Thank you everyone for the helpful advice! I'll definitely keep certifying until I get my first paycheck, and I'll make sure to accurately report my hours even before I get paid. I'll also take screenshots of everything just to be safe. Really appreciate all the tips - this community has been so helpful throughout my unemployment journey!

Congrats on the new job, Lucas! Just wanted to add one more tip that saved me - when you're reporting your work hours during certification, make sure you report the GROSS hours worked, not just the hours you'll be paid for. So if you work 40 hours but your employer doesn't pay for your lunch break, you still report 40 hours to EDD. I made this mistake in my first certification after getting hired and it caused some confusion later. Also, if your new job offers any training pay or signing bonuses, those count as earnings too and should be reported in the week you receive them. Good luck with the new position!

I'm going through this exact same frustrating situation right now! It's been 12 days since my first payment showed as "paid" and still no card in sight. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with this nightmare. Based on all the advice shared, I'm definitely going to call Money Network at 1-866-692-9374 tomorrow morning at exactly 8:00 AM. It sounds like the early morning timing is absolutely crucial for shorter wait times. I've been making the mistake of calling in the afternoon and getting nowhere. I'm also planning to check with my apartment complex's leasing office to see if they're holding any mail - several people mentioned this and it's such a smart idea since mail delivery can be unpredictable in large complexes. At this point I'm ready to pay the $15 for expedited shipping on a replacement card rather than continue stressing about when it might randomly appear. When you have bills due, that fee is nothing compared to the peace of mind. Thanks to everyone who shared their detailed experiences and advice - it gives me a clear action plan and hope that this will be resolved soon! Sarah, I hope you get through to Money Network and get your card situation sorted out quickly too.

I went through this exact same situation about 3 months ago and it was absolutely nerve-wracking! My card took 21 days to arrive even though my payments showed "paid" from the beginning. Here's what I learned from the experience: Definitely call Money Network at 1-866-692-9374 at exactly 8:00 AM - I cannot stress this enough! The difference in wait times is incredible. I got through in about 15 minutes calling first thing in the morning versus being on hold for 2+ hours when I tried calling later. When you get through, don't hesitate to request a replacement card with expedited shipping if it's been more than 10 business days. It costs around $15 but it's absolutely worth it when you have rent due. They were really understanding about the situation and didn't give me any pushback. Also check with your apartment complex's mail room or leasing office - my card was actually sitting there for 6 days before I thought to ask! Sometimes they hold certain types of mail separately. One thing that really helped my stress was creating an account on the Money Network website to track my card status. They have a new tracking system that shows when your card has been printed and mailed out. Once you finally get your card, immediately set up direct deposit through your UI Online account so you never have to deal with this mail delay nightmare again. You can also transfer funds directly to your bank through the Money Network app right after activating the card. Your money is definitely safe and this will get resolved! The system is frustrating but you're definitely not alone in dealing with this.

Hi everyone, just made a video about how to call the EDD and reach a live human agent: https://youtu.be/-R4SqP7_JUA

I'm dealing with a similar false statement penalty situation and it's been incredibly frustrating. From what I've researched, the key is to gather all your documentation and be prepared to explain exactly what happened when you do get through to EDD. Make sure you have your original claim information, any correspondence from EDD, and documentation that supports your case. The penalty weeks can feel endless, but staying organized and persistent with appeals or explanations seems to be the most effective approach. Has anyone had success with the appeal process for false statement penalties?

This thread has been a goldmine of information! I'm currently dealing with my first 2500A form after my benefit year ended last week, and honestly the EDD website made it sound like it would be a simple 3-5 day process. Reading everyone's real experiences here has been both eye-opening and slightly terrifying - the fact that it can take anywhere from 8 days to over a month is such a huge range to plan around financially! I had some freelance graphic design work during months 5-7 of my claim (all properly reported and documented) so it sounds like I should definitely expect the manual review process. The tip about calling around day 7-8 at 8am seems like the best strategy based on what everyone's shared. It's really frustrating that we have to become detectives just to figure out if our claims are processing normally or stuck on some hidden flag. The UI Online portal showing just "processing" when there could be immediate issues that need fixing is honestly terrible system design. But I'm grateful for communities like this where people share their actual experiences and timelines - way more helpful than any official EDD resource I've found!

I'm new to this community and currently navigating my first experience with unemployment benefits. This entire thread has been incredibly educational about what to actually expect with the DE 2500A continued claim form! As someone who's completely unfamiliar with the EDD system, I had no idea that properly reported income could trigger automatic manual review, or that the online portal basically gives you no useful information about what's really happening with your claim. The range of processing times everyone has shared (8 days to a month+) is pretty daunting from a financial planning perspective, but the consistent advice about calling around day 7-8 at 8am or 11:30am seems like a solid strategy. It's honestly frustrating that we have to rely on community knowledge like this to understand basic processes that should be clearly explained by EDD itself. The fact that so many issues can be resolved immediately once you actually speak to a representative makes the whole "processing" status even more misleading. I'm bookmarking all these tips and timelines for future reference - this real-world insight is way more valuable than anything I've found on the official EDD website. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to share your specific experiences and outcomes!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Got laid off from my office job in late February and have been receiving payments for about 3 weeks, but that "qualification review" status on my UI Online homepage has been stressing me out so much. I keep wondering if I did something wrong or if they're going to suddenly decide I don't qualify. Reading through everyone's experiences here is honestly such a relief - it sounds like this is just a standard part of EDD's process that they don't really explain well to claimants. I haven't received any interview notices yet either, so I'm hoping that's a good sign. One question for those who went through this - did you notice any specific timeframe for when the status changed from "qualification review" to something else? I'm trying to figure out if there's a typical timeline or if it just varies case by case. Either way, I'm definitely going to keep up with my certifications and job search requirements while I wait it out!

I'm going through this EXACT same thing right now! Been getting payments for about 6 weeks after being laid off from my retail job, but that "qualification review" status has been giving me major anxiety. I keep thinking they're going to suddenly stop everything or ask for the money back. Reading all these responses is honestly so reassuring - it sounds like this is way more common than EDD makes it seem. I haven't gotten any interview notices either, which based on what everyone's saying here seems like a good sign. One thing I've learned from lurking in this community is to screenshot EVERYTHING - your payment history, certification confirmations, even just the homepage with your claim status. I started doing this after reading horror stories about people having trouble proving they were following all the rules if issues came up later. It's crazy how EDD doesn't really explain what these statuses mean. Like, would it kill them to add a little explanation next to "qualification review" saying "this is normal, we're just verifying your info while continuing payments"? Would save so many people from stressing out unnecessarily!