I'm in this exact same situation right now - just got laid off yesterday and my attorney is handling severance negotiations too! After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm feeling much more confident about how to proceed. The overwhelming consensus seems to be: FILE IMMEDIATELY and don't wait for negotiations to finish. I was initially worried about not having all the details, but it's clear from multiple people's stories that EDD is actually set up to handle this common scenario. My plan based on all the advice here: 1. File my claim today and clearly indicate severance is pending legal negotiations 2. Keep detailed documentation of everything (screenshots, certification notes, etc.) 3. Continue bi-weekly certifications normally until I actually receive severance 4. Call EDD immediately when the amount is finalized to report it properly What really stands out to me is how many people mentioned that EDD reps said "this happens all the time" and were understanding about the situation. It's reassuring to know the system can handle uncertainty around severance timing. One quick question for those who've been through this - when you eventually called EDD to report your final severance amount, roughly how long did you have to wait on hold? I'm trying to mentally prepare for that phone call when the time comes. Thanks everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this thread has been infinitely more helpful than anything on EDD's website!

I just want to add my experience to this incredibly helpful thread! I was in this exact situation about 4 months ago - laid off with severance negotiations ongoing through my attorney. Like everyone else has said, FILE IMMEDIATELY! I was so anxious about not having complete information, but reading similar advice on forums like this convinced me to go ahead and apply. Best decision ever. I indicated on my application that "severance amount pending attorney negotiations - will report final amount when determined" and my claim processed normally. My severance negotiations took 8 weeks, but I received UI benefits the entire time while waiting. When the severance was finally settled, I called EDD right away and they were completely understanding. The rep said she handles these calls multiple times per day - it really is as common as everyone says. I ended up owing back benefits for 4 weeks that the severance covered, but EDD automatically set up a payment plan spread over several months with no interest or penalties. The whole process was way less scary than I anticipated. To the original poster and anyone else in this situation: don't let the uncertainty paralyze you. The system truly is designed for these situations. Document everything, file today, and handle the severance reporting when you actually have the details. You'll be so grateful you didn't miss out on those early weeks of benefits!

As someone who just filed for unemployment last week, this entire thread has been incredibly eye-opening and honestly a bit scary! I had been looking at my benefit year end date of February 2026 thinking I had almost a full year of coverage, but now I realize I need to calculate my actual weeks based on my claim balance. My balance is $8,800 with a $338 weekly benefit amount, which puts me at about 26 weeks - meaning my benefits could run out in August, a full 6 months before my benefit year expires. I'm kicking myself for not understanding this distinction sooner. The EDD really should make this clearer on their portal - maybe show both dates: "Benefits available through: [calculated end date based on balance]" and "Benefit year expires: [actual benefit year end]". Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and making this confusing system a bit more understandable for newcomers like me!

As someone new to both unemployment and this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly informative discussion! I just filed my claim two weeks ago and was completely confused about the difference between my benefit year (ending January 2026) and how long my actual benefits would last. After reading through all these responses, I did the math on my own situation: $9,200 balance with $354 weekly benefits = roughly 26 weeks, putting me at risk of running out in September, still 4 months before my benefit year expires. This is honestly terrifying since I had been budgeting as if I had coverage through January! I really appreciate the practical advice about creating spreadsheets to track usage and setting up milestone reminders. The suggestion about looking into part-time work to stretch benefits longer is also really helpful. It's frustrating that the EDD system doesn't make this clearer upfront, but at least now I know to treat this as a 6-month safety net rather than a full year. Time to get serious about the job search immediately rather than taking my time. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and helping newcomers understand how this really works!

Just want to add my experience to this thread - I had the same fingerprint loop issue for about 3 weeks and was going absolutely insane! What finally worked for me was a combination of the solutions mentioned here: I checked for app updates (there was one waiting), cleared all app data, restarted my phone, and then logged in with username/password first before re-enabling fingerprint. Haven't had the loop issue since! Also want to echo what others said about direct deposit - I'm in the process of switching now because dealing with Money Network is just not worth the stress. The fact that we all have to become IT troubleshooters just to access our benefits is completely ridiculous. Thanks to everyone who shared their solutions, especially @Keisha Robinson for the app update tip - that seems to be the magic bullet for a lot of people!

As someone who just joined this community specifically because of this Money Network fingerprint nightmare, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing actual working solutions! I've been battling this loop for almost 3 weeks and was ready to throw my phone out the window. Just tried the app update suggestion from @Keisha Robinson and BOOM - worked on the first try! There was indeed a pending update that hadn't auto-installed. For anyone else reading this, definitely check your app store first before trying the more complex solutions. That said, I'm also taking everyone's advice about switching to direct deposit. The fact that we need a whole troubleshooting manual just to check our benefits is absolutely insane. The EDD really needs to ditch this Money Network garbage and find a system that actually works for the people who need it most. Thanks again to this community for being more helpful than Money Network's entire customer service department! 🙏

I'm new to this community and just wanted to say thank you all for sharing such detailed solutions! I've been stuck on this document upload issue for over a month. Reading through all your experiences has given me a clear action plan: 1) Try different browsers and clear cache first, 2) Check if mobile app shows different options, and 3) Call EDD using the numbers shared here to get the upload feature manually enabled if needed. It's so frustrating that this isn't more straightforward from EDD's side, but I really appreciate how everyone here helps each other navigate these problems. Will update once I try these steps!

As someone who just went through this nightmare myself, I wanted to share what finally worked for me after 3 weeks of trying! First, make sure you're using Chrome or Firefox (Edge didn't work for me at all). Clear your browser cache completely, then log into UI Online and look for "Upload Identity Documents" on your homepage - but if you don't see it, that's the key issue. I had to call EDD using the numbers shared by @Katie Lopez above and specifically ask them to "enable the document upload feature on my account." The rep had to do something on their end, then told me to wait 24 hours before trying again. Sure enough, the next day the upload link appeared! Once I could upload, I made sure my documents were PDFs under 10MB each. Processing took about a week, but at least I could finally submit everything. Don't give up - it's frustrating but definitely solvable with persistence!

I had my EDD phone hearing about 7 months ago for wage discrepancy issues and wanted to share what worked best for me! The most important thing is to stay organized and confident - you clearly have the right documentation with your paystubs. A few tips: 1) Number all your paystubs and reference them by number during the hearing (like "paystub #3 from March shows..."), 2) Have a notepad ready to jot down any questions or statements from the EDD rep that you want to address, and 3) Don't be afraid to ask the judge to repeat something if the connection cuts out - they're used to technical hiccups. My hearing was about 50 minutes and the judge was very fair, asking detailed questions to both sides. I won my case and got the correct benefit calculation based on my actual wages rather than what my employer incorrectly reported. The decision came 13 days later and retroactive payments processed within 3 weeks. You're going to do great - having solid paystub evidence puts you in an excellent position to win this appeal!

I went through an EDD phone hearing for wage discrepancy about 3 months ago and wanted to share what really helped me succeed! The most important thing is being super organized with your evidence. I created a simple spreadsheet showing each pay period, what my employer reported vs what my paystubs showed, and the difference - having those exact numbers ready made a huge impact. During the hearing, speak slowly and clearly (I was nervous and talking fast at first), and don't hesitate to pause to check your documents before answering. The judge was very patient and professional. When they ask if you have questions for the EDD rep, definitely ask them to explain their calculation method and why they accepted the employer's figures over your documented paystubs. My hearing lasted about 40 minutes and I got my favorable decision 2 weeks later. The retroactive payments came through pretty quickly after that. You're in a strong position with your paystub evidence - that's exactly what the judge needs to see. Just stay calm and stick to the facts!