I'm going through this EXACT same situation right now too! Had my eligibility interview on Wednesday, certified this morning, and just saw that awful "disqualification" status appear. My heart literally dropped when I first saw it - I was convinced I had somehow messed up during the interview even though it seemed to go well. Reading through all these responses has been such an incredible relief! It's amazing how many people are experiencing this identical timeline and situation. It really does seem like EDD's system just defaults to "disqualification" as a temporary placeholder while they process interview results, which is such terrible design. They should definitely use something less terrifying like "interview results under review" or "processing pending." Based on everyone's shared experiences here, I'm going to wait until Thursday before calling EDD, and I'm starting to gather all my job search documentation right now just in case I need it for an appeal. The fact that so many people eventually saw their status change to "paid" after about a week gives me real hope that this is just their broken process rather than actual denials. My interview notification also disappeared from my homepage after the call (seems like that's a good sign based on what others have shared!). Thanks everyone for creating such a supportive discussion - this thread is honestly saving my mental health while I wait this nightmare out!

I'm dealing with this EXACT same situation right now and honestly, finding this thread feels like finding a lifeline! Had my eligibility interview last Thursday, certified over the weekend, and just logged in today to see that terrifying "disqualification" status staring back at me. I was absolutely convinced I had somehow failed my interview even though the interviewer seemed satisfied with my responses. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief - it's clear this is just EDD's incredibly poor system design rather than actual rejections for most of us. The timeline consistency is remarkable: interview during the week, certify a few days later, then that panic-inducing "disqualification" placeholder appears while they're still processing everything. What's particularly frustrating is how EDD provides zero communication about what's happening. No explanation, no "your results are being processed" message - just that scary word that makes you think your benefits are gone forever. They desperately need to update their language to something like "interview results pending" instead of giving people heart attacks. Based on all the advice here, I'm going to wait until Thursday before calling, start documenting all my job search activities today, and keep obsessively checking my UI Online inbox. My interview notification also disappeared after the call, which seems to be a positive pattern based on what others have shared. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories and creating such a supportive space - this community is honestly what's keeping me sane while waiting this out! I'll definitely update with how things go by the end of the week.

Hey Javier! Reading through all these responses, this community really came through with some incredible solutions! I wanted to add one more option that helped my sister when she had the same phone verification nightmare - try calling the EDD Paid Family Leave line at (877) 238-4373. I know it sounds weird since you're dealing with UI, but they use the same account system and are usually WAY less busy. When they pick up, just explain you're having phone verification issues with your UI Online account. They can often transfer you internally or even fix it themselves since they have access to the same database. Also, if you're still stuck, try accessing your EDD account through the CA.gov portal instead of going directly to the EDD site - sometimes the state portal bypasses certain verification glitches. Don't stress too much about work - you've got like 30 different solutions to try now thanks to this amazing community! One of them is bound to work. Keep fighting the good fight! 💪

Hey Javier! I just want to echo what everyone else is saying - this thread has been absolutely incredible to read! The amount of practical, detailed advice you've gotten here is amazing. I went through a similar phone verification nightmare with EDD about 4 months ago when I switched from Verizon to T-Mobile, and it was honestly one of the most stressful experiences ever. What finally worked for me was a combination of several things people mentioned here: I used the incognito browser trick, called the technical support line, AND had my old carrier temporarily reactivate my number for $10. Sometimes it takes multiple approaches working together. Don't beat yourself up if you can't get this sorted before work today - the fact that you have so many solid solutions to try now means you WILL get through this. This community has literally given you a masterclass in EDD troubleshooting! Take a deep breath, pick a few of the suggestions that seem most doable for your situation, and tackle them one by one. You've got this! 🙌

I just wanted to share my recent experience to add to all the helpful information here! I was laid off from my logistics job about 3 weeks ago and was really nervous about applying for CalFresh while on unemployment. After reading through this amazing thread, I decided to go for it. I applied through BenefitsCal last weekend and just had my phone interview yesterday - it was literally 6 minutes and super straightforward. The caseworker confirmed that they process UI + CalFresh applications constantly and there's absolutely nothing to worry about. She said with my $341/week unemployment and $1380 rent, I should qualify for around $160-180/month in benefits. The relief I felt walking out of the grocery store yesterday knowing I didn't have to stress about every item I put in my cart was incredible. Even though I'm still waiting for my EBT card to arrive, just knowing it's approved has allowed me to focus so much better on job applications. To anyone still hesitating - please don't! These programs exist specifically for situations like ours. The application really is as easy as everyone described, and the peace of mind is worth so much more than the small amount of time it takes to apply. This thread convinced me to stop overthinking and just do it, and I'm so grateful I did!

This thread has been absolutely incredible - thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences! I was laid off from my retail job at a big box store about 10 days ago and have been really anxious about how I'm going to make it on just $289/week in UI benefits. My rent alone is $1250/month, so the math just doesn't work. Reading through all these success stories has given me the confidence I needed to apply for CalFresh. I was honestly terrified that somehow using food assistance would mess up my unemployment certification, but it's so clear from everyone's experiences that these programs are completely separate and designed to work together. I love how supportive this community is - seeing so many people in similar situations (especially fellow retail/warehouse workers) sharing practical advice and timelines has made this feel so much less overwhelming. I'm planning to gather my EDD award letter tonight and start the BenefitsCal application this weekend. The point about being able to focus on job searching instead of stressing about grocery money really resonates with me. I've been spending way too much mental energy trying to figure out how to stretch every dollar when I should be putting that focus toward finding my next opportunity. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to share their experiences. This thread has probably helped dozens of people feel more confident about accessing the help they need during these tough times! 🙏

I've been following this thread as someone who went through a very similar EDD interview about a year ago, and I wanted to share what ultimately made the difference in my case getting approved. The most important thing I learned is that EDD isn't just looking at whether your workplace was "bad" - they're specifically evaluating whether you had "good cause" under California law, which means any reasonable person in your situation would have quit too. Your case actually checks all the major boxes they look for: 1. You documented the issues by speaking with HR (twice!) 2. You sought medical help and got professional recommendations 3. You requested a reasonable accommodation to try to stay employed 4. Your employer denied that accommodation despite medical backing 5. You only quit when all other reasonable alternatives were exhausted During my interview, the agent spent most of the time asking about what steps I took to try to resolve the situation before quitting. The fact that you have emails from those HR conversations is huge - it shows you followed proper channels and gives you specific dates and details to reference. One thing that really helped me was framing my responses around the legal concept of "constructive discharge" - basically that my employer created working conditions so intolerable that any reasonable person would have felt compelled to resign. The denied medical accommodation after your doctor's recommendation is actually perfect evidence of this. You're going to do great on Monday! Make sure to emphasize that you "had good cause to quit" and "no reasonable alternative but to resign." The preparation you've done shows you understand exactly what EDD needs to hear.

I just wanted to add my experience since I went through almost the exact same situation about 8 months ago and was successfully approved for benefits. Your case sounds really solid - having those HR emails documenting your attempts to resolve the issues is crucial, and the denied medical accommodation request is actually one of the strongest pieces of evidence you could have. During my interview, the EDD agent was very focused on whether I had tried to preserve my employment before quitting. They asked specifically about: - What steps I took to address the problems - Whether I had any documentation of those efforts - If I explored reasonable accommodations - Why those accommodations weren't sufficient The fact that you have a doctor's note recommending reduced hours that was formally denied by your employer shows you made genuine efforts to find a solution that would allow you to stay employed despite the health impacts. That's exactly what EDD considers "good cause" for leaving. One thing that helped me stay calm during the interview was remembering that the agent isn't there to judge whether your situation was "fair" - they just need to determine if you met the legal standard for having good cause to quit. With your documentation and the clear timeline of escalating issues → medical intervention → accommodation request → denial → resignation, you've built exactly the kind of case they're looking for. Try to get some rest this weekend and trust in your preparation. You've done everything right and have the documentation to back it up. Looking forward to hearing about your positive outcome on Monday!

I've been dealing with Money Network transfers for about a year now, and here's my take: the 1-2 business day timeframe is mostly accurate, but there are definitely exceptions. I've noticed that transfers initiated on Mondays and Tuesdays tend to be the most reliable. One thing that really helped me was calling my bank (Wells Fargo) directly to ask about their specific ACH processing schedule. They told me incoming transfers from Money Network typically post to accounts around 6am on business days, which helped me set realistic expectations. Also, if you're in a real pinch for cash and can't wait for the transfer, you can use your Money Network card to buy a money order at the post office or grocery store, then deposit that into your account - it's not ideal but it can be same-day access to your funds if you're desperate.

I've been using Money Network for almost two years now and wanted to share a few additional tips that might help newcomers. First, if you have multiple bank accounts, it's worth testing transfers to each one to see which processes faster - I found my smaller local credit union actually beats my big national bank by half a day consistently. Second, Money Network sends email confirmations when transfers are initiated AND when they're completed on their end, so make sure those emails aren't going to spam. Finally, if you're really in a bind and need faster access, some check-cashing places will cash out your full Money Network balance for a fee (usually around $3-5), which might be worth it in emergency situations. The system definitely has its quirks, but once you learn the timing patterns it becomes much more manageable!