Just wanted to add another resource that might help - check if your local community colleges offer CNA programs through their continuing education departments. Many of these are designed for working adults and offer evening or hybrid schedules. Also, some Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs provide funding for healthcare training if you meet income requirements. You can find these through your local One-Stop Career Center. The training might even be free or low-cost, which would eliminate the need for loans or unemployment benefits altogether. Worth looking into before making any major decisions!

I'm currently working in healthcare administration and wanted to share something that might help. Many hospitals and healthcare systems have "earn while you learn" programs for CNAs that nobody talks about enough. They'll hire you as a patient care technician or nursing assistant trainee, pay you minimum wage or slightly above while you complete your certification, then give you a raise once you're certified. The catch is you usually have to commit to working for them for 6-12 months after certification, but honestly that's not a bad deal given how desperate healthcare facilities are for CNAs right now. I'd suggest calling the HR departments at your local hospitals directly and asking about these programs - they don't always advertise them widely but most have some version of this. Also, if you do end up having to quit your retail job, make sure you document everything about your manager's refusal to accommodate your schedule. While it probably won't help with unemployment, it could be useful if you ever need to reference your employment history or if there are any disputes later.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar boat - just got notice of layoff from my nonprofit job (effective Jan 15) but they want me to stay on as a consultant for February to help train my replacement. Reading everyone's experiences here is giving me confidence that I can accept the consulting gig without screwing up my unemployment claim. Quick question for those who've been through this - did any of you have issues with the fact that you're essentially working for the same employer who laid you off? I'm wondering if EDD views that differently than contract work for a completely different company. The pay structure and everything else sounds identical to what OP is dealing with, just curious if the "same employer" aspect creates any complications. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this community really is a lifesaver when navigating EDD's complexity!

I'm in a very similar situation - got laid off from my tech job last month and they offered me a short-term contract to help with the transition. I was terrified it would mess up my unemployment claim but reading through all these responses is such a relief! Just want to confirm one detail I'm still unclear on: when you certify for benefits during the contract period and report your 1099 earnings, does EDD automatically calculate whether you get partial benefits or nothing? Or do you have to do any math yourself to figure out what to expect? I'm worried about accidentally reporting something wrong and causing issues with my claim. Also, has anyone had experience with EDD asking for additional documentation about the contract work later on, or do they usually just take your weekly earning reports at face value? Want to make sure I keep the right paperwork just in case. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding how to navigate this situation!

I'm going through something similar right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I got hit with a false statement penalty for supposedly not reporting some gig work income, even though I'm pretty sure I did report it correctly. The whole situation is so stressful. @Sean O'Donnell - your update about using Claimyr to actually get through to EDD gives me hope! I've been trying to call for weeks with no luck. I'm definitely going to try that service tomorrow. For anyone else dealing with this, I also found out that you can request a "wage transcript" from EDD that shows exactly what income they have on file for you. Sometimes the discrepancies come from employers reporting things differently than what you expected. I requested mine last week and I'm waiting to see what it shows. The waiting and uncertainty is the worst part of all this. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and resources - it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with EDD's confusing system!

I'm really sorry you're going through this - the stress of dealing with EDD's false statement penalties is overwhelming. I went through something similar about 8 months ago when they flagged me for supposedly underreporting hours from a temp job. One thing that really helped my case was getting documentation directly from my employer showing exactly what they reported to EDD and when. It turned out there was a delay in how they submitted my hours that created the discrepancy. I also kept detailed records of all my phone calls and attempts to reach EDD (dates, times, what happened) which the ALJ seemed to appreciate during my hearing. Since you've already identified that it was likely a week mix-up with your variable shifts, I'd suggest creating a timeline document that shows your actual work schedule for those weeks versus what you reported. Visual evidence like that can be really powerful in showing it was an honest error rather than intentional fraud. The appeals process is definitely nerve-wracking, but based on what you've shared, it sounds like you have good evidence that this was a mistake. Keep pushing forward - you've got this!

hey OP, did u get ur SDI application submitted? My sister is going thru almost the same thing right now.

Great to hear you got your SDI application submitted! Just wanted to add that you should also start gathering documentation for your future UI claim while you're recovering. Keep records of your layoff date, any severance paperwork, and your doctor's return-to-work clearance. Having everything organized will make the transition from SDI to UI much smoother when you're ready to start job searching again. Hope you feel better soon!

Hey, just following up - were you able to get this resolved? I'm curious which method ended up working for you.

So glad to hear you got it resolved! This thread is super helpful for anyone else dealing with this issue. I'm bookmarking it because I feel like EDD account problems are so common and their error messages are never clear about what's actually wrong. The fact that your account was locked but the system was still pretending to send reset emails is typical EDD - they make everything so confusing. Thanks for sharing the solution that worked!