UPDATE?????? Did you get approved yet????????

Just got the decision letter today - I was APPROVED! The EDD determined it was not misconduct since it was an isolated mistake and the company didn't follow their own progressive discipline policy. All those weeks of stress for nothing! Thanks everyone for your help and support through this.

Quick update on PFL phone system: They recently changed their call center hours and added more staff according to their website, but it's still overwhelmed. When you do get through, make sure you have your claim ID, last four of SSN, and all correspondence dates ready. The most important thing is to be super specific about what you need - if your claim status hasn't updated in 3 weeks, ask directly about the processing timeline and what's causing the delay. Get the rep's ID number too, in case you need to reference the call later.

I had success reaching PFL by calling the disability number instead (800-480-3287) and then asking to be transferred to PFL when I finally got through. Sometimes the different departments have different call volumes, and the reps can transfer you internally. Worth a try if the direct PFL line isn't working!

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I just spoke with my uncle and he's filing his new claim today. Fingers crossed that his recent work history will qualify him this time around. I'll update this thread once we find out what happens with his claim.

One more thing to note: When your uncle files his new claim, he should make sure to have his employment information for all jobs worked since his last claim was filed. This includes employer names, addresses, phone numbers, supervisor names, dates worked, and earnings information. Being prepared with this info will help prevent delays in processing his new claim.

Wait does anyone know if you'll get penalized if you accidentally certify twice? asking for a friend lol

Thank you everyone for your help! I'm going to wait a full week before doing anything. If I still don't see any changes, I'll try to contact EDD to confirm they received my paper certification. And I'm definitely going back to online certification next time!

Just wondering - if you're going on vacation, how are you really looking for work? Honest question. Don't they want you to be applying to jobs while collecting? Sorry if this is a dumb question, I'm still new to unemployment.

Update: I just completed my certification and marked "No" for the week I was on vacation. As expected, I didn't get paid for that week, but my claim is still active and I got paid for the other week in the certification period where I was available. Thanks everyone for the advice! The DE 4365 form did come, I filled it out honestly explaining I was at a family wedding, and everything processed normally after that.

To answer your follow-up question about timing - it's usually best to apply immediately after your benefit year ends if you still need benefits. While waiting might theoretically give you a better base period with more recent earnings (if your hours are increasing), you'd be giving up weeks of potential benefits by waiting. Remember that your base period won't include the most recent completed quarter anyway, so small increases in recent work hours might not affect your calculation as much as you think.

also dont forget when u reapply u gotta do the whole id.me verification thing again and that was soooo annoying last time! make sure ur drivers license isnt expired lol

Did you try the online message system? Thats how i got my questions answered when i was on disability last year. Its not immediate but they usually respond within a couple days.

Just wanted to follow up and see if you were able to get through using any of the suggestions? Did the 8:02am trick work for you?

my roomate got his direct deposit payment like 5 days after it said paid lol EDD is always slow with everything

UPDATE: The money hit my account this morning! So it took about 36 hours from when the status changed to paid. Thanks everyone for your help!

my money network card worked fine idk what everyone is complaining about

UPDATE: Finally got through to EDD this morning after using the Claimyr service someone recommended. The EDD rep was actually super helpful once I reached them! They've put a special flag on my account to revert to paper checks immediately AND they're sending an emergency payment for the disputed amount that should arrive in 5 days. I still have to deal with Money Network for the fraud investigation, but at least I won't be waiting weeks for rent money. Also filed all the complaints recommended and my assemblyperson's office called me back - they're sending an official inquiry to EDD's executive office about my case. Thanks everyone for all the advice - this community has been way more helpful than any official channels!

One more thing to consider: If your contract position pays well, you might qualify for a higher weekly benefit amount than someone with lower earnings. California's maximum weekly benefit is $450, and you need to earn at least $11,674 in your highest quarter to qualify for that maximum. Make sure to check the EDD benefit calculator to estimate what you might receive: https://edd.ca.gov/en/uiben/ui-calculator

Important: When you certify every two weeks, there's a question that asks, "Were you self-employed or did you work for yourself?" Be VERY careful with this question. If you're doing small freelance jobs while collecting unemployment, you should report any earnings but answer "NO" to this question. Otherwise, EDD often flags you as ineligible because they consider you employed. Their system is very black-and-white and doesn't handle hybrid work situations well.