I went through something similar about 6 months ago. When I updated my return-to-work date, it actually triggered an automatic review of my claim status. The system flagged it as a potential change in my disability status, even though I was just updating future dates. It took about 4 weeks to resolve once I finally got through to someone. In the meantime, I had to submit additional medical documentation to prove I was still disabled. The key is to keep all your medical records handy and be prepared to resubmit paperwork. Also, if you have a case worker assigned, try reaching out to them directly via email - sometimes that's faster than the general phone line.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! My payments stopped about 2 weeks ago after I had to update some information in my account. From what I've learned lurking in this community, it seems like any changes to your claim can trigger an automatic review, which temporarily pauses payments while they verify everything. It's incredibly frustrating because they don't always notify you that this is happening. I'd recommend calling first thing in the morning (like others suggested) and also sending a secure message through your online portal asking specifically about the status of your claim and if there's a review in progress. Document everything - dates, times you called, reference numbers if you get any. Hang in there, we'll get through this! 💪

I just went through my second EDD interview yesterday and wanted to add my experience to this incredibly helpful thread! Like so many of you, I was really anxious when I got that second interview notice about 3 weeks after my first one. My situation was wage verification - apparently there was a discrepancy between what I reported and what my employer submitted for my final pay period. The interviewer was very straightforward about it and the whole thing only took about 10 minutes once I explained the timing of my last paycheck and provided the pay stub details. What really struck me was how routine this seemed to the interviewer. She mentioned that second interviews have become much more common since they've increased their verification procedures. It's clearly not the red flag I thought it was! For anyone still waiting for their interview, I'd echo all the great advice here: - Gather ALL your documentation beforehand - Be prepared to explain dates and circumstances clearly - Stay consistent with what you said in your first interview - Don't panic if your payments are continuing - that's usually a good sign The constructive discharge discussion in this thread has been really eye-opening too. It's great that people are learning about their rights when employers make working conditions impossible. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - this thread seriously saved me from weeks of unnecessary stress! Hopefully it continues to help others going through the same situation.

Just wanted to add my experience to this thread since it's been so helpful! I had my second EDD interview last month and it ended up being about work search verification. My first interview covered the basics about my separation, but the second one focused specifically on whether I was actively looking for work and available to accept employment. The interviewer asked for specific examples of jobs I'd applied to, what types of positions I was seeking, and whether I had any restrictions on my availability. It lasted about 20 minutes and was pretty straightforward once I had my job search log ready to reference. One thing that surprised me was that they asked about my LinkedIn activity and whether I'd been networking. Apparently they're looking at more than just formal job applications now - they want to see that you're making genuine efforts to find work through multiple channels. For anyone preparing for their second interview, I'd recommend: - Keep detailed records of all job applications, networking events, etc. - Be ready to explain your job search strategy - Have specific company names and dates available - Don't exaggerate - they may verify some of your claims Like everyone else here, my payments continued throughout the process and everything turned out fine. This thread really helped calm my nerves when I first got that notice. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences!

I'm in almost the exact same boat as you! Got laid off in February when my company went under and just started a part-time gig two weeks ago. The timing confusion was driving me crazy too. From what I've learned (and confirmed with an EDD rep), your benefit year starts the Sunday of the week you filed, but you only "use" weeks when you actually receive benefits. So if you have a week where you earn too much and don't get any UI payment, that week doesn't count against your 26. The partial benefits thing is actually pretty generous - I'm working about 25 hours a week making roughly half my old salary, and I'm still getting about $180/week in partial UI. The key is reporting your GROSS earnings for the week you worked (not when you get paid), and EDD does the calculation automatically. One thing that's been super helpful is keeping a simple log of my hours and earnings each week. Makes certification way less stressful when I have everything written down already. Also seconding the recommendation about Claimyr if you need to talk to someone - I used it last month and actually got through to a helpful rep who walked me through exactly how my partial benefits would work. Honestly, this setup has been way less terrible than I expected. Having some income from work plus partial UI is giving me breathing room to be picky about my next full-time job instead of just taking the first thing that comes along.

I'm in a really similar situation - got laid off about 6 weeks ago and just started a part-time position last week. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! One thing I want to add that I learned the hard way: make sure your part-time employer understands that you need consistent reporting of your hours and pay dates. My first week, there was some confusion about when my "work week" started for reporting purposes, and I almost messed up my certification because I wasn't sure which week to report the earnings in. Also, for anyone else in this situation - I found it really helpful to call EDD during my first week of part-time work to walk through exactly how to report everything. The rep I spoke with was actually really patient and explained that as long as you're honest about your earnings and report them in the correct week, the system is pretty forgiving. The mental shift from "I only have 26 weeks" to "I have X dollars in benefits that will last as long as it takes to use them up" has been huge for my stress levels. Plus knowing that the part-time work is actually helping build my base period for a future claim if needed makes me feel like I'm being productive rather than just treading water. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread is way more helpful than anything on the official EDD website!

So glad you got it figured out! This is actually a really common issue that trips up a lot of people - the old account thing catches everyone off guard. Your post and the solutions people shared here are going to help so many others who run into the same problem. Thanks for coming back to update us with what worked!

This thread is gold! I'm bookmarking this for future reference. It's so frustrating how EDD doesn't make it clearer that you might already have an account from years ago - they should really add a note about checking account recovery first before trying to register as new. The fact that so many people are running into this exact same issue shows there's definitely a communication gap on their end. Glad to see this community helping each other navigate these bureaucratic nightmares!

I finally got through to someone at the Appeals Office this morning! They told me the postponement was due to the judge having a medical emergency. They couldn't give me an exact date yet, but said it would likely be rescheduled within 2-3 weeks and that I'd get priority scheduling. I also submitted all my documentation via email like someone here suggested, and they confirmed receipt. Still frustrating, but at least I know what's happening now.

I'm so sorry this happened to you! I went through something similar last year and I know how devastating it feels when you've prepared everything and taken time off work. In my case, the postponement was due to a scheduling conflict with multiple cases, and it took about 3 weeks to get a new date. One thing I learned - when you call the Appeals Office tomorrow, ask them to put a note in your file that you had to take unpaid time off for the original hearing. Sometimes they can expedite rescheduling for people who had significant impacts from the postponement. Also, since your manager was willing to testify, maybe see if they can provide a written statement too, just as backup in case the timing doesn't work out again. The waiting is absolutely brutal when you're struggling financially, but hang in there. Most people I've talked to who made it to their actual hearing had positive outcomes, especially with misclassification cases if you have good documentation. Sending you positive thoughts that this gets resolved quickly!