Brooklyn, first off congratulations on landing the new job after 4 months! 🎉 I can completely relate to your privacy concerns - I went through this exact same worry when I started my current position after being unemployed for about 4 months as well. From my experience, EDD did not contact my employer at all. What I learned is that EDD's primary focus is on fraud prevention (catching people who continue collecting while working) rather than verifying every legitimate job placement. Their wage verification is typically done through automated quarterly wage matching using data employers already submit for tax purposes - not direct contact about individual cases. Your employer will only receive standard new hire paperwork (DE 34 form) that they process for ALL employees regardless of unemployment history. Nothing in that documentation would flag your previous benefit status. Just be completely accurate when reporting your new job on your final certification and stop certifying once you start full-time work. Then you can focus entirely on succeeding in your new role without stressing about your employment history. You've earned this opportunity - time to look forward, not back! Best of luck! 💪

Brooklyn, huge congratulations on landing the job! 🎉 I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago after being unemployed for 3 months, and I totally understand your privacy concerns. The good news is EDD never contacted my employer at all. What I learned is that EDD primarily focuses on fraud prevention (catching people who work while still collecting benefits) rather than tracking down everyone who legitimately finds work. When they do verification, it's through automated quarterly wage matching using data employers already submit for tax purposes - not direct calls about individual cases. Your employer will only get standard new hire forms (DE 34) that they file for ALL employees, nothing specific to unemployment history. Just be completely honest on your final certification about your start date/wages and stop certifying once you're working full-time. You can start your new job with confidence knowing your unemployment status stays private. Focus on crushing it in your new role - you've more than earned this fresh start after 4 months of searching! 💪

This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm also considering a temp contract offer and was worried about the EDD implications! One thing I haven't seen mentioned is what happens if you get sick during your temp contract or need to take time off. Do you have to report that to EDD differently than you would for a regular job? Also, I'm curious about whether temp agencies typically provide any kind of benefits (health insurance, etc.) for longer contracts like the 3-month one Malik mentioned. The lack of benefits is one of my main concerns about leaving unemployment for temp work, but the higher pay rate and work experience seem worth it. Has anyone dealt with the benefits gap issue when transitioning from unemployment to temp work?

Great question about benefits and sick time during temp contracts! From my experience, most temp agencies don't offer health insurance for shorter contracts (under 6 months), but some of the larger agencies like Robert Half or Kelly Services do offer basic benefits if you work a certain number of hours. As for sick time, you'd handle it the same way as any regular job - you're not on unemployment while working, so you wouldn't report anything to EDD unless you're out sick long enough that it affects your employment status. The benefits gap is definitely real, but if you're only talking about 3 months and the pay increase is significant ($6/hr more like Malik mentioned), it often works out financially even after accounting for losing unemployment benefits. Plus, many temp workers qualify for short-term health plans or COBRA extensions to bridge the gap. Just make sure to factor in the total compensation picture when making your decision!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now - day 5 of "review required" status and the anxiety is eating me alive! This whole thread has been incredibly helpful though. I had no idea about the 8 AM calling strategy or checking spam folders - thank you all for sharing what actually works! It's ridiculous that we have to become unemployment claim ninjas just to get basic information about our own benefits, but I'm grateful to know I'm not alone in this mess. Planning to set multiple alarms tomorrow morning and join the early calling brigade. The fact that so many people here have successfully gotten through this gives me real hope that it'll work out eventually. Going to stay persistent and keep certifying while I wait. Thanks everyone for the support and practical advice - this community is a lifesaver! 🙏

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now - been stuck on "review required" for about 6 days and the stress is real! This thread has been such a relief to find though. I had no idea about the 8 AM calling strategy that everyone's mentioning, or that I should be checking my spam folder regularly. It's honestly mind-blowing that we have to become EDD navigation experts just to get basic updates on our own claims, but I'm so thankful for everyone sharing what actually works. I'm definitely going to try the early morning calling approach tomorrow - setting multiple alarms because based on what I'm reading here, that seems to be the golden ticket. Also going to double-check my spam folder and make sure I keep certifying while this gets sorted out. The reassurance that "review required" is often just routine verification rather than something we messed up has really helped calm my nerves. Seeing all these success stories gives me hope that this bureaucratic nightmare will eventually end! Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - knowing we're all in this together makes it feel so much less overwhelming. I'll definitely update if I have any luck getting through! 🙏

I just want to say this whole thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone who's new to the EDD system, I had no idea about so many of these options - direct deposit, cardless ATM withdrawals, calling at specific times for shorter wait times, etc. It's really reassuring to see a community where people actually help each other navigate these bureaucratic nightmares. I'm bookmarking this post in case I ever run into similar issues. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips - it's clear that dealing with Money Network and EDD cards is unfortunately a common struggle, but at least we can help each other through it!

For anyone reading this thread in the future, I wanted to compile all the key takeaways in one place since there's so much valuable info scattered throughout: **Immediate steps for lost replacement card:** - Call Money Network at 1-866-320-8699 (try early morning/late evening for shorter waits) - Be specific it's a "replacement for a replacement card" - Verify your address multiple times during the call - Ask about expedited shipping ($15 extra, 3-4 days vs 7-10 days) - Ask about cardless ATM withdrawal if you need emergency access **Fees to expect:** - $10 replacement card fee (standard, rarely waived) - $15 expedited shipping fee (optional) **Once you get the new card:** - Take a photo (blur security code) and store securely - Test immediately with small purchase/ATM withdrawal - Set up direct deposit in UI Online under "Payment Methods" - Keep old EDD documentation for reference numbers **If you need help while waiting:** - Contact landlord early about payment delays - Call 211 for emergency assistance resources - Look into local food banks/rental assistance programs Really hope this helps future folks dealing with the same frustrating situation!

I've been dealing with EDD for about 6 months and wanted to add a few more insights based on my experience. The timing patterns everyone's described are pretty accurate, but I've also noticed that your individual claim history can affect processing speed. If you've had any issues in the past (overpayments, identity verification, etc.), even if they're resolved, your account might be flagged for slightly slower processing. Also, something I discovered recently - if you need to make changes to your claim or profile information, try to do it right AFTER you certify and get paid, not before your next certification. I learned this the hard way when updating my address delayed my payment by 3 days because it triggered a review. For those considering the Money Network card switch, one thing to keep in mind is that some landlords and utility companies don't accept prepaid cards for automatic payments. You can still pay manually or transfer to your bank first, but it's worth checking if you have any autopay setups that might be affected. The stress around payment timing is so real - I started keeping a simple calendar note of when I certify vs when I actually get paid, and now I can pretty accurately predict within 12 hours when my money will hit. Game changer for budgeting and peace of mind!

This has been such an incredibly helpful thread! I'm about 4 months into my EDD claim and have been using direct deposit, but after reading everyone's experiences, I'm definitely switching to the Money Network card. The consistent timing difference of 12-24 hours faster sounds like it would eliminate so much of the weekly stress I've been dealing with. One thing I wanted to add that I learned from calling EDD directly (after waiting 2+ hours to get through) - if you ever see your payment status as "Not Paid" instead of the usual "Paid" after certification, don't panic immediately. Sometimes there's a lag in their system updating, especially on Monday mornings when they're processing thousands of payments. The rep told me to wait until Tuesday afternoon before worrying, since the status can take up to 48 hours to update accurately. Also, for anyone dealing with tight budget timing like the original poster, I started using the Earnin app which lets you get small cash advances against your expected income. It's helped bridge those 1-2 day gaps when EDD timing doesn't align with bills. Obviously not ideal long-term, but can be a lifesaver when you're cutting it close on rent or utilities. Thanks to everyone who shared their tracking data and real-world experiences - this community knowledge is infinitely more useful than EDD's official resources!