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I went through this exact same situation a few months ago! Here's what worked for me: I had my doctor's office fax the form directly to EDD (the fax number should be on the form itself). Then I also hand-delivered a copy to my local EDD office - yes, it's a pain, but at least you have proof they received it. I also sent a certified mail copy as backup. Triple submission might seem overkill, but my benefits got processed within a week after that. Don't let them give you the runaround - you have rights and they need to process your claim!
@Oscar O'Neil This is such great advice! I'm definitely going to try the triple submission approach. Quick question - when you hand-delivered to the local EDD office, did you need to make an appointment first or could you just walk in? I want to make sure I do this right and don't waste a trip there.
@Oscar O'Neil Wow, the triple submission approach is genius! I never thought about using all three methods at once. Quick question - when you faxed it, did you get some kind of confirmation receipt? I'm always paranoid about fax transmissions failing. And for the certified mail, did you address it to a specific department or just the general EDD address? Thanks for sharing this strategy - it gives me hope that there's actually a way to cut through their bureaucratic mess!
I went through something similar last month! What saved me was getting a tracking number from my doctor's office for the mailed form, then using that to prove to EDD that it was sent and delivered. If your doctor didn't use tracking, ask them to resend it with signature confirmation. Also, I found that tweeting at @CA_EDD with your claim number sometimes gets faster responses than calling - sounds weird but it actually worked for me! They seem to be more responsive on social media than their phone lines. Keep fighting for your benefits - you deserve them! 💪
@Javier Gomez That s'such a smart tip about tweeting at them! I never would have thought social media would be more effective than their actual customer service lines, but honestly that makes total sense - they probably don t'want public complaints sitting on their timeline. I m'definitely going to try that if the phone calls don t'work. Did you just tweet your issue publicly or did you DM them? And how long did it take for them to respond? Thanks for sharing this - it s'crazy how we have to get creative just to get basic government services! 🤦♀️
Just went through this exact same process last month after getting laid off from my retail job! One thing that really helped me was setting up text alerts through UI Online - you can enable notifications for when your certification period opens and when payments are issued. Go to your profile settings and look for "Notification Preferences." Also, I learned the hard way that if you're doing any volunteer work, you still need to report it during certification even though it's unpaid - they ask about "work or services" not just paid work. The first few certifications feel overwhelming but it becomes routine pretty quickly. Make sure you have all your job search info ready before you start certifying because the system times out if you take too long on a page. Good luck with everything!
Thanks for the tip about setting up text alerts! I had no idea that was an option - definitely going to enable those right away. And wow, I didn't realize volunteer work needed to be reported too. That's exactly the kind of detail I would have missed and probably gotten in trouble for later. Really helpful to know about the system timing out during certification too - I'll make sure to have all my job search details written down and ready before I start. It's reassuring to hear from someone who just went through this process recently. Makes me feel like I can handle it!
Something I wish someone had told me when I first started - keep a simple notebook or use your phone's notes app to track your certification dates and what you reported each time. I write down the date I certified, which weeks it covered, any income I reported, and my job search activities. This has been a lifesaver because EDD sometimes asks about previous certifications during eligibility reviews, and having everything documented makes those conversations so much easier. Also, if you ever see your claim balance getting low (like under $1000), start thinking about filing a new claim or extension - don't wait until it hits zero because there can be gaps in payments during the transition. The whole process gets much less stressful once you establish a routine and know what to expect!
I'm also new to unemployment after being laid off from my tech job last week. This whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea the federal extensions from the pandemic were completely gone now. I was really hoping there might be something beyond the 26 weeks since the tech industry has been pretty brutal with layoffs lately. One thing I wanted to add that might help others: if you're in tech or any field that changes quickly, don't sleep on updating your skills during unemployment. I've been looking into free coding bootcamps and online certifications that might make me more competitive. Some of these programs are specifically designed for unemployed workers and don't interfere with your job search requirements. Also, for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the 26-week timeline - I've been setting weekly goals for applications and networking rather than just daily ones. It helps me feel more in control and ensures I'm making steady progress even when the rejections start piling up. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences here. It's tough out there but at least we're not going through it alone!
Sofia, thanks for bringing up the skills updating angle! I'm also new to unemployment (just filed last week after my restaurant closed) and hadn't really thought about using this time for training. Do you have any specific recommendations for free programs that work well with unemployment requirements? I'm not in tech but I'm open to learning new skills that might help me transition to a more stable industry. The 26-week limit is definitely motivating me to think beyond just finding another restaurant job since that industry feels pretty unstable right now. Really appreciate everyone sharing their strategies - makes this whole process feel less scary when you hear from people who've actually been through it!
I'm also new to unemployment after getting laid off from my warehouse job earlier this month. This thread has been incredibly helpful - thank you everyone for confirming the 26-week limit and sharing your experiences! I wanted to add something that might help other newcomers: don't forget to check if your employer offers any kind of severance or job placement assistance. My company provided access to a career counseling service for 90 days after layoff, which I almost didn't use because I was focused on filing for unemployment. Turns out they help with resume writing, interview prep, and even have connections with local employers. Also, for anyone worried about the phone lines at EDD - I had success calling right when they opened at 8am. Still took about 45 minutes on hold, but I did get through to a real person who answered all my questions about my specific situation. The 26-week timeline is definitely scary, but reading everyone's strategies here is making me feel more prepared to tackle this systematically. Going to start documenting everything and treating the job search like a full-time job starting tomorrow!
This whole thread has been so helpful! I'm new to receiving unemployment benefits and got my RESEA letter last week. I was completely confused about what it even was - the letter just said "mandatory reemployment workshop" with a date but no other details. Reading everyone's experiences here has made me feel way more prepared. I'm definitely going to set up email alerts for anything from @edd.ca.gov and make sure to check spam folders. Quick question though - for those who've completed it, about how many other people were in your workshop? I'm a bit nervous about the group setting but it sounds like the breakout rooms and resume feedback are really valuable. Thanks for creating such a supportive space to share info!
Welcome to the unemployment journey! I just went through my RESEA workshop last month and totally understand that nervous feeling. My workshop had about 12-15 people, which felt like a good size - small enough that everyone got individual attention during the resume review but large enough that you don't feel like you're on the spot the whole time. The facilitator did a great job making everyone feel comfortable, and honestly, knowing that everyone else is in the same situation really helps with any anxiety. The breakout rooms were only 3-4 people each, so those felt even more manageable. You'll do great - just bring your updated resume and any work search records you have so far!
Just wanted to chime in as someone who completed their RESEA workshop a few months ago! The 2-week email timing is spot on - mine arrived on a Tuesday exactly 14 days before my appointment. One thing I wish I had known beforehand is that they actually encourage you to bring questions about your specific job search challenges. I was so focused on having all the "right" documents that I didn't think to prepare questions about my industry or networking strategies. The career counselor was incredibly knowledgeable and could have given me more targeted advice if I had been proactive about asking. Also, don't worry if your work search records aren't perfect - they're more interested in helping you improve your approach going forward than penalizing past efforts. The whole experience was much more supportive than I expected!
This is such great advice about bringing questions! I'm scheduled for my RESEA next week and hadn't thought about preparing specific questions beyond just having my documents ready. I'm in healthcare and have been struggling with how to transition some of my skills to different types of roles - definitely going to ask about that during the workshop. It's so reassuring to hear that they're focused on helping rather than judging. Thanks for sharing your experience and the tip about being proactive with questions!
Sophia Nguyen
I had this exact same issue happen to me back in February! My entire January was missing from the payment history tab, and I was so worried my payments would get messed up. But just like others have said, it really is just a display glitch. My payments continued to process normally, and the missing history showed back up about 4 days later. The key thing is to check your certification status on the Home tab - if it says "pending payment" you're all good. I've learned not to stress about the History tab anymore since it seems to have these glitches pretty regularly after they do system maintenance.
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StarStrider
•This is really reassuring to hear from someone who went through the exact same thing! I was getting so anxious about it, but it sounds like this is just a quirky thing the EDD system does after maintenance. I'll definitely focus on checking the Home tab instead of obsessing over the History section. Thanks for sharing your experience - it really helps to know I'm not the only one who's dealt with this!
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Melissa Lin
This exact same thing happened to me about 3 months ago! Missing payment history for an entire month had me absolutely panicking, especially since I couldn't afford any payment delays. But everyone here is right - it's just a UI glitch that happens after system updates. What helped calm my nerves was logging into my BofA EDD card account and checking that all my previous payments were actually deposited there. The banking records showed everything was fine even when the EDD website was acting up. Your payments should process normally regardless of what the History tab shows. I'd definitely recommend checking your card/bank account as a backup way to verify your payment record while waiting for the display issue to fix itself.
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