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If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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I'm so deeply sorry for the loss of your grandmother, Oliver. Losing a loved one while simultaneously facing financial uncertainty is one of life's most challenging situations, and I can only imagine how overwhelming this must feel right now. After reading through all the incredibly detailed and supportive responses here, it's absolutely clear that you qualify for unemployment benefits as an IHSS provider. You've been faithfully paying unemployment insurance taxes for 2.5 years - these aren't charity benefits, they're compensation you've legitimately earned through your dedicated service. What really stands out to me from everyone's experiences is how prepared you now are for this process. You have a comprehensive roadmap: get that employment verification letter from IHSS first thing tomorrow, file online with "State of California - IHSS" as your employer, keep detailed documentation of everything, and don't let any initial confusion from EDD reps discourage you. Your consistent 65 hours per month over 2.5 years puts you in a strong position earnings-wise, and the fact that your employment ended due to client death (involuntary termination) works in your favor. Yes, the system has quirks for IHSS workers, but as everyone here has proven, persistence pays off. One final thought: your work as an IHSS caregiver provided essential, dignified care for your grandmother. The state recognized this as legitimate employment by withholding taxes from every paycheck. You deserve these benefits with zero shame or hesitation. Sending you strength during this difficult transition. Please keep us posted - your journey will undoubtedly help other IHSS caregivers facing similar circumstances.
Thank you so much Alina, your words really touched my heart. You're absolutely right that this has been overwhelming, but reading through everyone's experiences and advice has been incredibly healing - not just practically but emotionally too. It means so much to have people who understand what IHSS caregivers go through and who validate that our work is legitimate, essential employment. Your reminder that I should feel zero shame about claiming benefits I've earned through my dedicated service really helps me approach this with confidence rather than uncertainty. The comprehensive roadmap everyone has provided makes me feel so much more prepared than I was this morning. I'm going to follow the plan exactly: call IHSS first thing tomorrow for all the documentation, then file online with everything ready. Knowing that others have successfully navigated this path, even with the system's quirks, gives me hope that I can too. I promise to keep everyone updated on how the process goes - this community has been such a source of strength during the most difficult time in my life. Thank you all for turning what felt impossible into something manageable. My grandmother would be so grateful to know that even after her passing, I'm surrounded by such caring, helpful people.
I'm so sorry for the loss of your grandmother, Oliver. What you're experiencing - grieving while facing financial uncertainty - is incredibly difficult, and I want you to know that this community is here to support you. After reading through all these detailed responses, it's crystal clear that you absolutely qualify for unemployment benefits as an IHSS provider. You've been paying unemployment insurance taxes for 2.5 years, which makes you a legitimate state employee with full rights to these benefits. Everyone here has given you such comprehensive advice that I feel confident you're going into this well-prepared. The key takeaways seem to be: • Get that employment verification letter from IHSS before filing • Use "State of California - IHSS" as your employer when applying • Don't be discouraged if EDD reps seem confused initially - it's unfortunately common • Keep detailed records of everything • Remember that your 2.5 years of consistent work easily meets the earnings requirements What really strikes me is how your fellow IHSS providers have rallied around you with practical, experience-based advice. That speaks volumes about both this community and the legitimate nature of IHSS employment. You provided essential, professional care for your grandmother, and the state recognized this by treating you as an employee and withholding unemployment taxes. These benefits aren't a favor - they're compensation you've earned. Take care of yourself during this transition, and please don't hesitate to come back with updates. Your experience navigating this process will surely help other IHSS caregivers who may face similar situations in the future. Wishing you strength and hoping for a smooth process ahead.
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This is absolutely infuriating and I'm so sorry everyone is dealing with this! I had my Money Network card frozen last month for the most ridiculous reason - I bought coffee at a new place near my doctor's office, then stopped for groceries on the way home. Apparently using my card in two locations within a few hours triggered their "fraud protection" system. The worst part is they don't tell you ANYTHING when it happens! I spent a whole day thinking there was something wrong with my account or that someone had hacked it. Finally got through to them after calling at 6:45am (even earlier than the 7am that others mentioned) and they acted like freezing my card without notice was totally normal. What really helped me was downloading their mobile app and setting up every possible notification - at least now I get alerts for transactions so I can tell if something weird is happening. But honestly, the direct deposit switch was the best decision I made. Set it up right after getting my card unfrozen and it's been seamless ever since. For anyone still struggling to get through - try calling RIGHT when they open at 7am Pacific, have all your info ready (SSN, DOB, full card number), and immediately say "my card has a security freeze" when you get connected. Don't let them transfer you around. You shouldn't have to become a customer service expert just to access your unemployment benefits, but here we are!
@Olivia Van-Cleve Thank you for sharing your experience and the extra tips! The 6:45am calling strategy is really good to know - I ll'definitely try that if the 7am approach doesn t'work for me. It s'absolutely ridiculous that buying coffee and then groceries in the same day can trigger their fraud system - that s'literally just normal life! The fact that they don t'notify us at all when they freeze our accounts is what makes this whole situation so much worse. I really appreciate the tip about downloading their app and setting up all the notifications - at least that might give us some warning next time. You re'so right that we shouldn t'have to become customer service experts just to access our own unemployment money! I m'definitely going to switch to direct deposit once I get through this nightmare. Thanks for the specific script about saying my "card has a security freeze right" away - hopefully that will help me avoid getting transferred around in circles. This whole thread has been such a lifesaver for knowing I m'not alone in this mess!
I'm so sorry you're going through this! I had the exact same thing happen to me about 2 weeks ago - card working fine in the morning, then completely dead by afternoon. It's absolutely maddening when you can see your money online but can't access any of it! After reading through all the helpful advice in this thread, I can confirm the early morning calling strategy really works. I called at 7:05am and got through in about 30 minutes. The rep told me my card was frozen because I used it at a new pharmacy and then made a purchase at a different store a few hours later - apparently that was enough to trigger their "security system." What really bothers me is that they could easily send a text or push notification when they freeze accounts, but they choose not to. It feels intentionally designed to make accessing our benefits as difficult as possible. I immediately switched to direct deposit after getting my card unfrozen - you can do it in UI Online under payment preferences. Takes 1-2 payment cycles to kick in but it's been smooth sailing since then. Hang in there! This nightmare will be over soon, and definitely make that switch to direct deposit so you never have to deal with Money Network's broken system again.
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I just joined this community after dealing with this exact same Money Network transfer issue for the past week! My bank account has been linked since 2019 and worked perfectly during my previous unemployment claims, but now I keep getting that incredibly frustrating "Unable to process request" error every time I try to transfer my benefits. After reading through all these amazing responses, I had no idea about the December 2024 system update that apparently broke so many existing bank connections. It's absolutely outrageous that EDD didn't send out any kind of notification about this major change - I've been thinking there was something wrong with my account or that it was just a temporary system glitch! I'm definitely going to download the official Money Network mobile app today based on everyone's recommendations. It sounds like the app provides much clearer error messages than their useless website, which hopefully will direct me to the verification process I apparently need to complete. Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and solutions - this thread has been infinitely more helpful than anything I could find on EDD's official website. It's incredible that we have to rely on each other to figure out what EDD should have communicated to us in the first place. This community support is truly amazing!
Welcome to the community, Sofia! You're absolutely right that this support has been incredible - I'm also pretty new here and went through this exact same nightmare just a couple weeks ago. It's so frustrating that EDD made this major system change in December without any heads up to users who had working bank connections for years! The mobile app approach is definitely the way to go. I was stuck with that useless "unable to process" error on the website for days, but as soon as I tried the official Money Network app, I got a much clearer "Bank verification required" message with a direct link to start the process. It's amazing how much better the app handles these issues compared to their website. Just a heads up for when you get to the verification step - keep a close eye on your bank account for those test deposits because they can be really tiny amounts that are easy to overlook. Mine were $0.09 and $0.22, and they showed up in about 2 business days. Once I entered those amounts correctly, my transfers started working perfectly again. It really is crazy that we all have to figure this out through community forums instead of EDD actually communicating major changes, but I'm so glad we can help each other out here! Hope you get it resolved quickly - you're definitely on the right track with the mobile app approach!
Just wanted to add my experience to this incredibly helpful thread! I'm new to the community but have been dealing with this exact same Money Network transfer issue for about 10 days now. My bank account was linked back in 2020 and worked flawlessly during my previous claim, so I was completely stumped by that "Unable to process request" error. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such an eye-opener - I had absolutely no clue about the December 2024 system update that apparently broke so many existing bank connections. It's beyond frustrating that EDD didn't bother to notify anyone about this major change that's clearly affecting thousands of people! I downloaded the official Money Network mobile app this morning based on all the recommendations here, and wow - what a difference! Instead of that completely useless generic error from the website, I immediately got a clear "Account verification required" message with a button to start the process. I've already initiated the verification and am now waiting for those tiny test deposits everyone mentioned. This community has been absolutely amazing - way more helpful than hours of searching through EDD's confusing official resources. It's ridiculous that we all have to figure this out through forums instead of proper communication from EDD, but I'm so grateful for everyone sharing their solutions and experiences here!
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This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! As someone who's been on unemployment for about 4 months after a layoff from my software engineering job, I had no idea about most of these details regarding international travel and EDD requirements. The IP address tracking and TSA data cross-referencing that @Aria Washington mentioned is honestly mind-blowing - I never would have imagined EDD had access to that level of information for fraud detection. It really emphasizes why following the proper protocol is so important. What I love most about this discussion is how it combines real-world experiences with actual legal and insider knowledge. Having @Kolton Murphy provide the specific legal code (California Unemployment Insurance Code Section 1253(c)) and @Aria Washington share the EDD employee perspective gives this advice so much more credibility than just random forum opinions. The documentation strategy everyone has outlined is brilliant - I'm definitely going to remember the passport stamps tip for any future travel. The consistency of experiences across different people's trips (Italy, Japan, Europe) really shows this process works reliably when done correctly. @CosmicVoyager - I hope you have an amazing time in Spain! You're clearly handling this the right way, and this thread has probably helped dozens of other people in similar situations. Safe travels!
This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm new to this community but I've been lurking and reading through everyone's experiences. As someone who just started receiving unemployment benefits last month after getting laid off from my marketing job, I had absolutely no clue about any of these travel restrictions or the sophisticated tracking methods EDD uses. The combination of real experiences from people like @Caesar Grant, @Lucas Turner, and @Anastasia Popov, plus the insider knowledge from @Aria Washington and legal expertise from @Kolton Murphy, makes this feel like the most comprehensive guide I could ever hope for. It s'honestly better than anything I could find on official government websites! I don t'have any international travel planned right now, but I m'definitely saving this thread for future reference. The documentation tips especially (the passport stamps idea and) the clear timeline expectations 48 (hours for reopen process are) gold. It s'amazing how a potentially stressful situation becomes totally manageable when you have the right information and follow proper protocol. @CosmicVoyager - you re'going to have such peace of mind knowing you re'doing everything correctly. Enjoy every moment in Spain! And thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is incredible for helping people navigate these complex unemployment situations safely and legally.
I'm currently on unemployment after getting laid off from my data analyst position in March, and I've been following this thread closely because I'm potentially planning a trip to visit family in the Philippines for about 6 weeks this fall. This discussion has been incredibly eye-opening! What really struck me is the level of tracking and cross-referencing that EDD does - the IP address monitoring and TSA data access that @Aria Washington mentioned is honestly shocking. I had no idea they had those capabilities for fraud investigations. It really drives home why taking the proper approach is so critical. The documentation strategy that's emerged from everyone's experiences is fantastic. I'm definitely going to implement the travel folder idea from @Hunter Edmunds with flight confirmations, hotel bookings, UI Online screenshots, and especially those passport entry/exit stamps that @Kolton Murphy suggested. Having that official government documentation seems like the strongest possible evidence. One question I have for those who've been through this process - did any of you experience any delays in job search momentum when you returned? I'm wondering if taking 6 weeks off from active networking and interviewing might set me back, or if the mental reset that @Hunter Edmunds mentioned actually helps in the long run. @CosmicVoyager - it sounds like you're all set with the perfect plan! The consistency of everyone's positive experiences following this protocol is really reassuring. Have an incredible time in Spain!
Amun-Ra Azra
try calling at exactly 8:03am. not 8 sharp when everyone else is calling. worked for me twice
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Payton Black
Update: Finally got through this morning! Called the 1-800-300-5616 number at 8:05am and used the prompts someone suggested (1, 1, 2, 1, 4). Was on hold for about 35 minutes but finally spoke to a real person who resolved my payment issue. Thanks everyone for your help!
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Rachel Clark
•This is so encouraging to see! I've been calling for almost two weeks myself and was starting to lose hope. @Payton Black - when you called at 8:05am, did you get the busy signal at all or did it go straight to the menu? I m'trying to figure out if calling a few minutes after 8am instead of right at 8:00 is actually the key. Also, did the rep give you any indication of how long your payment had been stuck in the system before they fixed it?
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Henrietta Beasley
•So glad to hear you finally got through! I've been dealing with a similar situation for weeks. @Payton Black - when the rep resolved your payment issue, did they mention if this was a system-wide problem or something specific to your account? I m'wondering if there s'been a pattern of payments getting stuck lately. Also, did they give you any advice on what to do if this happens again in the future, or any way to prevent it from happening again?
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