I'm experiencing this exact same certification loop issue and it's driving me absolutely crazy! Been stuck for 8 days now - fill out everything perfectly, hit submit, and then BAM - right back to the beginning with no error message or explanation whatsoever. I've tried literally everything: different browsers, clearing cache, different times of day, disabling ad blockers, even tried on my phone. Nothing works! Reading through all these comments gives me some hope though. I'm definitely going to try the Microsoft Edge + 4am combo that worked for Khalil, and I love the idea of writing down all my answers on paper first so I don't have to keep re-entering everything. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become tech detectives just to access benefits we've earned. Thank you to everyone sharing their workarounds - this community is a lifesaver when EDD's system completely fails us!

I'm dealing with this same certification loop nightmare! Been trying for over a week now and it's incredibly frustrating. I complete everything, hit submit, and then get kicked right back to the start with no explanation. It's so reassuring to see I'm not alone in this - clearly EDD has a major system issue they need to fix ASAP. Based on all the success stories here, I'm definitely going to try the Microsoft Edge browser at 4am with all extensions disabled. The tip about writing answers down on paper first is brilliant too - I'm tired of re-entering the same info over and over. Thanks to everyone sharing their workarounds! This community is amazing when the official system completely fails us. Will update if the early morning Edge method works for me!

I'm new to this community but felt compelled to share after reading your story and all these incredible success stories! I just won my second appeal about 6 weeks ago for almost identical circumstances - denied initially for insufficient work search documentation while doing part-time work. My overpayment was $5,900. What really struck me reading through this thread is how many people have successfully overturned these work search documentation denials on second appeal. It's giving me so much hope to see this pattern of success, and I wanted to add my experience to encourage you. Here's what worked for me: - Created an ultra-detailed timeline showing not just job applications, but the evolution of my search strategy over time - Included evidence of networking activities (LinkedIn engagement, professional meetups, informational interviews) - Documented every instance where I had to adjust my part-time schedule for job search activities - Wrote a point-by-point response to each issue raised in the denial letter The CUIAB took about 8 weeks and completely reversed the ALJ's decision. They specifically noted that the original determination had "applied an unreasonably restrictive standard" for evaluating work search efforts. After reading all these success stories with similar circumstances and timelines, I'm genuinely confident you have an excellent chance with your second appeal. The fact that you have more detailed records to submit puts you in a really strong position. With $7,800 at stake and the clear pattern of successful outcomes for work search documentation appeals, this is absolutely worth pursuing. The community support here is amazing - you're definitely not alone in this process!

I'm brand new to this community but had to jump in after reading your story and all these amazing success stories! I just won my second appeal about 4 weeks ago for the EXACT same issue - work search documentation while doing part-time work. My overpayment was $7,200, so I totally get that financial panic you're feeling right now. Reading through all these responses has been incredible - the success rate for these work search documentation appeals seems way higher than I expected! What worked for me was treating the second appeal like I was building a case to prove my genuine commitment to finding full-time work. Here's my game plan that worked: - Created a master spreadsheet with every single job application including follow-up actions and how each showed my availability for full-time work - Found old emails/texts with my part-time boss where I mentioned potentially leaving for full-time work - Included screenshots of job board activity showing consistent searching over time - Wrote a detailed response addressing every single point in the denial letter The CUIAB took 9 weeks and completely overturned the decision. They said the ALJ had "failed to properly evaluate the totality of claimant's demonstrated job search efforts." Honestly, seeing all these similar success stories in this thread should give you HUGE confidence! With your $7,800 case and the additional detailed records you mentioned, you're in a really strong position. The second appeal genuinely gives you a fair fresh look - don't let those few negative comments discourage you. This community is proof that these appeals absolutely can and do succeed!

Welcome to the EDD journey! I see you've already gotten tons of great advice here, but I wanted to add one more perspective as someone who just went through this exact same confusion a few months ago. The thing that helped me the most was downloading the EDD mobile app and setting up ALL the notifications - email, text, everything. That way you never miss important updates or certification reminders. Also, bookmark your UI Online homepage because that's going to be your lifeline for checking certification dates and payment status. Since you mentioned budgeting carefully (totally get it - unemployment is stressful enough without payment uncertainty), I'd suggest creating a simple spreadsheet with your certification dates and expected payment dates for the next few months. Once you get into the rhythm, it becomes super predictable and helps with planning expenses. One last tip - if you ever run into issues or have questions, this community is amazing. Everyone here has been through the same struggles and confusion with the EDD system. Don't hesitate to post if you need help figuring something out. Good luck with your claim!

Hey Jackson! I just went through this same exact situation a few weeks ago - got my first payment and was totally confused about when the next one would come. Everyone here has given you spot-on advice about focusing on your certification date rather than payment date. One thing that really helped me was writing down my certification schedule in my phone's calendar app with alerts set for the Friday before (so I have time to prep) and the actual Sunday. I also keep a running note in my phone with my UI Online login info and important dates so I don't have to dig around for it every time. Since you're in construction, you might want to check out some of the union halls in your area even if you're not a member - sometimes they post job opportunities on bulletin boards that you can use for your work search requirements. I'm not in construction but my buddy who is says this has been helpful for him during slow periods. The anxiety around payment timing definitely gets better once you've gone through a few cycles. Hang in there and congrats on finally getting that first payment - that's always the biggest hurdle!

Your boss is totally wrong and doesn't understand how unemployment works AT ALL! You absolutely can and should file for partial unemployment when your hours get cut by 50% - that's literally what it's designed for. Here's the deal: your employer has ZERO power to "approve" or block your unemployment claim. That's not how any of this works! EDD makes the decision, not your boss. She's probably freaking out because unemployment claims can raise their tax rates, but that's their problem to deal with as a business cost - not yours. You've been paying into the unemployment system with every paycheck, so these are YOUR benefits that you've earned. Don't let her guilt trip you out of getting help you're legally entitled to when you literally can't pay your bills with half your income. File online at edd.ca.gov tonight and document everything she said about "not approving" your claim - that could actually be illegal interference with your worker rights. Your rent doesn't care about your boss's feelings about unemployment insurance!

Your employer is completely wrong and has no legal authority whatsoever to prevent you from filing for unemployment benefits! This is exactly what partial UI is designed for - when your hours are reduced through no fault of your own. Here's what you need to know: - Your employer cannot "approve" or "disapprove" unemployment claims - only EDD has that authority - File your claim immediately at edd.ca.gov and ignore her intimidation tactics - You'll report your reduced hours and wages when you certify every two weeks - Keep documentation of your old schedule vs new reduced schedule What your boss is really worried about is their unemployment insurance tax rate going up, but that's a normal cost of doing business - NOT your financial problem to solve. You've been paying into this system with every paycheck, so these are benefits you've literally earned. Document everything she said about "not approving" your claim, including dates and exact words. Employer interference with unemployment filing can actually be illegal retaliation under California law. Don't let her guilt you into struggling financially when you have bills that need to be paid. Your rent and car payments don't disappear just because your boss doesn't understand how unemployment insurance works. File that claim tonight!

I'm so grateful I found this thread! I've been dealing with the exact same Money Network nightmare for the past 4 days - card declining everywhere despite showing a $987 balance, and their customer service keeps giving me the same "no restrictions" nonsense. Reading through everyone's experiences has been eye-opening, especially learning about these "secondary identity verification holds" that Money Network reps apparently can't even see! I had no clue there were EDD-side flags that could block transactions without showing up in Money Network's system. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service tomorrow to bypass EDD's impossible phone system and ask specifically about "identity verification status" and "backend security flags" like everyone suggested. Grace, thank you SO much for following up with your solution - knowing exactly what to ask for when I call EDD is going to save me so much time and frustration. It's absolutely insane that we have to become technical experts on their broken systems just to access our own benefits, but this community support is incredible. I'll definitely update once I try these methods. Fingers crossed this gets resolved before my car payment is due on Friday!

This thread has been absolutely amazing! As someone who's been dealing with EDD and Money Network issues on and off for over a year, I wish I had found this information months ago. The detail about "secondary identity verification holds" that Money Network reps can't see is crucial information that should be shared everywhere. I've bookmarked this thread and will definitely be referring other people here when they hit similar issues. Grace, your persistence in getting this resolved and then coming back to share the exact solution is what makes communities like this so valuable. For anyone still dealing with this, I'd also suggest taking screenshots of your Money Network balance and any error messages you get - having visual proof can help when you're explaining the situation to EDD reps. It's honestly shameful that the system is this broken and we have to become technical support experts just to access our own benefits, but threads like this show how powerful community knowledge sharing can be!