I'm going through a very similar situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I got terminated last month from a customer service job for "excessive absences" - had 4 call-outs in 3 months, all for legitimate reasons (two for documented migraines, one for a family funeral, and one for a stomach bug). Just like your situation, I never received any verbal or written warnings before they called me in and terminated me. I was honestly too scared to apply for unemployment because I thought attendance issues meant automatic disqualification, but reading everyone's experiences here has given me the confidence to file. It sounds like the key factors are having documentation for medical absences and the employer not following progressive discipline procedures - both of which apply to my case too. Jacob, your situation with the bronchitis documentation and lack of warnings sounds really strong based on all the advice here. I'm definitely filing my claim this week and will make sure to have all my documentation organized for the eligibility interview. Thanks for starting this discussion - it's amazing how many of us have gone through similar situations!

Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring! I had no idea so many people have gone through similar situations with attendance-related terminations. It's really encouraging to see actual success stories from people who got approved despite being fired for absences. I'm definitely going to file my claim today. Based on everyone's advice, I'm going to make sure to emphasize: - Medical documentation for 3 out of 5 absences (bronchitis) - Legitimate reasons for the other 2 (car breakdown with tow receipt, family emergency) - Zero progressive discipline from my employer - That I followed proper call-out procedures I'll organize all my documentation before the eligibility interview and create a timeline of each absence with supporting evidence. Even if my employer contests it, I feel much more confident about my case now. Thank you all so much for taking the time to share your experiences and advice. This community is amazing and I'll definitely update everyone on how my claim goes. Fingers crossed!

Congratulations on winning your appeal! That's fantastic news and shows that keeping detailed documentation really pays off. I went through almost the exact same situation about 3 months ago - also got disqualified for "insufficient work search" even though I was doing everything correctly. Here's what you can expect based on my experience: After seeing "approved" online, it took about 8 business days for my disqualified weeks to switch from "disqualified" to "paid" status. The backpay hit my EDD debit card 3 days after that status change, so total timeline was roughly 11 days from approval to money. Key things during the waiting period: - Keep certifying every two weeks as normal (critical - don't skip any!) - Check the "Payment Activity" section daily - that's where you'll see changes first - Monitor your UI Online inbox for any additional requests - Screenshot your appeal approval and keep all documentation Your benefit amount stays the same, and you'll get backpay for all the disqualified weeks in one lump sum. The system automatically reprocesses your previous certifications, so no need to recertify those weeks. The waiting is nerve-wracking after all that stress, but seeing "approved" means you're essentially in the clear! The system just needs time to catch up and process everything. You did exactly the right thing fighting this - your detailed Excel spreadsheet and documentation sounds like it made all the difference.

Congratulations on winning your appeal! I went through this exact same situation about 2 months ago after getting disqualified for work search documentation issues. Here's what happened in my case: After seeing "approved" status online, it took about 12 days for my disqualified weeks to change from "disqualified" to "paid" status in the system. The backpay appeared on my EDD debit card 2 days after that, so total time was about 2 weeks from seeing the approval to getting the money. A few things that really helped me during the process: - Keep certifying every two weeks as normal during this waiting period (super important!) - Check the "Payment Activity" section daily - that's where status changes show up first - Monitor your UI Online inbox religiously for any additional requests - Take screenshots of your appeal approval and save all your documentation Your weekly benefit amount will stay exactly the same, and you'll get all those missed weeks paid out as backpay. The system automatically reprocesses the certifications you already submitted during the disqualification period, so you don't need to do anything special there. I know the waiting is stressful after everything you've been through with the appeal process, but seeing "approved" means you're basically home free! The system just needs time to catch up. You clearly did the right thing keeping those detailed records - that Excel spreadsheet with job applications and networking activities sounds like exactly the kind of documentation that wins these appeals. Hang in there!

This thread is incredibly helpful for anyone dealing with EDD's broken account registration system! I'm currently stuck in the exact same situation - approved for benefits, receiving payments, but can't create my UI Online account because of the "information doesn't match" error. What strikes me most about reading everyone's experiences is how these are all preventable technical issues that could be easily fixed with proper system design. Extra spaces in name fields, missing middle initials, systems not syncing between departments - these are basic data handling problems that any decent web developer could resolve. I'm going to try the early morning registration approach first (thanks @Keisha Jackson for that tip!), and if that doesn't work, I'll definitely look into the Claimyr service that @Caleb Stone recommended. It's frustrating that we need to pay a third party to access our own government benefits, but it sounds like it's the most reliable solution right now. For anyone else dealing with this, I'd recommend having those backup certification methods ready (@Daniel Price's suggestions about phone cert at 1-866-333-4606 and paper forms) so you don't miss deadlines while fighting with their system. It's ridiculous that in 2025 we're still talking about mailing paper forms for unemployment benefits, but at least there are options. Thanks to everyone who shared their solutions - this community support is invaluable when dealing with EDD's technical disasters!

I've been following this thread closely because I'm having the exact same account setup nightmare! What's really helpful is seeing how everyone's issues got resolved - it seems like 99% of the time it's some tiny formatting quirk on EDD's end that a human can fix instantly once you reach them. Based on all the solutions shared here, I'm creating my battle plan: try early morning registration first (6-7 AM when servers are less loaded), then use the Claimyr service if that fails, and keep the phone certification number (1-866-333-4606) handy as backup so I don't miss deadlines. It's honestly mind-blowing that California's unemployment system is this broken in 2025. The fact that their payment system works fine but their registration system can't handle basic name variations shows how poorly integrated their technology is. We shouldn't need community forums and third-party services just to access our own benefits! But huge thanks to everyone who shared their workarounds - especially @Caleb Stone for the Claimyr recommendation and @Daniel Price for the backup certification options. This thread should be pinned as the unofficial "How to Actually Use EDD" guide!

UPDATE: You guys were right! Just checked my UI Online account this morning and I have an award letter in my inbox! They approved my claim without needing the interview. Now I just need to wait for my first certification period. Thanks for all the help and reassurance!

Congratulations Teresa! That's such great news and a huge relief! This is exactly why I always tell people not to panic when EDD cancels interviews - more often than not it means they have what they need to approve your claim. Thanks for coming back to update us with the good news. It really helps other people in similar situations to see these positive outcomes. Now you can focus on getting those certifications done on time!

Just wanted to jump in here as someone who's been navigating the EDD Money Network card for the past few months. Reading through all these responses brought back memories of my own confusion when I first got the card! **My go-to strategy for avoiding fees:** - I primarily use cash back at grocery stores now - Safeway lets me get up to $200 back and I'm there weekly anyway - Keep the Money Network app downloaded for quick balance checks (way better than paying ATM fees just to see how much you have) - Bank of America ATMs have been completely reliable for me, never had issues **For your specific $500 need:** Honestly, I'd do what a few others suggested - spread it out over a couple days with cash back during your regular shopping. Much less stressful than trying to find the perfect ATM or worrying about daily limits. **One tip I haven't seen mentioned:** If you have a Costco membership, they allow pretty generous cash back amounts (I think up to $60) and since you're probably buying bulk items anyway, it's a natural way to get cash without making special trips. The learning curve is real with this card, but once you figure out the free options it's actually not too bad to work with. The biggest thing is just avoiding those random gas station ATMs that'll charge you an arm and a leg!

As someone who just activated their EDD Money Network card yesterday, I can't tell you how helpful this entire thread has been! I was honestly pretty intimidated by all the different rules and potential fees, but reading everyone's real experiences has made it so much clearer. A couple questions for the group: - Has anyone tried using the card for online bill payments (like utilities or rent portals)? My landlord actually has an online payment system, but I'm not sure if the Money Network card works the same as a regular debit card for those transactions. - I keep seeing mentions of the Money Network mobile app - is it pretty reliable for balance checks and finding ATMs? I'd rather avoid any ATM fees for balance inquiries if I can help it. For what it's worth, I'm planning to follow the advice here and stick to Bank of America ATMs and grocery store cash back. Seems like the safest bet to avoid fees while I'm still learning the system. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical advice that's impossible to find in the official EDD paperwork!