I'm completely new to this community and this thread has been both terrifying and incredibly helpful! I've been on unemployment for about 3 weeks now and just like everyone else here, I had absolutely no clue about these detailed documentation requirements until I stumbled upon this post. I've been genuinely job searching - applying to 2-3 positions per week, updating my resume twice, and attending one virtual networking event - but I wasn't keeping any proper records of my activities. Reading about that $8,700 overpayment situation really sent me into panic mode! I immediately downloaded the DE 8578 form that multiple people mentioned and spent hours digging through my email history. I managed to find confirmation emails for 5 job applications and one registration email for a virtual career fair I attended. I also found a completion certificate for an online Excel course I took through Coursera. Starting right now, I'm going to be absolutely religious about documenting every single work search activity using that form. It's honestly shocking how EDD doesn't make these requirements more obvious when you first file - it really does feel like they're setting people up to fail. Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and advice - this community might have just saved me from a major financial disaster! Quick question: does creating profiles on job sites like Indeed and LinkedIn count as work search activities, or only the actual job applications?

I'm brand new to this community and wow, this thread has been absolutely eye-opening! I've been on unemployment for about 2 weeks now and just like so many others here, I had zero awareness of these detailed documentation requirements until I found this post. I've been actively job searching - submitting about 4-5 applications per week and attending a virtual job fair last week - but I wasn't keeping any organized records of my activities. That $8,700 overpayment story really shook me to my core! I immediately went through my email history and found confirmation emails for 7 job applications plus a registration confirmation for the virtual job fair. I also downloaded that DE 8578 form that everyone keeps mentioning and I'm going to start using it religiously from today forward. It's honestly incredible that EDD doesn't make these requirements more transparent when you first file your claim - it really does feel like they're setting people up to stumble into violations. I'm also wondering, does responding to recruiters on LinkedIn count as a work search activity? I've had a few conversations with recruiters who reached out to me, but I'm not sure if that qualifies. Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and knowledge - this community has been a complete lifesaver and may have just prevented me from making a costly mistake!

I went through this same dilemma last year and ended up doing a bunch of math to figure it out. Here's what helped me decide: I calculated the total amount I'd receive over the entire benefit year under both scenarios. If you file now, you get lower weekly benefits but start collecting immediately. If you wait, you get higher weekly benefits but lose 3+ months of payments. The break-even point depends on how much higher your weekly amount would be. In my case, waiting would have given me about $75 more per week, but I would have lost 14 weeks of payments. Even with the higher weekly amount, it would have taken me over a year to make up for those lost weeks - and that's assuming I collected the full 26 weeks, which isn't guaranteed. Also consider your current financial situation. Can you actually afford to wait 3 months with zero income? For me, that was the deciding factor. I filed right away because I needed the income flow, even if it was lower. Sometimes the bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush, especially when you're dealing with basic living expenses.

Something else to keep in mind - if you do decide to wait until January, make sure you understand the work search requirements that will be in effect when you file. California has been changing their job search requirements recently, and you'll need to be actively looking for work and able to accept suitable employment when you file your claim. Also, don't forget that your benefit year will be shorter if you wait. UI benefits last for up to 26 weeks (or potentially longer if there are extensions), but that's from when you first file, not from when you were laid off. So if you wait 3-4 months to file, you're essentially shortening the window during which you can collect benefits. One strategy some people use is to file now to secure their place in line, then if they find work quickly, they can always stop certifying and potentially reopen their claim later if needed (though there are rules about when and how you can do this).

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! My DOB was off by one digit in the year (1991 vs 1981) and it caused a 2-month delay in my claim processing. Here's what I learned: Don't just call once and give up - you literally have to be persistent as hell. I called every single day for a week straight until I got someone who could actually help. Also, make copies of EVERYTHING - your birth certificate, ID, Social Security card, the whole works. Email yourself photos too as backup. One rep told me that DOB errors are actually one of the most common data entry mistakes they see, which is both reassuring and infuriating at the same time. The good news is once they fix it, it updates pretty much immediately in the system. But seriously, don't sleep on this - it WILL hold up your payments if you don't get it corrected ASAP. Good luck! 💪

Ugh, this is so frustrating but unfortunately super common with EDD! I went through something similar where they had my birth month wrong (March instead of May). What a mess! Here's my advice: definitely try the online portal route first like @Rajan Walker suggested - that's genius and way less stressful than the phone system. But if that doesn't work, I found that calling right at 8:00 AM sharp gave me the best chance of getting through. I literally had my phone ready at 7:59 AM and hit redial the second the clock hit 8:00. Also, once you do get it fixed, screenshot EVERYTHING in your account showing the correct info. I've heard horror stories of corrections mysteriously "disappearing" from the system later. Better safe than sorry with EDD! Don't panic though - it's definitely fixable, just takes some persistence. Sending you good vibes that you get this sorted out quickly! 🍀

I went through penalty weeks about 6 months ago and can confirm what others have said - no backpay for those weeks, but payments do start automatically once you've served them all. The key thing is to keep certifying every two weeks even though you're getting $0. Don't skip certifications thinking "what's the point" because that can mess up your claim. One thing I wish someone had told me: if you do get that job, make sure to report your work status properly when you certify. The last thing you want is MORE penalty weeks down the road! Good luck with the interview - fingers crossed you won't have to worry about the remaining penalty weeks at all.

I'm going through something similar right now - just started my penalty weeks last month for not reporting some freelance work properly. It's definitely a tough lesson but reading everyone's experiences here is really helpful. One thing I've learned from talking to others who've been through this: make sure you keep all your certification records during the penalty period. Even though you're getting $0, those certifications are still important for maintaining your claim status. Also, if you do get that job (fingers crossed!), remember that you can always come back to this community if you have questions about properly reporting work income in the future. Better to ask here first than deal with more penalty weeks later! Wishing you the best with the interview - sounds like you've got a good attitude about learning from this experience.

As someone completely new to this community and the unemployment system, I'm honestly blown away by how many people are sharing nearly identical experiences of getting disqualified for what seem like totally reasonable life situations. Reading through all these stories has been both incredibly educational and frankly pretty scary - I had no idea that EDD eligibility interviews could be such a trap! What's particularly striking is how they seem to take normal circumstances that millions of working people deal with every day (taking flexible courses for professional development, having family responsibilities with backup plans, even just taking a moment to think before answering a question) and somehow twist them into evidence that you're "not available for work." It's like they're actively looking for reasons to deny benefits rather than help people get back on their feet. The silver lining is all the practical advice shared here - especially the emphasis on being extremely explicit with language like "ready, willing, and able to accept full-time employment immediately" and providing specific availability hours rather than general statements. I'm definitely going to start preparing much more thoroughly for any potential interview, treating it almost like I'm defending a legal case rather than having a casual conversation. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences, both the frustrating disqualifications and the successful appeals. This kind of real-world insight is invaluable for navigating what seems like a deliberately confusing system. At least we have this community to help each other prepare for and fight back against these unfair determinations!

As someone who just joined this community after finding myself in a similar situation, I wanted to add my experience and thank everyone for sharing such detailed insights! I'm currently waiting for my eligibility interview (scheduled for next week) and honestly, if I hadn't found this thread, I would have walked into it completely unprepared. What's really eye-opening is seeing the pattern of how EDD interprets perfectly normal life situations as "availability issues." It seems like they're trained to find problems rather than solutions, which is so backwards for an agency that's supposed to help unemployed people get back on their feet. Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm now preparing by: 1) Writing down exact hours I'm available (including being specific about weekends), 2) Practicing the phrase "ready, willing, and able to accept full-time employment immediately," 3) Preparing documentation for anything that might be misinterpreted (I volunteer at a local nonprofit but only on evenings/weekends), and 4) Planning to take detailed notes during the interview itself. It's frustrating that we have to approach these interviews like we're defending ourselves in court, but at least this community is giving us the real strategies that actually work. For anyone else preparing for interviews, this thread is honestly worth more than all of EDD's official guidance combined. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - both the frustrating disqualifications and the successful appeals give us a roadmap for navigating this broken system!