Mason, I just wanted to jump in here as someone who works in employment law - your situation is actually a perfect example of why the "good cause quit" provision exists in the first place! Employers delaying start dates by 7+ weeks after someone has already resigned is unfortunately more common than it should be, and California law recognizes that employees shouldn't be penalized for these circumstances beyond their control. One thing I'd emphasize that others have touched on - when you file your claim, make it crystal clear that the delay was entirely unexpected and that you would never have quit your previous job if you had known about this timeline change. The fact that your original start date was September 6th and you quit on August 30th shows you were planning for immediate transition, which strengthens your case significantly. Also, since you mentioned this is your first time filing for unemployment, don't be intimidated by the process. EDD representatives are used to these types of cases and generally handle them fairly when the documentation is clear. Your situation has all the right elements: definite job offer, specific start date, unexpected employer-caused delay, and proper documentation. The community has given you excellent advice here - you're in great hands! Looking forward to hearing about your successful claim approval.

Mason, you've gotten such comprehensive advice here! As someone who just went through the EDD process myself (different situation, but similar timeline), I wanted to add that you should also keep a detailed log of all your interactions with EDD - dates you called, who you spoke with, reference numbers, etc. This was invaluable when I had to follow up on my case. One thing that really helped me was preparing a brief "elevator pitch" version of my situation that I could deliver clearly and concisely during phone calls. Something like: "I quit my job on August 30th solely because I had a confirmed job offer starting September 6th. My new employer unexpectedly delayed my start date to October 24th due to project timeline changes. I have all documentation including the original offer letter and delay notification." Having this practiced made every conversation with EDD much smoother. Also, once you get your claim established, set up text alerts through UI Online if you haven't already. They'll notify you immediately if there are any updates or if additional documentation is needed. The faster you can respond to any requests, the smoother the process will go. You're being incredibly thorough and proactive about this whole situation. With your documentation and everyone's great advice here, I'm confident you'll get approved. Best of luck!

Welcome to the community @Zainab Omar! You're absolutely right to be proactive about this stuff. One thing I learned the hard way is to also enable text notifications if EDD offers them - sometimes those get through when emails don't. Also, if you haven't already, I'd recommend creating a dedicated folder in your email just for EDD correspondence so nothing gets lost. The RESEA appointments usually start getting scheduled after you've been on benefits for a few weeks, so you should get some advance notice. But definitely keep an eye out for any notifications from them. This thread has been super helpful for all of us learning how to navigate the system!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - I missed my RESEA appointment last week because I was dealing with a family emergency and completely spaced on checking my notifications. My benefits got suspended and I've been panicking about how to fix it. Reading through everyone's experiences here gives me hope that I can get this resolved. I'm definitely going to try calling EDD first thing tomorrow morning to see if they can reschedule like they did for @Andre Laurent, and if that doesn't work I'll file the appeal. It's so frustrating that these notifications can end up in spam or get missed so easily, but at least now I know there are options. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories and advice!

Huge congratulations Isabella! 🎉 This is exactly the kind of outcome we love to see here. Your case really highlights how flawed EDD's initial determinations can be - startup funding running out is textbook "lack of work," not misconduct. I'm so glad you didn't give up and fought the decision. For anyone else reading this who's dealing with a similar situation, Isabella's case shows that appeals absolutely can and do work when you have a legitimate claim. The 15-day timeline also seems to be pretty standard right now. Fingers crossed your UI account updates quickly and you get all that backpay without having to make the dreaded EDD phone calls!

Amazing news Isabella! 🎉 This is such a perfect example of why the appeal process exists - EDD's initial determinations are often completely off base, especially when it comes to startup situations. A company running out of funding is literally the definition of a layoff due to lack of work, not misconduct. It's frustrating that you had to go through weeks of stress and uncertainty for something that should have been obvious from the start. The 15-day timeline matches what I've been seeing lately too. Now just keep your fingers crossed that the payment processing goes smoothly - sometimes that's the next hurdle! Make sure to keep certifying and don't hesitate to call if your account doesn't update within a week or so. Your case will definitely give hope to others dealing with similar startup layoff situations.

I've been following this thread closely as I'm dealing with a very similar situation - my SDI claim has been pending for 6 weeks now after taking leave for a family member's cancer treatment. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the new medical certification form issue is affecting a lot of people. I just logged into SDI Online and found the same flag about medical certification problems that others mentioned. For anyone still struggling to get through by phone, I wanted to share that I had success yesterday using a combination of tips from this thread: I called the alternate number (1-800-300-5616) that @GalacticGladiator mentioned at exactly 11:15 AM on a Thursday, and got through after a 52-minute hold. The rep confirmed my doctor had used the old form and is sending the updated one directly to their office. One thing she mentioned that I hadn't seen discussed here - if your claim involves caring for a family member (rather than your own medical condition), make sure the medical certification specifically indicates that you're needed to provide care. Apparently many doctors just fill out the patient's medical information but don't explicitly state that family care is required, which can cause additional delays. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - this community support made all the difference in understanding what was actually happening with my claim!

I'm dealing with a similar SDI claim situation and this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I've been stuck in "pending" status for about 4 weeks now and had no idea about the new medical certification form requirements that changed in January. After reading through everyone's experiences, I just checked my SDI Online account and found the same medical certification flag that others mentioned. I'm planning to try the alternate number approach tomorrow (1-800-300-5616) around 11:30 AM like @GalacticGladiator suggested, since the 8:00 AM rush hasn't been working for me either. It's so frustrating that EDD doesn't proactively notify us about these form issues, but I'm grateful this community exists to help each other navigate these problems. One question for those who successfully got through - when you spoke with the EDD rep, were they able to tell you immediately what the specific issue was with your claim, or did you have to provide certain information first to get them to look into it? I want to make sure I'm prepared with everything they might need when I finally get connected. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences and tips here - this has been more helpful than any official EDD resource I've found!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now after losing my job at a local restaurant two weeks ago. This entire thread has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! I was honestly terrified that I might mess up my benefits by not understanding the reporting requirements correctly. Everyone's explanations about EBT being "assistance" rather than "income" finally made it click for me. I was overthinking this so much and worried I'd accidentally commit fraud or something. It's such a relief to know that when EDD asks about income during biweekly certification, they only want to know about actual money earned from work - not food assistance benefits. I've been approved for both unemployment and CalFresh, and I was losing sleep over whether I was supposed to report the food benefits to EDD. But reading all these real experiences from people who've successfully navigated both programs has really put my mind at ease. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their knowledge - this community is amazing for helping people understand these confusing government programs during an already stressful time. Now I can focus on what really matters: finding a new job!

I went through this exact same worry when I lost my job at a local electronics store about 7 months ago! The anxiety about potentially messing up your benefits is totally real, but everyone here has given you perfect advice. You absolutely do NOT need to report EBT/CalFresh benefits when certifying for unemployment. I was just as stressed about this and even called the EDD help line (after waiting forever) to confirm. The rep told me that food assistance is not considered income for unemployment purposes - it's assistance, which is completely different. When you're doing your biweekly certifications, EDD only wants to know about actual earnings from work (part-time jobs, gig work, freelancing, etc.) or other income sources that would reduce your unemployment benefits. EBT doesn't fall into that category at all. I collected both benefits for months without any issues. Just make sure you report your unemployment income TO CalFresh when you apply/recertify for food benefits (since that does count as household income for EBT purposes), but not the other way around. You're being smart by asking these questions upfront - shows you want to do everything correctly. But you can definitely relax on this particular issue and focus your energy on the job search instead!