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'm going through something very similar right now! My hours at a small marketing firm got reduced and they also handed me a DE 2063 form with no clear instructions. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly enlightening - it sounds like this confusion between Work Sharing and regular UI with reduced earnings is extremely common, especially at smaller companies. Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm convinced that most employers who hand out DE 2063 forms without clear submission procedures aren't actually enrolled in the Work Sharing program. The HR professional's advice about asking for the specific EDD Work Sharing approval number is brilliant - that's such a concrete way to cut through all the uncertainty. I'm going to ask my employer for their approval number tomorrow, but honestly, given their confusion about the process, I'm not expecting them to have one. If that's the case, I'll be filing a regular UI claim online immediately. It sounds like the regular route is much more straightforward and gets benefits flowing faster than trying to navigate a program the employer doesn't understand. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been a lifesaver for those of us dealing with this exact situation!

I'm a newcomer here but this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation where my hours got cut at a small tech startup and my manager handed me a DE 2063 form with absolutely no guidance on what to do with it. After reading all these detailed responses, it's become really clear that there's a huge difference between Work Sharing (which requires extensive employer enrollment and ongoing procedures) and regular UI claims for reduced earnings. The key insight about asking for the specific EDD Work Sharing approval number is brilliant - that's such a concrete way to determine if your employer is actually enrolled or just confused about the programs. Based on everyone's experiences shared here, I'm going to ask my employer for their approval number tomorrow. But honestly, given that they handed me the form with zero instructions and seemed uncertain about the whole process, I'm pretty confident they don't have one. If that's the case, I'll be filing a regular UI claim online right away rather than waiting around for them to potentially figure out a complex program they've never used. It sounds like the regular route gets benefits flowing much faster and is way more straightforward for situations like ours where small employers are well-meaning but unprepared. Thanks to everyone who shared their real-world experiences - this thread should be bookmarked for anyone dealing with DE 2063 form confusion!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - it's so frustrating! One thing that helped me was sending a follow-up email to my doctor's office asking for confirmation that they sent the medical certificate, along with the date and method they used (fax, mail, etc.). Turns out my doctor's office had the wrong fax number on file for EDD! Once we got that corrected and they resent it, things moved much faster. Also, if you haven't already, try uploading a copy of the medical certificate directly to your UI Online account under the "Upload Documents" section. Even if your doctor already sent it, having it in multiple places seems to help expedite the process. The waiting is the worst part, especially when you're already dealing with medical issues. Keep pushing - you've got this! 💪

I went through something very similar earlier this year and I know how stressful it is! Here's what finally worked for me: I called my doctor's office first to confirm they actually sent the certificate and had the correct EDD fax number (turns out they were using an outdated one). Once that was sorted, I also uploaded my own copy through UI Online and sent a secure message explaining the timeline. The key thing is to keep certifying every two weeks no matter what - I made that mistake once and it caused even more delays. It took about 3 weeks total, but I eventually got all my back payments. Don't give up, the system is slow but it does work eventually! Also, if you can get a confirmation receipt from your doctor showing when/where they sent it, that really helps when you're talking to EDD reps.

This entire thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm currently dealing with my first EDD appeal (filed about 6 weeks ago for a job separation issue) and had no idea that certification problems during appeals were this common. I haven't had my certifications disappear yet, but now I know to keep a close eye on it and act quickly if it happens. The fact that EDD's system automatically creates technical barriers that go against their own stated policies is just mind-blowing - like, how does that even make it through their development process? It's so helpful to see the step-by-step solution from @334def0feab9 and to know that services like Claimyr exist for when the regular phone lines don't work. I'm bookmarking this thread and definitely going to share it with some friends who might need this info. Thanks to everyone for creating such a comprehensive resource about this issue - it's exactly the kind of real-world problem-solving that makes this community so valuable!

This thread is absolutely invaluable! I just started my appeal process last week after being disqualified for "voluntary quit" (even though I was laid off due to project completion) and I had no idea about this certification issue. Reading everyone's experiences here is both alarming and reassuring - alarming that EDD's system is so fundamentally broken that it contradicts their own policies, but reassuring to know there are concrete solutions. I'm definitely going to keep a close eye on my certification options and have the Claimyr info ready just in case. It's absolutely insane that we have to become experts in navigating around their technical failures just to access benefits we're entitled to. Thank you @334def0feab9 for sharing such a detailed resolution process and to everyone else for confirming this is a systemic issue. This community is honestly more helpful than any official EDD resource I've found. I'll make sure to update if I run into this problem too - the more documented cases we have, the better we can help future people facing the same nightmare!

I just went through this exact situation a few months ago! The key thing to remember is that even though both programs are under EDD, they operate completely independently. You'll need to apply for SDI at edd.ca.gov/disability using their SDI Online system - don't use your regular UI Online account. One important tip: when you apply for SDI, you can actually backdate your claim up to 49 days from when you first became unable to work due to your medical condition. So if your doctor says you need 6 weeks off starting from a specific date, make sure to use that date on your SDI application, not just the date you're filing. Also, make sure your doctor knows they need to complete the physician/practitioner certification (the medical portion of your claim) promptly. SDI can't process your claim without it, and some doctors don't realize how time-sensitive this is. You might want to give them a heads up that they'll be receiving the form electronically or by mail depending on how they prefer to handle it. The good news is that once your SDI claim period ends, you can go right back to certifying for UI if you still have weeks remaining on your claim. Just remember - never certify for both programs during the same week!

I'm going through something similar right now and this thread has been so helpful! Just wanted to add that when I called the SDI number (1-800-480-3287) yesterday, I actually got through after about 45 minutes on hold. The rep confirmed that you definitely need to use the separate SDI Online system at edd.ca.gov/disability, not your regular UI account. She also mentioned that if you're transitioning from UI to SDI, you should stop certifying for UI immediately once your SDI claim starts - even if there's a gap between your last UI payment and first SDI payment. Better to have a brief gap than risk an overpayment situation that takes months to resolve. The whole system is definitely confusing but at least there are people here who've figured it out!