Hey Emma! I was in a similar situation a few months back and totally get the anxiety about messing something up after already certifying. The good news is that updating your email won't affect your benefits at all - it's just a contact info change. I ended up calling the main EDD line (1-800-300-5616) around 8:05 AM on a Wednesday and got through in about an hour. The rep was really understanding and made the change super quickly. Just have your claim number, SSN, old email, and new email ready to go. Also, don't worry if you see some emails still going to your old address for a day or two - it takes a bit for everything to update in their system. You've got this! 💪

Emma, I totally feel you on this! I made the same mistake with my EDD account and was freaking out about it too. From all the advice here, it sounds like the early morning call strategy is definitely the way to go. I'm planning to try calling tomorrow around 8:02 AM (love that tip about not calling exactly at 8:00!). We should probably start a support group for people dealing with EDD phone hell 😅 At least we know we're not alone in this struggle! Let us know how it goes when you call - rooting for you! 🤞

Update: I FINALLY got through this morning! For anyone with the same problem, I used the Claimyr service that someone suggested above, and they connected me with an EDD rep in about 25 minutes. The agent was able to see that my payment was pending because of an "eligibility review" flag that somehow got placed on my account. She removed it and said my payment should process within 48 hours. Fingers crossed, but at least I finally got an explanation! Worth every penny not to spend another week trying to get through.

I've been dealing with EDD phone hell for the past month trying to get my identity verification resolved. What worked for me was calling the 1-800-300-5616 number at exactly 8:00am on Tuesday mornings. I noticed they seem to have more staff available on Tuesdays compared to Mondays when everyone calls. Also, when you get to the menu, press 1-2-1 instead of the usual sequence - this sometimes gets you to a different queue that's less backed up. Had to call 47 times over two weeks but finally got through and resolved my issue. The key is being persistent and varying your call times slightly. Good luck!

I just wanted to add my voice to this incredibly supportive thread! I went through almost the exact same situation about 4 months ago - got hired at what seemed like a stable marketing position, worked there for exactly 3 weeks, then got let go for "cultural alignment" issues. I was absolutely panicking about my EDD benefits too. The good news is that reopening my claim was surprisingly straightforward! I followed similar advice to what everyone's shared here - documented everything I could remember from the termination conversation, sent a follow-up email requesting written confirmation (which they provided), and stayed calm during my eligibility interview about 10 days later. What really struck me during the phone interview was how routine the EDD representative made it sound. She said short-term employment situations like mine are incredibly common, especially in today's job market where companies are quick to hire and just as quick to let people go when they realize it's not a good fit. @Chloe your situation sounds so similar to mine - the "permanent" position that suddenly wasn't, the vague "culture fit" reason, all of it. You're handling this perfectly by getting everything documented and being proactive about reopening your claim. @Luca's insights about how these cases are actually evaluated from the inside have been invaluable for understanding that we're not the problem here! This thread should honestly be bookmarked by anyone dealing with short-term employment stress. The collective wisdom here is better than anything I found in official resources. Hang in there everyone - these situations really do work out! 🙏

I'm so sorry you're going through this stress! I had a very similar experience about a year ago - got let go from a tech company after just 2 weeks because they said I "wasn't integrating well with the existing team structure." I was absolutely terrified about what would happen to my unemployment benefits. The good news is that reopening your existing claim should be pretty straightforward since your benefit year is still active! I was able to do it online through UI Online, and while I did have to do an eligibility interview about 3 weeks later, the whole process was much less scary than I anticipated. The documentation advice everyone's giving here is spot-on - I wish I had thought to send a follow-up email right away like you did. Having that "organizational fit" confirmation in writing is actually really helpful because it clearly shows this wasn't a misconduct situation. What helped me the most during my interview was just staying calm and factual about what happened. The EDD rep seemed to understand that these short-term "fit" issues are pretty common in today's job market. Since you were only there 3 weeks and they're using vague language like "culture fit," it really doesn't sound like misconduct to me. Keep your job search documentation organized while you wait, and try not to let the anxiety get to you too much. Based on everything I've read in this thread from people with similar experiences, you should be in good shape! This community has been such a lifesaver for navigating these stressful situations. 💪

I went through this exact same situation last month with a temporary layoff from my manufacturing job. Got the CalJOBS notice even though I had a confirmed return date. I ended up registering just to be safe - took about 20 minutes and gave me peace of mind. The way I see it, even if there's an exemption for temporary layoffs, the automated system clearly doesn't recognize it when sending these notices. Better to spend a few minutes registering than risk any complications with your benefits, especially since you're only claiming for 3 weeks anyway.

I had a similar situation during a union-mandated break between projects last year. Even though my foreman gave us specific dates we'd be back, EDD's system just sees "unemployment claim = needs CalJOBS registration." The notice is automatically generated and doesn't take into account your individual circumstances. I'd recommend just getting the registration done - it's really straightforward and you can always update your profile later if your situation changes. Plus, having a CalJOBS account isn't a bad thing to have even when you're employed - you never know when you might need it for future reference or networking. The registration process asks for basic info like work history and skills, nothing too intensive.

This is incredibly helpful info! I'm new to unemployment benefits and got my EDD card last week but have been too scared to use it anywhere after reading all the fraud stories online. The idea that I can just walk into any bank and get a cash advance never even occurred to me - I thought I was stuck with potentially sketchy ATMs. One question - do different banks have different fee structures for this? Like is it worth calling around to find the cheapest option, or are the fees pretty much the same everywhere ($1-3 range)? Also planning to set up that Money Network app transfer to my personal account as backup. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - makes me feel way less anxious about managing these payments safely!

Wow, thank you so much for sharing this! I've been unemployed for about 6 months now and have been living in constant fear of using my EDD card. Last month my friend had $1,800 stolen from her card at a gas station ATM and she's STILL fighting to get it back from EDD. I had absolutely no idea you could do cash advances at regular banks - this is honestly life-changing information! I've been limiting myself to only using BofA ATMs even though the closest one is 45 minutes away from me. The stress of potentially losing my unemployment money has been keeping me up at night. Going to try this at my local Wells Fargo this Friday when my next payment comes through. A few dollars in fees is absolutely worth not having to worry about skimmers and fraud. Plus it sounds way more secure than standing at some random ATM hoping nobody is watching or recording. Seriously cannot thank you enough for posting this - you probably just saved me (and a lot of other people here) from potential fraud nightmares!