I'm new to this community and this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I've been dealing with a similar situation from 2020 where I was disqualified for 6 weeks and have been terrified about potential repayment for years. Reading through everyone's experiences, especially the clear breakdown of Section 1253 vs Section 1257(b) distinctions, has given me so much clarity. What really strikes me is how many of us have been carrying this same stress without understanding what our disqualifications actually meant. Like Sofia and others, I never received an overpayment notice, but I've been assuming the worst this whole time. The real-world experiences shared here - like StarSailor actually serving penalty weeks and Sofia getting confirmation from multiple EDD reps - are exactly the kind of concrete information I needed. It's honestly frustrating that EDD doesn't explain these critical differences clearly from the start. We shouldn't have to become unemployment law experts just to understand our own cases! But I'm so grateful for communities like this where people share actual experiences and knowledge. I'm definitely going to call EDD to get clarification on my specific situation now that I know the right questions to ask. Thanks to everyone for making this such an educational discussion!

I'm new to this community and this discussion has been absolutely enlightening! I've been dealing with a 2021 disqualification for 5 weeks and, like so many others here, have been losing sleep over potentially having to repay around $3,000. I never received an overpayment notice but kept assuming I'd eventually get hit with a huge bill. Reading through everyone's experiences - especially Sofia's persistence in calling EDD multiple times and getting consistent confirmation, plus seeing StarSailor's real-world example of actually serving penalty weeks - has given me hope that my situation might not be as dire as I thought. The breakdown of Section 1253 vs Section 1257(b) that several members provided is incredibly valuable information that I wish EDD made clear from the beginning. It's so frustrating that their system is set up in a way that leaves people in limbo for years, not knowing whether they owe money or just need to serve penalty weeks. But I'm grateful for communities like this where people share actual experiences rather than speculation. I'm definitely going to call EDD now that I know the right questions to ask about which section my disqualification falls under. Thanks to everyone for making this such an informative thread!

I'm new to this community and going through the exact same situation right now! My husband just exhausted his regular UI benefits last week and we're seeing that same confusing "not paid" status with the message about waiting for a paper notice. We also have 3 weeks from January that have been stuck in pending status for months with zero explanation from EDD. Reading through all these responses has been such a huge relief! I was convinced something had gone terribly wrong with his claim, but now I understand this chaotic mix of statuses is actually normal during benefit transitions. The consistent advice from everyone who's been through this is really reassuring: keep certifying every two weeks regardless of what the status shows, get through to EDD about those old pending weeks since they won't auto-resolve, and expect the paper notice within 1-2 weeks. I'm definitely going to look into that Claimyr service that several people have recommended since we've tried calling EDD directly probably 50 times with no luck. It's amazing how much less stressful this whole situation feels when you can learn from others who've successfully navigated it. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is invaluable for understanding EDD's confusing system!

I'm also new to this community and dealing with almost this exact same situation! My husband exhausted his regular benefits two weeks ago and now has that confusing "not paid" status with the paper notice message. We also have 4 weeks from back in December that are still stuck pending with no explanation whatsoever. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I was starting to think we'd somehow broken his claim or done something wrong. It's such a relief to learn that this mix of paid/pending/not paid statuses is actually how the system normally works during benefit transitions, not some kind of error. The advice everyone's giving is really consistent and reassuring: keep certifying every two weeks no matter what, tackle those old pending weeks since they need agent intervention, and be patient for that paper notice (sounds like 1-2 weeks based on everyone's experiences here). We've been calling EDD for weeks trying to get through about those December weeks with zero success, so I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service that multiple people have recommended. It's amazing how much this community helps make sense of EDD's confusing system - thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and making this feel manageable instead of terrifying!

I'm new to this community but dealing with a somewhat similar situation, so I wanted to chime in with support and a question. My heart goes out to your son - having your car break down when it's essential for work is such a nightmare scenario, especially when the repair costs are so high. From everything I've read in this thread, it sounds like he has a really solid case for unemployment benefits. The fact that multiple people have shared successful outcomes from nearly identical situations is very encouraging! I'm curious though - has anyone here had experience with whether it matters if the car was financed vs owned outright? My situation involves a financed vehicle, and I'm wondering if that affects how EDD views the "ability to repair" aspect. Just thinking that if someone has car payments, it might actually strengthen the case that they truly can't afford a major repair on top of monthly payments. Regardless, your son should definitely apply right away if he gets terminated. This absolutely wasn't his fault, and from what everyone's shared, EDD seems pretty reasonable about these vehicle breakdown cases. Keeping my fingers crossed for a positive outcome for your family!

I'm new here but wanted to share some encouragement after reading through this whole thread. Your son's situation really resonates with me because I went through something similar about 6 months ago (different type of job, but same issue with unexpected vehicle failure). What really stands out to me from everyone's responses is how consistent the advice has been - this type of situation typically gets approved by EDD because it's clearly beyond his control. The fact that so many people have shared successful outcomes from nearly identical circumstances should give you confidence. One thing I learned during my own unemployment process that I don't think anyone mentioned yet - when he does his phone interview, it helps to be very specific about the timeline. Like exactly when the transmission failed, when his boss gave him the ultimatum, when he got the repair quote, etc. The interviewer will want a clear sequence of events to understand that this all happened suddenly and he didn't have time to make alternative arrangements. Also, the mechanic's quote for $4,300 is actually really important documentation. On a $22/hour job (roughly $3,500/month gross), that repair would eat up more than a month's entire gross pay. No reasonable person would expect someone to come up with that kind of money in just a few days. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your son! From everything I've learned and read here, he should definitely qualify. The community advice about applying immediately and certifying every two weeks is spot on too.

Hey everyone, I'm new here but going through something similar! I just started a part-time gig at a local grocery store and was totally panicking about how to handle my first certification. Reading through all these responses has been SO helpful - I had no idea about reporting when you EARN vs when you GET PAID. That seems like such an important distinction that EDD should make clearer on their forms! Also really glad someone mentioned the work search requirement because I definitely would have stopped doing job searches thinking "well I have a job now." Sounds like there are so many little details that can trip you up. Thanks for sharing your experiences everyone - this community is a lifesaver for navigating all the EDD confusion!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been through this whole process multiple times - you're definitely on the right track asking these questions! I made so many mistakes my first time around because I didn't understand the "when earned vs when paid" rule. One thing I learned the hard way is to keep really detailed records of your work schedule and hours, especially when you're just starting a new job and your schedule might be inconsistent. I use a simple notes app on my phone to track my daily hours so when certification time comes around, I don't have to try to remember what I worked two weeks ago. Also, don't stress too much about making small mistakes - EDD is usually pretty understanding if you're genuinely trying to report accurately and you catch any errors quickly. The main thing is being honest and reporting based on when you actually worked, not when the money hits your account. You've got this!

I'm a new member here but I've been lurking and reading about all these EDD horror stories. Your situation sounds incredibly frustrating and honestly illegal - how can they tell you one thing (that you're done after penalty weeks) and then do something completely different? I wanted to add that if you're dealing with apprenticeship/training pay reporting issues, you might want to contact your training program coordinator too. Sometimes they can provide documentation or clarification letters that help with EDD appeals. Many apprenticeship programs have dealt with this exact reporting confusion before and know how to word things in a way EDD understands. Also, I've heard from friends that when you call EDD, it sometimes helps to say you're calling about "overpayment recovery options" rather than just general questions - apparently it routes you to specialists faster. Not sure if that's true but might be worth trying. This whole system is designed to exhaust people into giving up, but you've gotten so much good advice in this thread. Don't let them steal benefits you've earned and are entitled to receive. Keep fighting!

I just wanted to jump in and say that reading through this entire thread has been both heartbreaking and inspiring. @Paolo, your situation perfectly illustrates how broken and cruel the EDD system has become - serving penalty weeks should mean you've paid your debt to society, not that you still owe thousands of dollars on top of that punishment. What really strikes me is how much collective knowledge this community has developed just to survive EDD's bureaucratic maze. The fact that we need to know about Tier 2 specialists, confirmation numbers, specific forms like DE 1446H, emergency hardship reviews, and even phone call timing strategies just shows how deliberately obtuse this system is. To everyone sharing advice here - thank you for turning your painful experiences into help for others. And Paolo, please keep us updated on how the emergency hardship review goes and whether you're able to get through to someone who can actually help. You've already shown incredible resilience getting through 10 weeks without benefits. Don't let them wear you down now when you're so close to getting some relief. The apprenticeship angle sounds particularly promising since there are often special provisions for training-related income reporting. Definitely pursue that documentation from your program coordinator. Sometimes one properly worded letter from an official source can cut through months of EDD confusion.