I went through this same situation and was really stressed about how to explain the delay. I ended up being completely honest - I told them I had no idea that self-employed people could even qualify for unemployment benefits until someone mentioned it to me months later. I explained that I always thought unemployment was just for people who got laid off from regular jobs, and I didn't know about PUA or any of the pandemic programs until way after they started. The representative was actually really understanding about it because apparently tons of people were in the same boat. I think the key is just being genuine about not knowing rather than trying to come up with some complicated excuse. They seem to get that there was a lot of confusion during the pandemic about who qualified for what.

I'm currently dealing with this exact situation and feeling really anxious about it. Reading everyone's responses here is so reassuring - I had no idea that being honest about not knowing the eligibility requirements was actually the best approach. I was self-employed doing freelance work and genuinely thought unemployment was only for people who got fired or laid off from regular jobs. It wasn't until my cousin mentioned PUA to me that I even realized I might qualify. I've been putting off calling EDD because I was worried they'd think I was trying to take advantage of the system, but now I see that a lot of people were in this same confusing situation during the pandemic. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know I'm not alone in this!

Bottom line: EDD has no official callback system. Your options are manually dial 50-100+ times hoping to get through, or use a third-party service that handles it for you. That's literally it.

Unfortunately, there's no official EDD callback number or system. I've been dealing with this nightmare for months now. The reality is you have three options: 1) Keep manually dialing and hoping you get lucky (I'm at 200+ attempts with maybe 3 successful connections), 2) Use a third-party service like Claimyr that does the calling for you and calls you back when they reach an agent, or 3) Try to time your calls perfectly (avoid lunch hours, call early morning or mid-afternoon on weekdays). It's absolutely ridiculous that in 2024 we don't have basic callback functionality, but that's the broken system we're stuck with. Save yourself the frustration and either commit to spending entire days calling or just pay for a callback service.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this frustrating situation - wage theft is unfortunately way too common and adds so much stress on top of being unemployed. From what I understand (and others have confirmed), you're handling this correctly. Report your actual work dates when filing your initial claim, and when you eventually receive those back wages, don't report them during your weekly certifications since the work was performed before your unemployment period started. One thing I'd suggest - when you do your weekly certifications, there's usually a section for "additional information" or comments. You might want to briefly note something like "still awaiting payment for pre-layoff wages" just to create a paper trail in case any issues come up later. Also, since your employer is being sketchy about payroll, there's a chance they might mess up their reporting to EDD about when you earned those wages. If they report them as earned during your unemployment period instead of before July 18th, it could trigger flags in the system. Having all your documentation ready will be crucial if that happens. Good luck with the Labor Commissioner claim - hopefully you'll see some movement on that soon. In the meantime, don't let your employer's irresponsibility prevent you from getting the unemployment benefits you've earned!

This is such a messy situation but you're definitely not alone - I see posts about unpaid wages combined with unemployment claims pretty regularly here unfortunately. Just wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful: when you do eventually receive those back wages (fingers crossed!), make sure to keep the pay stub or documentation showing the pay period dates. If there's ever any confusion with EDD down the road, you'll want clear proof that the wages were for work performed before your layoff date, not during your unemployment claim period. Also, I've noticed some people mention that sketchy employers sometimes try to report wages to EDD incorrectly as a way to mess with former employees' unemployment claims. If your employer is already being shady about paying you, just be prepared for the possibility they might report things wrong to EDD too. Having all your documentation organized ahead of time will save you major headaches if that happens. Hope you get those wages soon and that your unemployment claim goes smoothly! The Labor Commissioner's office is usually pretty good at getting results, even if it takes a while.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Been trying for 3 days straight to create my UI Online account and getting that same "information doesn't match" error. Like everyone else here, I'm receiving my benefit payments just fine, so obviously EDD has my correct information somewhere in their system. What's really frustrating is that I work in IT and I can see exactly what's happening - their registration system and payment system aren't properly synced, and their data validation is way too strict for normal variations in how people enter their information. It's a classic case of poor system integration. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service that @Caleb Stone recommended since calling EDD directly seems impossible. Has anyone had success with the early morning registration tip that @Keisha Jackson mentioned? I might try hitting their system right at 6 AM tomorrow before the daily traffic hits. It's honestly embarrassing that California's unemployment system is this broken in 2025. We shouldn't need third-party services and community forums just to access basic government benefits. But thanks to everyone who shared their solutions - at least we can help each other navigate this technical disaster!

This thread is incredibly helpful for anyone dealing with EDD's broken account registration system! I'm currently stuck in the exact same situation - approved for benefits, receiving payments, but can't create my UI Online account because of the "information doesn't match" error. What strikes me most about reading everyone's experiences is how these are all preventable technical issues that could be easily fixed with proper system design. Extra spaces in name fields, missing middle initials, systems not syncing between departments - these are basic data handling problems that any decent web developer could resolve. I'm going to try the early morning registration approach first (thanks @Keisha Jackson for that tip!), and if that doesn't work, I'll definitely look into the Claimyr service that @Caleb Stone recommended. It's frustrating that we need to pay a third party to access our own government benefits, but it sounds like it's the most reliable solution right now. For anyone else dealing with this, I'd recommend having those backup certification methods ready (@Daniel Price's suggestions about phone cert at 1-866-333-4606 and paper forms) so you don't miss deadlines while fighting with their system. It's ridiculous that in 2025 we're still talking about mailing paper forms for unemployment benefits, but at least there are options. Thanks to everyone who shared their solutions - this community support is invaluable when dealing with EDD's technical disasters!

I had my EDD phone hearing for a wage discrepancy case about 6 weeks ago and wanted to share a few additional tips that really helped me! First, when you submit your documents 5 days early, send them via both email AND fax if possible - I had a friend whose emailed documents somehow didn't make it to the judge, but thankfully they had also faxed them. Second, create a simple cover sheet listing all the documents you're submitting with page numbers - it makes it much easier for everyone to stay on the same page during the hearing when the judge says "please refer to document 3, page 2." Third, practice explaining your wage discrepancy in 2-3 clear sentences - you'll likely need to summarize it multiple times during the hearing for different people (judge, EDD rep, etc.). The judge in my case was very thorough and asked both me and the EDD representative detailed questions to make sure they understood the situation completely. My hearing took about 35 minutes and I received my favorable decision 9 days later. One last tip: stay calm if the EDD rep says something that contradicts your evidence - you'll get your chance to respond and present your paystubs. Having solid documentation like you do puts you in an excellent position to win this case!

I had my EDD phone hearing about 5 months ago for a very similar wage discrepancy issue and won my case! Here's what really helped me prepare: First, I organized all my paystubs chronologically and calculated the total difference between what my employer reported vs. what I actually earned - having that exact dollar amount ready was crucial. Second, I practiced my opening statement beforehand where I briefly explained the discrepancy in simple terms. During the hearing, the judge was very professional and asked clear questions to understand the situation. The EDD representative presented their case first, then I got to explain my side with my paystub evidence. The whole process took about 45 minutes and honestly wasn't as scary as I expected. I received my favorable decision 11 days later and the retroactive benefits were processed within 2 weeks. Your paystub documentation is exactly what you need to win this case - you're in a strong position! Just stay calm, speak clearly, and stick to the facts. The judge really does want to get to the correct information. Good luck with your hearing!