My cousin works at the EDD and she told me they're SUPER strict about the formulas they use. Like they literally can't change it even if they wanted to because it's all automatic in their system.

Update: I finally got through to EDD after trying for two days (thanks to everyone who suggested ways to contact them). The rep confirmed what you all said - my benefits are lower because my earnings were concentrated in just two quarters. She checked my reported wages and everything was correct. I'm disappointed but at least I understand it now. Going to adjust my budget and step up my job search. Thanks everyone for your help explaining this!

My cousin had something like this happen but with his 401k withdrawal and it was a whole thing with EDD. he had to pay back like $4000!!! dont mess around with unreported income

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I feel much better now understanding that Social Security retirement benefits don't need to be reported when certifying for unemployment in California. I'll make sure to continue answering "no" to the income questions since my only other income is my Social Security retirement. Really appreciate everyone clearing this up for me!

ya the interview took like 3 weeks for me. make sure u answer ur phone even if u dont recognize the number cuz they only call once and if u miss it u have to reschedule and wait another month lol

my brother works for amazon and same thing happened when they were investigating some missing inventory. he got approved for benefits but took like 6 weeks total i think? dont give up

Update us if you get it working! I'd try these steps in order: 1. Wait another 24-48 hours and try again 2. Triple-check all your info exactly matches your EDD letter 3. Try registering during non-peak hours (early morning or late evening) 4. If still not working by Monday, call the technical support line You can still prepare for your interview while waiting for the registration issue to resolve.

UPDATE: It worked!! I waited until this morning and tried again, making sure to enter my FULL legal name exactly as shown on the EDD letter (including my middle name). That was the issue - I wasn't including my middle name when trying to register. System accepted everything right away and I'm in my account now. Thanks everyone for your help!

One more important thing - be sure to dial in 5-10 minutes early for your hearing. They're usually right on schedule and if you miss the call, it's extremely difficult to get reconnected. Also, find a quiet place with good reception. If the judge has trouble hearing you or there are lots of background noises, it can make things more difficult and frustrating for everyone. For your specific situation with the PDF vs JPG format issue, be prepared to show that you did make the required job contacts. The technical format issue shouldn't matter as much as proving you actually performed the work search activities.

The real question is why EDD couldn't just ASK you to resubmit in the correct format instead of denying your benefits and forcing you through this whole appeal mess! It's like they WANT to make things difficult. People are suffering without income while waiting for these ridiculous hearings over technicalities. The whole system needs to be rebuilt from scratch.

I was in the same situation last month and honestly I tried everything - calling 50+ times, different numbers, different times. I eventually used Claimyr that others mentioned and got through in about 20 minutes. The EDD agent was able to fix my certification issue right away. It's ridiculous we have to resort to these measures, but when you're desperate and rent is due... sometimes you gotta do what works.

UPDATE: I got through today! Called the technical support line (2511) at exactly 10:15am, was on hold for about 45 minutes but finally spoke to someone who was actually really helpful. She fixed the issue with my certification where I had accidentally reported the wrong hours for my part-time job. My payments should resume within 48 hours! Thanks everyone for all your advice - especially the tip about trying the technical support line instead of the main number. Huge relief to finally get this resolved.

THE EDD SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE YOU AND TRAP YOU!!! I had a similar situation and ended up with a "false statement penalty" that added 6 PENALTY WEEKS to my claim where I didn't get paid at all!! They said I should have known that my pension withdrawal counted as income even though the EDD website is completely unclear about this!! THIS SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST WORKERS!!

After reading all this, I think your best bet really is to talk directly with an EDD representative before taking any action. Since this is from an employer in your base period, it's complicated and getting the wrong advice could create a huge mess. If you're still having trouble getting through on the phone, I seriously recommend trying Claimyr. It saved me days of frustration, and for something this important, it's worth getting a definitive answer from EDD directly.

One tip nobody mentioned - during the hearing, wait for the judge to completely finish asking questions before you answer. I kept interrupting accidentally because I was nervous, and the judge seemed annoyed. Also make sure your phone is fully charged and you're somewhere quiet without background noise.

Yes, you can absolutely have notes during the hearing! In fact, it's recommended. I had the following prepared: 1. A timeline of employment events 2. Key dates and facts (hire date, last day, when hours were reduced, etc.) 3. List of evidence I was submitting 4. Bullet points of my main arguments 5. Answers to questions I expected them to ask The judge can't see that you're using notes since it's a phone hearing, but even if they could, it's completely allowed and expected that you'd be prepared.

mine just hit the money network card like 5 mins ago so check yours maybe?

btw does anyone know if theres a fee to transfer money from the money network card to ur regular bank? with BOA it was free but i heard money network charges??

If you need to contact EDD about your Money Network card issues, use Claimyr. I spent DAYS trying to reach someone about my card limits and kept getting the "maximum callers" message. Claimyr got me through to a live EDD agent in 17 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km - seriously worth it when you're desperate to access your benefits. Their website is claimyr.com

Just to clarify some misinformation I'm seeing in this thread: 1. The daily ATM withdrawal limit for Money Network cards is $1,000, not $300. However, many individual ATMs have their own $300 per transaction limits. 2. You can make multiple withdrawals up to your daily card limit. 3. Cash advance at bank tellers is the best option for large amounts (up to $10,000 per day). Most banks will process this even if you're not a customer, though some may charge a fee. 4. Bank transfers in the app are completely free and secure, though they do take 2-3 business days. 5. You get 4 free ATM withdrawals per month, then it's $1.25 per withdrawal. For the official info, check the cardholder agreement on moneynetwork.com/edd