card kept getting declined at CVS and Ralph's but worked fine at the ATM. Reading through all these responses, especially Miranda's explanation about it being a widespread Money Network issue, really puts my mind at ease. I'm going to try switching to direct deposit like Ally suggested - seems like that would avoid all these technical headaches in the future. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

UPDATE: I wanted to thank everyone for the advice. I called BofA EDD and they confirmed someone had filed a fraudulent claim using my information! They've deactivated the card and I'm going through the process of reporting this to EDD and placing a fraud alert with credit bureaus. Special thanks to whoever recommended Claimyr - it really did help me get through to a real person at EDD quickly. The agent said this has been happening a lot lately.

I'm so sorry this happened to you! It's really frustrating how common identity theft has become with unemployment benefits. I'm glad you were able to get it sorted out quickly by following the advice here. For anyone else reading this thread who might face a similar situation, it's worth noting that you should also check your EDD online account (if you have one) to see if there are any claims filed that you didn't submit. Sometimes fraudsters will file claims but the victims don't realize it until they get a card or notice in the mail. Also, definitely keep all the documentation from this process - case numbers, reference numbers, etc. You might need them later if any issues come up. Thanks for updating us on how it turned out!

The most definitive answer: Your EDD account can't be fully deleted, but you can effectively make it dormant. After reading everyone's responses, here's what I recommend: 1. Update notification preferences in UI Online as mentioned above 2. If emails continue, call EDD and specifically ask them to mark your account as "Do Not Contact" 3. Create email filters to auto-archive any future communications Technically, your account will always exist in their system, but you won't have to deal with it anymore. Remember that if you ever need unemployment again, you'll use the same account, so don't lose your login credentials.

Just wanted to add my experience here - I had the same issue a few months back and what finally worked was logging into UI Online and going to "Manage Claimant Account" (it's kind of hidden in the menu). There's actually a section where you can set your account to "inactive" status once your claim is exhausted. It doesn't delete the account but it stops most of the automated emails and notifications. The trick is you have to wait until your benefit year is completely over - if you try to do it while there's still time left on your claim, the system won't let you. After I did this, I only got one final email confirming the status change and then nothing since. Way easier than calling and dealing with their phone system!

Just to follow up on this thread: Make sure you continue certifying for benefits while waiting for this to be resolved. Many claimants make the mistake of not certifying because they're worried about the missed RESEA appointment, but that can create additional problems. The questionnaire is your opportunity to explain the situation, and as long as you have good cause (which a phone malfunction can qualify as), your benefits should continue once they process your response.

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago! The stress is real, but you're doing the right things. I ended up calling the EDD number every morning at exactly 8:00 AM for about a week straight until I got through - that seems to be the sweet spot before the lines get completely jammed. When I finally reached someone, they confirmed the Pacific Center address was correct for my area and told me they'd received my form about 10 days after I mailed it. One thing that helped was including a timeline in my cover letter - like "Phone began malfunctioning on [date], missed call on [appointment date], mailed questionnaire on [date]." The agent said having specific dates made it easier for them to document everything properly. Also, definitely keep that copy of everything you send - I had to reference mine when they called me back a few weeks later to confirm some details. Your benefits shouldn't stop as long as you keep certifying and they can see you're trying to resolve this. Hang in there!