This is such a stressful situation but you're not alone! I went through something similar last year where EDD claimed I had unreported wages that were way higher than what I actually earned. A few things that really helped me: 1. Document EVERYTHING - not just paystubs but also your work schedules, timesheets if you have them, and any communication with your employer 2. The fact that you found another employee with a similar name is HUGE - that's probably exactly what happened 3. Don't wait for the appeal if you can help it - keep trying to reach EDD directly as others mentioned One thing I learned is that when employers use automated payroll systems, name mix-ups happen more often than you'd think, especially in large companies. Your HR department should be able to provide a letter confirming the error and your actual wages. Stay strong and don't give up! The appeals process worked for me even though it took forever. You clearly have your documentation in order and a legitimate explanation for the discrepancy.

I went through almost this exact same situation about 6 months ago! EDD said I had earned $3,800 that I never reported, but I was only working part-time at a grocery store making maybe $1,200/month. Turns out it was a payroll system glitch where my wages got combined with someone who had a similar employee ID number. Here's what saved me: I immediately contacted my HR department and asked them to pull my wage records and compare them to what they reported to EDD. They found the error within 2 days and submitted a corrected wage report. The whole thing got resolved without even needing the formal appeal process. Since you found that other employee with a similar name, definitely start there with HR. Get them to confirm your actual wages and ask them to check if there was any mix-up in their reporting. Sometimes fixing it at the employer level is way faster than going through EDD appeals. Also keep all your documentation ready just in case, but hopefully HR can resolve this quickly. Don't let this stress eat you alive - these mistakes happen more than you think and most get resolved once the right people look into it!

I'm 60 and was in your exact situation about 6 months ago - laid off from my supervisor position at a packaging company and terrified that unemployment would mess up my retirement plans. I spent weeks researching this and even called AARP's helpline to get clarification. The answer is definitively NO - unemployment benefits will not reduce your Social Security retirement benefits in any way. They're completely separate programs with different funding sources. Social Security is calculated from your highest 35 years of earnings where you paid SS taxes, and unemployment doesn't count as earnings for this calculation. What helped me most was actually creating the my Social Security account online and seeing that my projected benefits stayed exactly the same throughout my 5 months on EDD. With your 40 years of work history, a few months of unemployment won't even be a blip in your Social Security calculation. The only real impact is the temporary pause in retirement savings contributions, but that's manageable. Don't let this worry steal your peace of mind - you've got enough stress with job hunting. Your retirement security is intact!

I'm 57 and went through this exact same fear when I got laid off from my office job about 4 months ago! I was convinced that collecting EDD benefits would somehow reduce my Social Security payments when I retire. After losing sleep over it for weeks, I finally did what several others here mentioned - I created a my Social Security account at ssa.gov and looked at my actual projected benefits. Even after being on unemployment for months, my estimated retirement benefits were exactly the same as before I lost my job. It really drove home what everyone's saying - these are completely separate systems that don't affect each other at all. The Social Security calculation is based on your lifetime earnings where you paid SS taxes, not on whether you collected unemployment at some point. With decades of work history like you have, a temporary period of unemployment is basically invisible in the calculation. The only real impact is missing out on 401k contributions while you're between jobs, but that's not permanent damage. Don't waste your energy worrying about this like I did - put it all into your job search instead. Your retirement benefits are safe!

This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm currently providing IHSS care for my disabled brother and just got my hours reduced to almost nothing at my office job. From reading everyone's experiences, it's clear that since I'm caring for my sibling (not spouse or minor child), my IHSS wages will count toward my UI benefits. What I'm wondering about is the timing of filing - should I wait until my office hours are completely eliminated, or can I file now while still working reduced hours? Also, I noticed someone mentioned keeping records aligned with EDD's Sunday-Saturday certification weeks rather than IHSS pay periods - this is such a practical tip that I hadn't thought of! Has anyone had success using a specific method or app for tracking these hours by week? I want to make sure I'm super organized from the start since accuracy seems so important based on what others have shared about overpayment issues. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this community is amazing!

This has been such an incredibly helpful thread! I'm currently doing IHSS for my elderly father and just found out my retail job is ending next month due to store closure. Reading through all these detailed experiences, I now feel confident that my IHSS wages will count toward my UI benefits since I'm caring for my parent (not spouse or minor child). The breakdown of the $99 threshold and 75% reduction formula is especially useful - I had no idea how that calculation worked! One thing I'm curious about that I haven't seen mentioned yet - has anyone dealt with seasonal variations in IHSS hours affecting their weekly certifications? My father's care needs fluctuate based on his health, so some weeks I might work 20 IHSS hours and other weeks might be 35+ hours. I'm wondering if these fluctuations will complicate the certification process or if EDD is used to seeing variable part-time earnings. Also, does anyone know if there's a limit to how many hours of IHSS work you can do while still being considered "available" for other employment? Thanks to everyone for sharing such valuable real-world experiences - this thread should be bookmarked for anyone dealing with IHSS and unemployment!

I'm about 10 weeks out from my balance hitting zero and this thread has been absolutely invaluable - honestly wish I'd found it months ago! Reading everyone's experiences has given me so much practical information that I never found on any official EDD site. The California Training Benefits program sounds like exactly what I need. I'm in project management and have been wanting to get my PMP certification but couldn't afford it. If CTB covers that kind of training, it could actually make this whole situation into an opportunity to level up my credentials while keeping some income coming in. I'm 32 and have been really resistant to the idea of taking retail or service jobs because I thought it would hurt my professional image somehow. But hearing from so many experienced professionals who've successfully navigated this has completely changed my perspective. The story about meeting a future boss at a coffee shop really hit home - you never know where opportunities might come from. Planning to start my backup job applications this week at places like Target and maybe look into some freelance project management work on Upwork. Also going to call my local workforce center and research CTB options. Thanks to everyone for being so open about your situations - it's scary but knowing we're all in this together and that there are actually options makes it feel way more manageable!

I'm in almost exactly the same situation - my balance runs out in about 3 weeks and I've been searching in operations management for 6 months with very little luck. This thread has been incredibly helpful and honestly the first place I've found real answers about what happens after benefits end. I had no idea about the California Training Benefits program or that you could get partial unemployment with part-time work - those are huge game changers for planning! I've been putting off the reality of needing temporary work because at 35, applying for retail jobs feels like such a step backward. But reading all these stories from other professionals has really shifted my perspective. You're absolutely right that keeping a roof over your head is more important than pride. I'm definitely going to start applications at places like Costco and Target this week while continuing my operations search. Also planning to look into CTB for Six Sigma or supply chain certifications - those would actually make me more competitive for the roles I'm targeting anyway. The advice about starting early instead of waiting until you're completely broke is spot on. I wish I'd been this proactive months ago instead of just hoping something would come through. Thanks for sharing your story so openly - knowing other experienced professionals are navigating this same struggle makes it feel way less isolating. We've got this!

I'm so grateful I found this thread! I'm currently seeing the exact same "DQ redetermination qualification" status on my account as of yesterday and was having a complete meltdown thinking I had somehow ruined my claim. I've been unemployed for about 5 weeks after getting laid off from my tech job and this is my first time ever filing for unemployment, so every little status change feels terrifying. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief - it sounds like this is actually EDD working to resolve issues rather than creating new problems. The fact that so many people got paid after seeing this status gives me so much hope! @Ezra Beard thank you for posting this question and keeping us all updated with your progress. It really helps to see the whole journey from start to finish. Based on all these responses, it seems like most people see their payments come through within 3-7 days, which makes the waiting a little more bearable. Fingers crossed mine follows the same pattern because rent is definitely looming! It's amazing how this one thread has turned my panic into cautious optimism.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently seeing the same "DQ redetermination qualification" status on my account for the past 3 days and was absolutely panicking until I found this discussion. I got laid off from my healthcare job about a month ago and this whole unemployment system is so confusing and stressful. Reading everyone's experiences here has given me so much relief - it sounds like this status actually means good news rather than bad! @Ezra Beard thanks for posting this and updating everyone with your progress. It's so reassuring to see that yours got resolved quickly and automatically. Based on all these responses, it seems like most people see their payments go through within a few days to a week after this status appears. The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking when bills are piling up, but knowing that so many others went through the exact same thing and got paid gives me hope that mine will resolve soon too. This community is amazing for helping each other navigate EDD's confusing system!