Hey Mateo! I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago when my restaurant cut me from 35 hours to 12 hours due to "slower business." Here are some practical tips that really helped me: 1. Apply ASAP - there's a waiting week, so the sooner you file, the sooner you might start receiving benefits 2. When you file, you'll answer questions about why your hours were reduced - be honest that it was your employer's decision, not yours 3. Get something in writing from your manager about the hour reduction if possible (even a text or email works) 4. The work search requirement is real - I had to apply to 3 jobs per week and keep records, even though I was still working part-time One thing that surprised me: my first certification was confusing because I had to report earnings for a week where I hadn't been paid yet (since payday was later). Just remember it's about when you WORKED, not when you got paid. The partial benefits really helped bridge the gap while I looked for a second part-time job. Don't let people scare you off - yes, EDD can be frustrating, but the program exists for exactly your situation. You've got this!

I'm in almost the exact same situation! My hours just got cut from 40 to 20 per week at my office job, and I've been really stressed about making ends meet. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially knowing that I need to report gross earnings and track everything carefully. One question I have that I didn't see addressed: if my employer decides to increase my hours back up in a few months, do I just stop certifying for benefits at that point, or is there a formal process to close out the claim? I want to make sure I handle everything properly from start to finish. Also, does anyone know if having a side gig (like occasional freelance work) affects partial UI benefits? I do some graphic design work here and there and want to make sure I report that correctly too if I get any projects while collecting benefits. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's really reassuring to know this program exists for situations like ours!

UPDATE: I followed the advice here and it worked! I updated my address in UI Online yesterday, then called Money Network this morning. They confirmed they had my new address in their system, cancelled the old card, and are sending a new one to my current address in Oakland. Should arrive in 7-10 business days. For anyone else with this issue - definitely update your address in UI Online FIRST, then wait at least 24 hours before contacting Money Network. The customer service rep told me that's the #1 mistake people make. Thanks everyone for your help!

So glad you got this sorted out! Your update is really helpful for others dealing with the same issue. Just wanted to add that if anyone is still having trouble getting their card after updating their address and calling Money Network, you can also visit a local EDD office if there's one near you. I know it's not ideal, but sometimes an in-person visit can help expedite things when you're dealing with urgent situations like rent being due. The wait times can be long but at least you're guaranteed to speak with someone who can access your account directly.

Update: Finally got through today! For anyone dealing with this same issue, here's what worked for me: 1. Fixed my phone number in UI Online (had a typo) 2. Called right when they opened at 8am 3. When I finally got through the queue (still took 45 mins), I got the verification code texted to me 4. Entered the code and actually spoke to someone! The rep told me there was a flag on my claim because my employer submitted some conflicting information. They're going to contact my employer to verify my leave dates and should have my payments processed within 5-7 days. Still a ridiculously inefficient system, but at least I'm making progress now. Thanks for all the advice everyone!

Wow, thanks for the detailed update! This is super helpful. I've been struggling with the same verification code issue for my UI claim. I'm definitely going to check my contact info in UI Online tonight and try calling right at 8am tomorrow. It's encouraging to hear that you actually got through and resolved your issue. The fact that it was an employer documentation problem makes sense - seems like a lot of these "pending" claims are just waiting for some kind of verification or correction that could be handled much more efficiently. Fingers crossed I have similar luck!

Congratulations on finally getting your refund! 11 weeks is still way too long, but at least the assembly member route worked. For anyone else dealing with this - I went through a similar situation last year and found that keeping detailed records of every phone call (date, time, rep name if they give it, what they told you) really helped when I escalated to my assembly member. Also, if your overpayment was related to work search requirements or reporting issues, make sure you understand exactly what caused it so you don't accidentally create another overpayment situation in the future. The EDD doesn't always explain the "why" clearly in their notices.

As someone who just went through this nightmare myself, I can confirm that the assembly member route is absolutely the way to go if you're past the 10-week mark. I waited 13 weeks for my $3,200 refund and got nowhere with regular EDD calls. Within 3 days of contacting my assembly member's office, I had a call back from their EDD liaison who could see exactly where my case was stuck in their system. Turns out my refund was sitting in a "manual review queue" that apparently no regular EDD rep can access or even see. The liaison was able to flag it for immediate processing and I got my check 8 days later. Don't waste more time calling the regular number - go straight to your elected representative. They deal with EDD issues all day and know exactly which buttons to push.

hello I got a job that pays us through this, except it won't let me create an account, money network I mean, and I'm kinda loss in what to do now, I've tried safari, chrome, Firefox, on my phone, iPad and computer and it always sends me back to the home page on step 2 while saying this message "Some or all information provided is not correct. Please enter valid information and retry.

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Been locked out of Money Network since Monday and I'm getting desperate. My rent was due yesterday and I have over $2,000 sitting on that card that I can't touch. I've tried everything - different browsers, clearing cache, calling customer service (waste of time), even went to an ATM but it kept saying "transaction declined" even though I know there's money on there. This thread has been incredibly helpful though! I had no idea about the early morning calling strategy or the temporary access code option. Definitely trying @Isaac's phone tree instructions first thing tomorrow at 6am. And @Nina, thank you for explaining the technical side - at least now I know this is a system-wide issue and not just me going crazy. The cash advance option might be my only choice at this point since my landlord is already texting me about late fees. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to access our own benefits. As soon as I can get back in, I'm switching to direct deposit immediately. Never dealing with Money Network again if I can help it!