I'm also a first-time claimant experiencing this exact same situation! Certified on Sunday night and my payment shows "paid" but I'm still waiting for the "issued" status to update. This entire thread has been incredibly helpful and reassuring - I had no idea that the delay between "paid" and "issued" was completely normal! I was starting to worry something was seriously wrong with my claim. The tip about calling Bank of America directly instead of trying to get through to EDD is genius - I'm definitely going to try that tomorrow morning based on all the positive experiences people have shared here. It's so comforting to know that so many of us are going through this identical timeline right now. The anxiety of waiting for that first payment when bills are due is real, but reading everyone's experiences and timelines gives me hope that this will all work out normally. Thank you all for creating such a supportive community for anxious newcomers like me! Will definitely update when my status changes and when I receive my card.

I'm also a first-time claimant going through this exact same situation right now! Certified on Sunday night, shows "paid" but still waiting for that "issued" status update. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief - I was genuinely starting to panic that something was wrong with my claim. It's incredible how many of us are all dealing with this identical timeline! The 24-48 hour delay between "paid" and "issued" makes so much more sense now that everyone has explained it. I had no idea we could call Bank of America directly to check on card status - that's such a smart workaround compared to EDD's notorious phone system. Definitely going to try calling them tomorrow morning after seeing all the positive feedback here. Also just set up those text notifications so I can stop obsessively refreshing my account every hour! Thank you everyone for sharing your timelines and creating such a supportive community for anxious newcomers like me. The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking when rent is due, but knowing we're all navigating this stressful process together makes it feel so much more manageable. Will definitely update when my status changes and when my card arrives!

I'm new to this community and this discussion has been exactly what I needed to read! I'm currently on UI benefits and have been considering plasma donation but was really confused about the reporting requirements. What's been most helpful is seeing all the real-world experiences from people like @Sean Murphy, @Ethan Campbell, and @Ravi Patel who actually reported plasma income and still came out ahead financially. The specific numbers you all shared really help illustrate how EDD's partial earnings formula works - I had no idea about the 25% disregard rule before reading this! I was initially terrified that reporting any supplemental income would wipe out my entire benefit amount, but seeing the actual calculations proves that's not the case. It's such a relief to understand that the system is actually designed to encourage some additional income rather than punish it completely. Based on all the consistent advice here, I'm planning to start plasma donation next week and will definitely report it as "other income" during certification. The peace of mind from being fully compliant is worth way more than trying to guess and potentially facing fraud issues later. Plus, keeping detailed records like everyone recommends seems like the smart approach. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share real experiences instead of just speculation - this thread has been a lifesaver for understanding how to handle supplemental income safely while on UI benefits!

I'm a newcomer to this community and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently on UI benefits and was considering plasma donation to help with expenses, but I was really worried about the reporting requirements and potential impact on my benefits. Reading through all the real-world experiences from @Sean Murphy, @Ethan Campbell, and @Ravi Patel has been so reassuring. The specific numbers you all shared showing how the partial earnings formula actually works in practice - with the 25% disregard before deductions - really demonstrates that you still come out ahead financially even when reporting plasma income. I had no idea EDD's system was designed this way! What really stands out to me is how consistent everyone's advice has been: report as "other income," keep detailed records, and don't stress about it. The fact that multiple people took the transparent approach and had positive experiences with EDD gives me confidence this is the safest route. I'm planning to start plasma donation next week and will definitely report it during certification based on all the positive experiences shared here. The peace of mind from full compliance is worth way more than trying to navigate gray areas and potentially facing fraud penalties later. For anyone else reading this who's in a similar situation - this thread really shows that EDD's partial earnings formula is actually designed to encourage some supplemental income while job searching, not punish it. Thanks to everyone for sharing real experiences instead of just speculation!

I'm currently going through this exact situation! Won my false statement appeal 11 days ago and just like everyone else here, my UI Online still shows everything as "disqualified" with zero indication that anything is happening behind the scenes. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially learning about the BAM unit and the fraud flag removal process that @Oliver Schulz explained. I tried calling the Appeals Division directly at (800) 300-5616 yesterday morning and actually got through to someone knowledgeable! They confirmed my judge's decision was received and is currently in the "penalty removal queue" waiting for supervisor review. The rep estimated another 5-8 business days before I should see my account flip from disqualified to paid. It's frustrating how the UI Online system gives absolutely no indication that this complex multi-step process is happening, but at least now I understand why false statement reversals take so much longer than regular appeals. For anyone else in this situation - that direct Appeals Division line is definitely worth trying since they can actually see where you are in the process unlike regular customer service. Hang in there Miguel and everyone else waiting - sounds like we're all in the normal timeline range and should see movement soon! 🤞

I'm literally in the same boat as you right now! Won my false statement appeal 5 days ago and my UI Online account looks exactly like yours - everything still showing "disqualified" and no sign anything is happening. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm feeling way more informed about what to expect. The whole BAM unit fraud flag removal process that people have explained really makes sense of why these cases take 10-21 business days compared to regular appeals. It's actually kind of reassuring to know that my UI Online showing zero progress is completely normal - I was starting to panic thinking my case got lost somewhere. I'm definitely going to try calling that Appeals Division direct line at (800) 300-5616 tomorrow morning (press 1 then 6) to see if I can get the same kind of update that @Kaitlyn Jenkins got about being in the "penalty removal queue." Even just knowing it's actively being processed would help with the anxiety of waiting. The 9-week appeal fight was definitely the hardest part - this is just EDD being their usual bureaucratic slow selves. Hang in there, sounds like we should both see movement in the next week or two based on everyone's timelines! 🤞

This thread has been so helpful! I'm currently in week 2 of waiting for my first EDD direct deposit and was starting to panic until I read all these experiences. It's crazy that EDD doesn't give any warning about first-time delays - I spent hours on the phone with my bank thinking they lost my payment! What's been most reassuring is seeing how many people went through the exact same thing and had their money show up eventually. For anyone else going through this stress right now, it seems like the key is just being patient through that first 3-5 business day window. I'm definitely going to set up those text alerts mentioned here so I don't drive myself crazy checking my account every hour. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - this community is a lifeline when navigating all the EDD confusion!

I'm brand new to this community and currently experiencing this exact same situation! My first EDD direct deposit has been showing "paid" for 3 days now with nothing in my account, and I was starting to really worry until I found this thread. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a huge relief - I had no idea that first-time direct deposit delays of 3-5 business days were so common with EDD! It's honestly frustrating that they don't mention this anywhere on their website. I was about to call EDD thinking something went wrong with my banking info, but now I feel much more confident that this is just their normal process. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories - it's so reassuring to know I'm not alone in this experience and that the money will eventually show up. This community is amazing for helping newcomers navigate all the confusing aspects of unemployment benefits!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now - just certified two days ago and seeing those terrifying $0 pending amounts! I was honestly starting to think I had completely messed up my certification somehow. This entire thread has been such a blessing to find - it's incredible how many of us have experienced this exact panic. Reading everyone's stories, especially the insight from the former EDD employee about it being a normal system placeholder, has really helped calm my nerves. It's honestly ridiculous that EDD's system is designed to cause maximum anxiety instead of just showing a simple "processing" message. Based on all the timelines shared here, I'm hoping my amounts update by early next week. The waiting is brutal when you're already stressed about bills, but knowing this is completely normal makes it so much more bearable. Thanks Omar for posting this and everyone for sharing - this community support means everything when you're navigating unemployment stress!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Just certified yesterday and woke up to see $0 pending on both weeks. I literally thought I had broken something or answered a question wrong. This thread has been such a lifesaver - I was about to spend my entire day trying to call EDD and probably would have gotten nowhere. Reading everyone's experiences, especially hearing from the former EDD employee that this is just a normal system placeholder, has given me so much peace of mind. It's absolutely insane that in 2025 EDD can't just display "Processing - please allow 5-7 business days" instead of making everyone panic with the $0 amount. Based on all the timelines shared here, I should see an update by early next week. The waiting is torture when you're already stressed about rent and groceries, but at least now I know I'm not alone in this anxiety! Thanks Omar for posting this and everyone for sharing your stories - this community support is everything when you're dealing with unemployment stress.