I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! My husband tried to apply for SDI benefits yesterday and got that same "email already in use" error, plus the system couldn't verify his identity either. He's never filed for any EDD benefits before, so we immediately suspected fraud. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea there were so many specific resources and strategies for dealing with EDD identity theft. The SDI investigator number (909) 383-4680 that Sean mentioned and the Tuesday-Thursday fraud intake specialist schedule at the San Bernardino office are exactly the kind of insider information we needed. One thing I wanted to add that might help others: we discovered that our local credit union actually has a fraud assistance program that includes help with government benefits identity theft. They connected us with a specialist who's familiar with EDD fraud cases and provided template letters to use when filing reports. It might be worth checking if your bank or credit union offers similar services. We're planning to follow the coordinated approach that LunarEclipse outlined - going to Hospitality Lane early Tuesday morning with the notarized fraud affidavit while simultaneously having someone call the SDI investigator line. Fingers crossed we can get this resolved quickly like they did! Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed and practical advice. It's terrible that this is so common, but at least there's a community here helping each other navigate this nightmare!

I'm really sorry you're dealing with this frustrating situation! As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by all the detailed and helpful advice everyone has shared here. The combination of specific contact numbers, timing strategies, and documentation requirements is incredibly valuable. I wanted to add one more resource that might help: if you're having trouble getting through to any of the EDD numbers, consider reaching out to your local state senator or assembly member's constituent services office. They often have dedicated liaisons who work directly with EDD on behalf of constituents and can sometimes bypass the regular phone queues entirely. Also, when you do get this resolved, it might be worth setting up identity monitoring specifically for government benefits. Some services now include alerts for unemployment and disability benefit filings, which could help catch any future fraudulent activity early. The fact that this thread has grown into such a comprehensive guide really shows how common this problem has become, but also how helpful this community is at supporting each other through these bureaucratic nightmares. Wishing you and your partner the best of luck getting his legitimate SDI benefits approved quickly!

Just wanted to jump in and add my experience from last month - I was stuck in the same awful cycle for almost 3 weeks before finally breaking through. What ended up working for me was a combination of the strategies mentioned here: I followed @Nadia's insider tips religiously - especially that 90-second rule and the 11:45am timing. The key breakthrough came when I realized my issue wasn't actually a disqualification but a "pending eligibility review" that got triggered when I reported some freelance income incorrectly on my certification. For anyone dealing with sudden benefit stops, here's what I learned: - Check your EDD account daily for new messages or requests - If you see "disqualification" but no clear reason, it might be an automated hold pending manual review - Keep detailed records of every call attempt (time, number used, result) - it helped when I finally got through - The 1-2-1-1-4 sequence @Nadia mentioned worked perfectly for my situation The whole ordeal was incredibly stressful, especially with bills piling up, but persistence really does pay off. I probably made 200+ calls over those 3 weeks, but when I finally connected with a rep, they were able to resolve everything in about 20 minutes once they understood the issue. Don't give up! This system is designed terribly but your benefits are there waiting once you can get through to the right person.

Hey everyone! I just found this thread and I'm so relieved to see I'm not alone in this EDD nightmare. My benefits got suspended 5 days ago with just a vague "under review" message and I've been calling nonstop with zero success. I've been reading through all your strategies and I'm blown away by how helpful this community is! I had no idea about the 90-second rule or the alternate numbers. I've been doing everything wrong - waiting 10+ minutes between calls and only trying the main number during peak hours. No wonder I haven't gotten anywhere! Planning to try @Nadia's insider approach tomorrow: 11:45am timing with the 1-2-1-1-4 sequence, then the 90-second redial rule. Also going to dig through my mail tonight to make sure I didn't miss any notices - that seems to be a common cause of these sudden suspensions. @Giovanni and @Yara, your success stories are keeping me sane right now. Knowing that 200+ calls over a few weeks actually led to resolution gives me the motivation to keep fighting this broken system. Will definitely report back with results. Thanks for creating such a supportive space to navigate this mess together!

I just wanted to jump in as someone who recently went through this exact same confusion! Your $447 WBA is definitely the gross amount before any deductions. Since you elected tax withholding when you filed, they'll automatically deduct 10% for federal taxes from each payment, so you'll actually receive around $402.30 per week on your card or direct deposit. A few things I wish I had known earlier: First, definitely verify that your benefit calculation is based on all your employers - log into UI Online and check under your wage information to make sure they have records from every job you worked during your base period. Second, consider switching to direct deposit instead of the Money Network card if you haven't already - it's much more reliable and you avoid ATM fees. You can change this in UI Online under payment preferences. Also keep in mind that while the 10% withholding covers most of your federal tax obligation, you may still owe a small amount when you file next year depending on your total income. But it's definitely better than getting hit with a huge tax bill! I learned this the hard way my first time around. Good luck with your claim and remember to certify every two weeks - set a reminder so you don't miss the deadline!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago when I first got my award letter! The $447 is definitely your gross weekly benefit amount before any taxes are taken out. Since you opted for tax withholding when you filed, you'll receive about $402.30 each week after they deduct the 10% federal tax withholding ($447 - $44.70 = $402.30). One thing I'd strongly recommend is logging into your UI Online account and double-checking that they have wage information from ALL your employers during your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed). I initially had a similar WBA, but after I uploaded additional wage documents they were missing, my weekly amount increased by over $100! It's definitely worth verifying. Also, I'd suggest switching to direct deposit instead of the Money Network card if you can - I had constant issues with the card including random holds and ATM fees. Direct deposit through UI Online has been much smoother. And definitely keep the tax withholding! I know several people who didn't withhold and ended up owing $2000+ at tax time. The 10% federal withholding covers most of what you'll owe, though you might still have a small balance depending on your other income for the year. Better to get slightly less each week than deal with a massive tax surprise later!

Thank you all for the helpful information! To make sure I understand correctly: 1. Mark "No" for being available for work during jury duty weeks 2. Explain it's for jury duty in the additional information box 3. Only report the jury duty pay as "other income" during the week I actually receive the check 4. Keep all documentation in case of questions I'll also try contacting EDD before my jury duty starts to get notes added to my account. I really appreciate everyone's help!

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and want to share what worked for me. I was selected for a 3-week trial in Orange County. Here's what I did based on advice from an EDD rep I spoke with beforehand: - Weeks 1-3 (serving): Answered "No" to available for work, wrote "Serving mandatory jury duty" in the explanation box - Week 4 (when I got the check): Reported the jury duty payment as "other income" The key thing that saved me headaches was calling EDD BEFORE my service started. I used the technical issues line (1-800-300-5616) early in the morning and got through after about 45 minutes. The rep added notes to my account explaining the jury duty situation, which prevented my claim from getting flagged. Total jury pay was $195 for 3 weeks ($15/day after the first unpaid day), so it barely affected my benefits anyway. The whole process went smoothly because I was proactive about calling ahead. My advice: Don't wait until you're certifying to deal with this. Call now and get those protective notes added to your account!

Just joined this community after stumbling across this thread during my own desperate search for EDD solutions! I'm on day 6 of the endless calling nightmare with absolutely zero success - just that same infuriating "higher than normal call volume" message every single time. My payments have been stuck on "pending" for 2.5 weeks now and the stress is eating me alive. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both heartbreaking and strangely reassuring - at least I know I'm not losing my mind or doing something fundamentally wrong! The system really is just completely broken. I've been calling at random times throughout the day but clearly need to get more strategic about this. Definitely planning to try those Wednesday/Thursday 8:15-8:45am windows that @Mei Chen mentioned, and @Connor O'Neill's tip about waiting through the entire automated recording instead of immediately hanging up and redialing. I feel like such an amateur for not thinking of these timing strategies before! That Claimyr service is also starting to look really appealing after seeing @Jamal Edwards' detailed success story and multiple others confirming it actually works. I normally would never consider paying a third party for what should be a basic government service, but my mental health is deteriorating from this constant rejection cycle. Sometimes you just have to cut your losses and find a solution that actually gets results! Thanks everyone for sharing your strategies and experiences - this thread has been more helpful than anything I've found through official EDD channels. Here's to hopefully breaking through this bureaucratic nightmare soon! 🤞

New member here jumping into this EDD nightmare support group! I've been calling for about 10 days now with absolutely zero success - just that same soul-crushing automated message over and over. My claim has been stuck on "pending" for 3+ weeks and I'm honestly starting to lose it. This thread has been incredible though - finally found actual useful strategies instead of just "keep calling" advice! Definitely going to try those Wednesday/Thursday 8:15-8:45am windows that @Mei Chen shared, and @Connor O'Neill's tip about waiting through the entire recording instead of hanging up immediately is genius. I've been doing the hang-up-and-redial approach like a maniac which clearly isn't working. After reading @Jamal Edwards' success story with Claimyr and seeing multiple people confirm it actually works, I'm seriously considering it too. It kills me that we have to pay a third party just to access our own unemployment benefits, but honestly my sanity is worth whatever they charge at this point. The stress of endless redialing is taking a real toll on my mental health. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and keeping each other motivated through this bureaucratic hell. This community is more helpful than anything EDD has provided! Here's hoping we all break through this broken system soon 🤞