As an update to everyone following this thread: The callback feature is now officially part of EDD's new contact center upgrade. It should be available to everyone by the end of April 2025, according to their latest press release. Also, for those experiencing the "stuck account" or "benefit year transition error" - they've acknowledged this as a widespread issue affecting approximately 14,000 claimants whose benefit years ended between December 2024 and February 2025. They're supposedly working on a system-wide fix, but in the meantime, getting through to a representative who can manually update your account is the only solution.

This is incredibly helpful to read! I've been dealing with what sounds like the exact same issue since late January. My UI Online has been stuck showing my expired claim from 2024 and won't let me file a new one. I've tried calling probably 200+ times over the past 2 months with no luck getting through. Reading that this affects 14,000 people makes me feel so much better - I was starting to think there was something specifically wrong with just my account. I'm definitely going to try the 8:02am timing tomorrow and hope I get lucky with that callback feature. Did you have to provide any specific information to the rep to prove the glitch, or did they immediately recognize the issue once they looked at your account? Also wondering if anyone knows - once they fix this manually, does it prevent the same glitch from happening again in the future? I'm worried about going through this whole ordeal again when my next benefit year ends.

Just want to add one more important point that might help others - if you're in that gray area where you're not sure if you're truly "disabled" enough for SDI, err on the side of caution and don't certify for UI. I made the mistake of thinking my condition wasn't "serious enough" for SDI and kept certifying for UI while my claim was pending. Turns out my doctor's note was sufficient for SDI approval, but I ended up with a $1,800 overpayment because I certified for UI during weeks I was technically disabled. The stress of dealing with that overpayment was worse than just waiting for the SDI decision in the first place. Better to be safe than sorry!

I went through something similar last year and learned the hard way that timing is everything with these claims. The key thing to understand is that your SDI claim has an "onset date" - the date your doctor says you became unable to work. From that date forward, you legally cannot certify for UI because you'd be stating you're "able and available" for work when medically you're not. I made the mistake of continuing to certify for UI "just until my SDI got approved" and ended up with a mess to clean up later. Even though it seems logical to keep getting UI payments while waiting, the system sees it as you claiming two conflicting things - that you can work (UI) and can't work (SDI) for the same time period. My advice: stop certifying for UI immediately if your disability onset date has passed. Yes, waiting for SDI approval while bills pile up is stressful, but dealing with overpayment demands later is way worse. SDI will pay you retroactively once approved, so you won't lose those benefits - you'll just get them as a lump sum instead of weekly payments. If you've already certified for weeks that overlap with your disability period, call EDD ASAP to report it. They're usually more lenient about fixing honest mistakes than discovering fraudulent claims later.

So glad to see this got resolved! The overdraft protection issue is definitely something more people should know about - it's such a random thing that causes these transfer problems. I had a similar nightmare with Money Network last year but with a different bank. For anyone else dealing with this, another tip is to make sure your bank account doesn't have any "enhanced security" features enabled that might block electronic transfers. Some banks automatically enable these after suspicious activity. Also, if you're switching to direct deposit like QuantumQuester mentioned, just be aware that it can take up to 3 weeks for the first direct deposit to hit your account, so don't close out the Money Network card until you see that first payment come through!

This thread is so helpful - I'm bookmarking it for future reference! I've been dealing with EDD payment issues on and off for months and never realized there were so many little technical things that could cause transfer problems. The overdraft protection thing is especially surprising - you'd think the systems would be compatible by now. One thing I'd add is that if you do end up having to use the ATM withdrawal method like Mei Chen mentioned, try to find a MoneyPass network ATM to avoid extra fees. There's a locator on the Money Network website. Also, for anyone switching to direct deposit, make sure your bank account has been open for at least 90 days first - I tried to switch to a newer account and it got rejected. Had to wait until the 90-day mark before EDD would accept it.

Best strategy I found: call at 8am sharp, if you don't get through in 20 attempts, wait until 2pm and try again. Don't waste the whole day.

The EDD phone system drops about 30-50% of calls even after you get on hold. It's a known technical issue they haven't fixed.

Just wanted to share my recent experience since it sounds so similar to yours! I was laid off in January with severance through April, and I'm really glad I applied right away like everyone here suggested. The key things that helped me: 1. I kept detailed records of every severance payment (date, amount, pay stub) - EDD actually did request documentation during my claim review 2. During the severance period, I treated the job search like a full-time job since I knew I'd need those work search logs later 3. When my severance ended in April, my EDD payments started automatically the following week with no additional paperwork needed The hardest part was getting $0 from EDD for months while job searching, but having that claim established meant I didn't lose any potential benefit weeks. Also, make sure you understand exactly how your company is paying the severance (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly) so you report it in the right certification periods. Good luck with everything!

I went through this exact situation last year and want to echo what others have said - definitely apply now! One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also check if your severance agreement has any restrictions on collecting unemployment benefits. Some companies try to include clauses that require you to waive your right to unemployment, but in California these clauses are generally not enforceable. Also, make sure you understand whether your severance is being paid as "salary continuation" vs a lump sum, as this can affect how EDD views the payments. In my case, my company structured it as salary continuation which made the reporting straightforward - I just reported it like regular wages during certification. The main thing is to be completely honest with EDD about your situation from day one. I had zero issues and started receiving full benefits immediately when my severance ended. Good luck!