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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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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!
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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.
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I'm new to this community but dealing with the exact same issue right now! Lost my job in retail back in January and have been getting EDD benefits since then. Applied for Medi-Cal about 3 weeks ago with all my unemployment documentation and just got the denial letter yesterday saying "insufficient income verification" - makes zero sense! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been SO helpful though. Sounds like the magic combo is: 1) Submit bank statements showing the EDD deposits, 2) Make sure you're applying for EXPANDED Medi-Cal (had no idea there was a difference!), 3) Put together that complete evidence packet approach, and 4) Maybe try calling the county office directly instead of the state line. It's absolutely mind-boggling that two California state programs can't talk to each other properly. We're already stressed about being unemployed and then they make getting basic healthcare coverage feel impossible! Thank you all for sharing your stories - knowing I'm not the only one going through this bureaucratic nightmare really helps. Definitely not giving up on this!
Welcome to the community! I'm also new here but going through this exact same frustrating situation. It's honestly such a relief to find this thread and realize how common this problem is - I was starting to think I was doing something fundamentally wrong with my application! Your summary of the key steps is spot on from what I've gathered reading everyone's experiences. I'm definitely going to try the expanded Medi-Cal route and put together that comprehensive evidence packet approach. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops when we're already dealing with the stress of unemployment, but at least now I feel like I have a actual game plan instead of just submitting the same docs over and over hoping for different results. Thanks for laying out those steps so clearly - super helpful for those of us just figuring this mess out!
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - it's incredibly frustrating! I just went through this exact same situation a few months ago. The problem is that even though EDD and Medi-Cal are both California state programs, their systems don't communicate well with each other. Here's what finally worked for me: submit a complete package with your EDD award letter, your last 3 months of bank statements showing the unemployment deposits, screenshots of your weekly certifications, AND a signed letter stating that unemployment is your only income source. Also double-check that you're applying for expanded Medi-Cal, not regular Medi-Cal - the income thresholds are different and with your $487/week benefit you should definitely qualify for expanded. I know it's ridiculous that you have to provide bank statements when the EDD docs should be enough, but unfortunately that seems to be what gets approvals. Don't give up - you absolutely deserve healthcare coverage while you're job searching!
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@Liv Park - glad you figured out where your payment went! Just wanted to add that when you re-enroll for direct deposit, make sure to wait until you see "Direct Deposit" confirmed in your UI Online payment history before assuming future payments will go to your bank. Sometimes there's a delay between when you enroll and when it actually takes effect. Also, keep that debit card active until you're 100% sure direct deposit is working - I learned this the hard way when I was switching between payment methods last year.
@Nia Wilson That s'really smart advice about keeping the debit card active during the transition! I definitely would have made that mistake. I found my old card and sure enough, the payment is there. Going to re-enroll for direct deposit more carefully this time and make sure I see it confirmed before my next certification. Thanks everyone for helping me solve this - I was so stressed thinking my money had disappeared!
Just wanted to share my experience since I went through something very similar a few months ago! When I switched from the debit card to direct deposit, my first payment also got sent to the old card even though I had enrolled in direct deposit. It turned out that EDD requires one full processing cycle after you enroll before direct deposit actually kicks in. So if you enrolled right before or after your last certification, that payment might still default to the debit card. The key thing I learned is to always check the payment method shown in UI Online for each individual payment, not just assume it's using your preferred method. Also, if you do find your payment on the debit card, you can transfer it to your bank account through the Money Network website or ATM - just watch out for transfer fees!
This is such valuable information! I wish EDD made this processing cycle requirement more clear when you're enrolling. It would save people a lot of panic when their first payment doesn't show up where they expect it. The tip about checking each individual payment method in UI Online is gold - I'll definitely be doing that going forward. Quick question about the transfer fees from the debit card - do you remember roughly how much Money Network charges for bank transfers? I want to factor that in when deciding whether to wait for direct deposit to kick in properly or just transfer from the card.
@Harper Collins I think the transfer fee from Money Network debit card to your bank account is around $1.50 for standard transfers, but you can also do free transfers at certain ATMs or by using their mobile app - though those might take 1-2 business days. If you re'in a rush to get the money, the small fee might be worth it rather than waiting for the next payment cycle to get direct deposit working properly. You can check the exact current fees on the Money Network website or call their customer service.
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I've been through the EDD appeal process for mental health reasons and want to share what worked for me. The key thing is building a comprehensive timeline that shows how your mental health condition directly impacted your work situation. Here's what I gathered: - Complete medical records from all providers (therapist, psychiatrist, primary care) - Employment history showing any work disruptions due to symptoms - Pharmacy records for any medications - Personal statement detailing specific incidents where mental health affected work performance - Letters from family/friends who witnessed your struggles (these carry more weight than you'd think) Don't worry too much about minor inaccuracies in documentation - focus on the overall picture. EDD wants to see that your condition genuinely prevented you from meeting work requirements. Be prepared to explain any gaps or inconsistencies honestly. Also, consider requesting accommodations during the appeal process if needed - they're required to provide reasonable accommodations for mental health conditions. Good luck! 💪
@PixelPioneer This is such a comprehensive guide, thank you! I'm particularly interested in the pharmacy records aspect - I hadn't considered that medication history could be relevant evidence. Quick question about the personal statement: did you focus more on how your mental health affected your ability to search for work, or how it impacted your previous job performance that led to the unemployment claim? I'm trying to figure out the best angle to take since my situation involves both aspects. Also, when you mention requesting accommodations during the appeal process - what kind of accommodations are typically available? I have pretty severe social anxiety and the thought of a phone hearing makes me panic.
@PixelPioneer This is super helpful! I'm actually dealing with a similar situation right now and your timeline approach sounds like exactly what I need. I've been struggling to organize all my documentation in a way that makes sense. One question - when you were putting together letters from family and friends, did you give them any guidance on what to include? I'm worried about asking people to write something but then having them not know what would actually be useful for the appeal. Also, how many of these letters did you end up submitting? The pharmacy records tip is gold too. I never would have thought of that, but it makes total sense as supporting evidence. Thanks for sharing your experience - it's giving me hope that I can get through this process! 🤞
I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and successfully got my appeal approved! Mental health documentation can be tricky, but here's what really helped me: First, don't stress too much about minor inaccuracies - focus on getting a clear narrative together. I had some inconsistencies in my records too, but I addressed them head-on in my appeal letter by explaining the circumstances. What made the biggest difference for me: - A detailed letter from my therapist explaining how my depression/anxiety specifically interfered with my ability to maintain employment - Documentation of any missed work days or performance issues related to my mental health - Records of any hospitalizations or crisis interventions - Even text messages to friends/family during bad episodes (screenshot and include them!) The key is showing a clear connection between your mental health condition and your inability to work or meet EDD requirements. Be specific about symptoms and their impact - don't just say "I was depressed," explain how that depression made it impossible to function in a work environment. Also, consider reaching out to your local legal aid society - many offer free help with EDD appeals and they know exactly what documentation works best. You've got this! 💙
@Kingston Bellamy This is so reassuring to hear! I m'currently in the middle of my appeal and have been really stressed about some inconsistencies in my documentation. Your point about addressing them head-on rather than trying to hide them makes a lot of sense. The text message idea is brilliant - I never would have thought to include those, but I definitely have some from when I was going through really rough patches. It s'such concrete evidence of how my mental health was affecting my daily life. Quick question: when you got the letter from your therapist, did they need to use specific language or format? I m'meeting with mine next week and want to make sure I ask for the right kind of documentation. Also, how long did your whole appeal process take from start to finish? Thanks for sharing your success story - it gives me hope that I can get through this too! 🙏
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To all those having trouble reaching a human at California Unemployment. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/Ize0EkN4HDI
I feel your pain! The EDD times are absolutely brutal. I had a similar experience last month - waited 2.5 hours just to be transferred to another department with another long hold. My advice: don't hang up no matter how tempting it is. Once you're in the queue for a tier 2 agent, you're actually making progress. Keep your phone charged, put it on speaker, and try to do other things while you wait. The tier 2 agents are usually more knowledgeable and can actually resolve issues unlike the first level reps. Hang in there!
This is so helpful, thank you! I'm actually still on right now - it's been about 3 hours total since I first called. Your advice about keeping the phone charged is spot on, mine died earlier and I had to scramble to find a charger while staying on the line. It's reassuring to hear that tier 2 agents are more helpful. Did you end up getting your issue resolved when you finally got through to them?
Nia Johnson
As someone new to this community, I just wanted to chime in with my recent experience! I literally just went through this exact same issue last week. I had a small TaskRabbit side hustle that brought in maybe $350 over a few months in 2024, and I initially thought "this is so insignificant, surely I don't need to report it." WRONG! The system completely blocked me just like what happened to you. After reading through forums like this one, I realized I had to add it as self-employment income. The moment I did that and filled in the basic info (approximate dates and total earnings), the application let me proceed to the next step. It's honestly ridiculous that EDD doesn't put a simple note on that screen explaining this requirement - would save so many people hours of frustration! But at least we have communities like this to help each other out. Hope your application goes smoothly from here!
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Amara Adebayo
•Welcome to the community! Thank you for sharing your TaskRabbit experience - it's so helpful to hear from someone who just went through this exact same issue. It really highlights how common this problem is and how poorly designed the EDD interface is for explaining these requirements. I'm glad you were able to get past that roadblock by adding your side hustle income. It's frustrating that something so small can completely block the entire application, but at least now we all know the solution. These kinds of real-world examples are exactly what make this community so valuable for people navigating the EDD system!
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Naila Gordon
As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful I found this thread! I'm currently dealing with the exact same issue on my EDD application. I had a small DoorDash side gig last year that only made about $520 total, and I thought since it was such a minimal amount I could just skip mentioning it. Big mistake - I've been stuck on that same screen for two days! Reading through everyone's experiences here, it's crystal clear that I need to add it as self-employment income regardless of the small amount. It's honestly mind-boggling that EDD doesn't put a simple warning or explanation on that screen saying "ALL income sources must be reported, including small gig work or 1099 income." A single sentence would save thousands of people this headache! Going to add my DoorDash info right now and hopefully finally get past this roadblock. Thank you all for sharing your solutions - this community is incredibly helpful for navigating the EDD maze!
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