Hey Javier! I just read through this whole thread and honestly, this community is incredible - you've got so many solid solutions to try now! I went through something similar when I switched from Sprint to Google Fi last year. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet: if you have access to Google Voice or any similar service, you can sometimes set up call forwarding from your old number (even if it's disconnected) to temporarily receive those verification codes. Also, check if your new carrier offers "number porting protection" - some carriers will let you temporarily reactivate your old number for situations exactly like this. The EDD system is absolutely frustrating, but between all these workarounds everyone shared, you're definitely going to get through this! Don't stress too much about work - your benefits are secure once this gets sorted. We're all rooting for you! 🙏

Hey Javier! I just wanted to jump in and say this thread has been incredible to read - this community really shows up for each other! I had a similar phone verification nightmare with EDD about 8 months ago and it was so stressful. One quick thing I didn't see mentioned yet: if you have any family members or roommates who also receive EDD benefits, sometimes logging in from their account and then switching to yours can bypass weird verification glitches. Also, check if your bank or credit union offers any advocacy services - some have dedicated staff who can help navigate government benefit issues and might have direct EDD contacts. The amount of helpful advice in this thread is amazing, and honestly between all these solutions, I'm confident you're going to get this sorted out! The EDD system is broken but this community definitely isn't. Keep fighting and don't let the bureaucracy wear you down! 💪

This thread is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with this exact situation right now - just submitted my first certification on Monday and it's been showing pending for 3 days. I was starting to panic thinking I answered something wrong during the certification process, but reading through everyone's experiences has been such a relief. Miguel, thanks for sharing your story and especially for updating with the successful outcome! It really helps to see that 3 business days is totally normal. The lack of clear communication from EDD about processing times is honestly stressful when you're already dealing with unemployment anxiety. I'm going to try to be patient and wait until Thursday before worrying. Really grateful for this community - makes the whole process feel less overwhelming when you can learn from others who've been through it!

I'm going through this exact same anxiety right now! Just certified for my first time yesterday and have been obsessively checking the portal every few hours since then. Reading through Miguel's experience and seeing everyone's timelines has been such a huge relief - I was convinced I had messed up something during the certification questions. It's really frustrating that EDD doesn't provide any clear explanation about processing times for first-time certifications. A simple "expect 3-5 business days for processing" message would save so many people from unnecessary panic! Thanks to everyone for sharing your real experiences and timelines. This thread is honestly a lifesaver when you're already stressed about finances and the official system gives you zero guidance about what to expect.

That's such great news to hear you're making progress on multiple fronts! The fact that you got the EDD exception form submitted so quickly and actually reached ID.me's Account Recovery Team is huge. It sounds like having that structured plan really made all the difference compared to just spinning your wheels with regular customer service. I'm also dealing with some EDD complications (different issue but equally frustrating) and this whole thread has been incredibly educational. The 211 tip for emergency assistance is something I never would have thought of but makes total sense as a backup plan. It's exactly the kind of practical advice you need when you're stressed about immediate bills while fighting through bureaucracy. Really hoping both EDD and ID.me come through for you within their promised timeframes! Please keep us posted - your experience is definitely helping other people who are stuck in similar situations figure out their next steps.

Wow, this thread has become an incredible resource for anyone dealing with ID.me/EDD issues! As someone who went through a similar nightmare about 6 months ago, I can confirm that almost everything mentioned here is spot-on advice. Just wanted to add one more tip that saved me: if you end up getting your ID.me account restored but then run into issues during the actual verification process (like webcam problems or document upload failures), there's a "selfie + document" verification option that's often more reliable than the live video verification. Look for it under "Alternative verification methods" once you're back in your account. Also, Giovanni - seeing your updates about making progress is so encouraging! For anyone else following this thread, definitely save it or bookmark it. The step-by-step approach everyone laid out here (EDD exception form + early morning ID.me calls + 211 backup plan) is like a masterclass in navigating broken bureaucratic systems. Really hope everyone gets their situations resolved soon. It's frustrating that we have to become experts in workarounds just to access benefits we're entitled to, but at least we can help each other figure it out!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Got laid off from my tech company last week and they immediately deactivated my work email - of course that's what I used for my EDD account back in 2020. I've been stressing about this for days thinking I'd have to start completely over. This thread is absolutely amazing - I had no idea there was a separate tech support line specifically for account recovery issues. I've been banging my head against the wall trying the main EDD number with zero success. The 1-833-978-2511 number is definitely going in my contacts right now! All the timing strategies people have shared are so helpful too - calling right at 8 AM on Saturday, or even 15 minutes before they officially open. And the tip about having old bank statements with EDD deposits is brilliant - I definitely have those saved somewhere. It's honestly ridiculous that such a critical system is this hard to access, especially when losing work email after layoffs is basically standard practice now. But reading all these success stories gives me hope that there's actually a way through this maze. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share what really worked - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice you need when dealing with government bureaucracy!

I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare right now! Got laid off from my marketing job yesterday and realized I can't access my EDD account because it's tied to my work email that they already shut down. I filed for unemployment back in early 2021 but went back to work later that year. Reading through this entire thread has been incredibly reassuring - I thought I was going to have to completely start over but it sounds like account recovery is definitely possible. The tech support line (1-833-978-2511) that everyone keeps mentioning is something I never would have found on my own. I'm going to try calling Saturday morning right at 8:00 AM with all my old EDD paperwork ready. I actually found some documents from my 2021 claim that have various reference numbers on them, plus I discovered a few old text messages from EDD with confirmation codes that might help with verification. It's honestly insane that losing work email access creates this whole bureaucratic obstacle course, especially when getting laid off is already stressful enough. But seeing all these success stories gives me hope that persistence will pay off. Thanks to everyone who shared what actually worked - this community is saving my sanity right now!

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! I had my EDD card frozen in November 2023 for what they called "routine security verification" and it took them 17 days to get me a replacement. I had $521 on the card at the time and ended up having to use a cash advance on my credit card just to pay for groceries and gas. I called BOA probably 8 times during those 17 days and they kept telling me it was just "system processing delays" - absolutely no mention of any settlement or compensation program! I had completely given up on getting any kind of restitution until stumbling across this discussion. Based on all the success stories shared here, it looks like my November 2023 timeframe with 17 days and $521 balance should definitely qualify me for the pandemic-era settlement. I'm planning to call them this week using the "Card Deactivation Settlement Department" strategy that has worked so well for everyone else. It's honestly disgusting that BOA isn't proactively notifying people about money they're legally entitled to - if it wasn't for this amazing community sharing real experiences, I never would have known this existed. Thank you to everyone who took the time to document their success stories and share the specific language that works with BOA. I'll definitely update once I get through to them and hopefully can add another win to this thread to help others who might still be unaware they're owed compensation!

This thread is absolutely amazing - thank you to everyone who shared their experiences! I had my EDD card frozen in April 2024 for "account verification" and it took them 15 days to send a replacement. I had $389 on the card at the time and ended up overdrafting my checking account trying to cover basic expenses. I called BOA multiple times during those 15 days and they just kept saying "your case is in review" - never once mentioned any settlement! Based on everyone's success stories here, it sounds like I definitely qualify since April 2024 is in the right timeframe and 15 days exceeds the 14-day threshold. I'm calling them tomorrow using the "Card Deactivation Settlement Department" approach that has worked so well for others. It's absolutely infuriating that they're not telling people about money they're owed, but I'm so grateful this community exists to share real information! Will definitely report back with my results - hopefully I can add another success story to help others in similar situations.