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This thread has been a lifesaver! I had my EDD card frozen in May 2024 for "security verification" and it took them 18 days to get me a replacement. I had $467 on the card and ended up missing my rent payment, which cost me a $100 late fee. I called BOA at least 12 times during those 18 days and they kept giving me the runaround about "processing delays" and "high call volume" - absolutely zero mention of any settlement program! I was so frustrated I just gave up and figured I was stuck with the financial damage. Finding this thread feels like hitting the lottery! Based on everyone's experiences, my May 2024 timeframe with 18 days and $467 balance should definitely qualify me for the pandemic-era settlement. I'm calling BOA tomorrow morning using the "Card Deactivation Settlement Department" strategy that so many of you have had success with. It's absolutely criminal that they're not proactively notifying people about money they're legally entitled to. Thank you to everyone who shared their success stories and the specific language that works - this community is literally putting money back in people's pockets that BOA was hoping would disappear! I'll definitely update once I get through to them and hopefully can add another win to help others who might still be unaware they're owed compensation.
Liam, your May 2024 case with 18 days and $467 balance sounds like another solid candidate for the settlement! That's definitely well over the 14-day threshold and right in the timeframe where everyone else has been successful. Based on the patterns I'm seeing from other cases shared here, you should probably be looking at around $400-450 for your payout. That $100 late fee you mentioned is exactly the kind of collateral damage this settlement is supposed to address - definitely bring that up when you call since some people have mentioned they factor additional hardship into the calculation. I'm fairly new to this community but have been reading through everyone's experiences carefully, and it's amazing how consistent the stories are - card frozen for "verification," weeks of runaround, zero communication about settlements until people found this thread. The "Card Deactivation Settlement Department" approach really does seem to be the magic phrase to get past the scripted responses. It's honestly shocking how many of us suffered financial hardship because of their system failures and had no idea we were entitled to compensation. Good luck with your call tomorrow and definitely update us - every success story makes it easier for the next person to know exactly what to say and what to expect!
This thread has been absolutely incredible - I can't thank everyone enough for sharing their experiences! I had my EDD card frozen in August 2024 for what they called "routine account verification" and it took them 23 days to send me a replacement. I had $612 on the card at the time and ended up having to borrow $400 from my mom just to keep my electricity from being shut off. I called BOA at least 15 times during those 23 days and got nothing but scripted responses about "processing your request" and "please continue to wait" - not ONE person ever mentioned any kind of settlement or compensation program! I honestly thought I was just screwed and had to eat the financial stress and embarrassment of borrowing money from family. Reading through everyone's success stories here has given me so much hope! Based on what others have shared, my August 2024 timeframe with 23 days and $612 balance should definitely put me in line for a substantial settlement payment. I'm calling BOA first thing Monday morning using the "Card Deactivation Settlement Department" approach that has worked so well for so many of you. It's absolutely disgusting that they're making people hunt for information about money they're legally owed while sitting on funds that could help people recover from the financial damage THEY caused. This community is doing more to help EDD recipients than BOA or any official agency ever has. I'll definitely update with my results and hopefully can add another success story to help others who might still be unaware they're entitled to compensation!
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UPDATE: You guys were right! Just checked my UI Online account this morning and I have an award letter in my inbox! They approved my claim without needing the interview. Now I just need to wait for my first certification period. Thanks for all the help and reassurance!
Awesome!! See, canceled interviews can definitely be good news. Make sure you certify as soon as your weeks become available - usually every two weeks on Sunday. And don't forget to report ANY income you earn during certification periods!
congrats!! much faster than when i applied last year took me like 2 months to get approved
Congratulations Teresa! That's such great news and a huge relief! This is exactly why I always tell people not to panic when EDD cancels interviews - more often than not it means they have what they need to approve your claim. Thanks for coming back to update us with the good news. It really helps other people in similar situations to see these positive outcomes. Now you can focus on getting those certifications done on time!
So happy to see this positive update! I'm actually in a similar situation right now - just had my interview canceled yesterday with the same "don't need additional information" message. Reading through this whole thread and seeing Teresa's outcome gives me so much hope. It's really reassuring to know that this is actually a common pattern and usually means good news. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is such a lifesaver when dealing with EDD's confusing process!
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I'm new to this community but currently navigating a very similar situation! I was just laid off from my job as a pharmacy technician three weeks ago and I'm in the process of applying for unemployment benefits. I also receive partial disability benefits for a back injury I sustained a few years ago. Reading through this entire thread has been incredibly informative and reassuring - I had no idea there were so many different Medi-Cal programs available beyond the basic one I'm currently on. The information about income deductions, the ABD program, and especially the Working Disabled Program options gives me hope that I'll be able to maintain coverage. I'm particularly interested in what Mateo mentioned about the $20 general income deduction and the health insurance premium deductions. I currently pay about $180/month for supplemental coverage, so knowing that can be deducted from my countable income is huge! My question is: if I'm already on regular Medi-Cal and my unemployment benefits push me over the income limit, do I need to reapply for a different program or will they automatically check my eligibility for other programs like ABD? I want to make sure I don't fall through any cracks during the transition. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space to share experiences and practical advice. Planning to call my county office first thing tomorrow morning with all the great tips from this thread!
Welcome to the community, Mei! Your situation sounds very similar to what many of us have experienced. Great question about the transition process - from what I've learned through this thread and my own experience, you typically don't need to submit a completely new application if you're already on Medi-Cal. When you report your income change (the unemployment benefits), they'll reassess your eligibility for all available programs automatically. However, it's really important to be proactive and specifically ask them to check your eligibility for the ABD program when you call, especially since you have disability benefits. Sometimes the workers don't automatically consider all programs unless you mention your specific circumstances. Make sure to bring up both your back injury/disability status AND the fact that you pay that $180/month for supplemental coverage when you call. That premium deduction could make a real difference in your countable income calculation. One tip - when you call, ask specifically: "Can you check my eligibility for the ABD Medi-Cal program and calculate my income with all allowable deductions?" This way you're being clear about what you need them to review. You're definitely on the right track being proactive about this! Let us know how your call goes tomorrow - this community is great at troubleshooting if you run into any issues.
I'm new here but dealing with a very similar situation! I just got laid off from my job as a case manager at a mental health clinic last week and I'm really anxious about how unemployment benefits will impact my Medi-Cal coverage. This entire thread has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea there were so many different Medi-Cal programs with varying income limits! I've been on regular expanded Medi-Cal for about two years, but I'm realizing I might need to explore other options once my UI benefits start. I have a question about the application process: if I'm proactive and call my county office before my unemployment benefits even start (I just applied yesterday), will they be able to give me guidance on which programs I should prepare to apply for? Or do they need to wait until I have actual income to report? Also, I do some very part-time tutoring work on weekends (maybe 4-6 hours per week) that brings in about $200/month. After reading about the Working Disabled Programs, I'm wondering if this minimal work activity could potentially help me qualify for programs with higher income limits? Thank you all for being so generous with sharing your experiences and practical tips. It's overwhelming enough to lose your job without having to worry about healthcare coverage, but this community gives me so much hope that there are solutions out there!
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I'm also dealing with this exact same issue! Got laid off three days ago and I'm completely stuck in that same infuriating loop with my old COVID claim from 2021. It's such a relief to find this thread and see I'm not going crazy - this really is a widespread problem that EDD apparently has no interest in fixing. Reading through everyone's strategies has been incredibly helpful. I'm definitely going to try the 833-978-2511 number tomorrow morning at 8:03 AM with all the key phrases you've shared: "purge my expired COVID claim and clear the benefit year end date." Already have all my employment documentation ready for the past 18 months just in case I can get them to file the new claim while I'm on the phone. It's absolutely mind-boggling that we need this level of strategic planning just to access unemployment benefits we're legally entitled to after losing our jobs. The fact that this takes a rep literally 5 minutes to fix after we spend days or weeks trying to navigate their broken system really shows how dysfunctional EDD is. But I'm so grateful for everyone sharing what actually works - gives me hope that persistence will eventually pay off! Will definitely report back with my results to help anyone else who gets trapped in this bureaucratic nightmare. Thanks to everyone for the practical advice and moral support! 🙏
Dmitry, I'm in the exact same boat! Just lost my job last week and dealing with this same COVID claim loop nightmare. It's incredibly frustrating but also reassuring to see so many people sharing their experiences and solutions here. I'm also planning to try the 833-978-2511 number strategy tomorrow morning at 8:03 AM - seems like that timing and those specific phrases about "purging" and "clearing the benefit year end date" are the magic combination. It's crazy that we need this kind of insider knowledge just to file for basic unemployment benefits, but at least we have this community to help guide us through EDD's broken system. Really hoping we can both break free from this digital prison soon! Good luck and thanks for sharing your plan - it helps to know we're all tackling this together! 🤞
I'm currently going through this exact same nightmare! Got laid off earlier this week and I'm completely trapped in that same infuriating loop with my old COVID claim from 2020. Every time I click "File New Claim" it tells me I have an existing claim, but when I try to access it, the system just spins me back to the main page. It's like being stuck in digital quicksand! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both incredibly reassuring (I'm not losing my mind!) and really helpful. I had no idea this was such a widespread issue or that there were specific phrases you need to use when calling. Based on all the advice shared here, I'm planning to call 833-978-2511 tomorrow morning at 8:03 AM armed with the magic phrases: "purge my expired COVID claim and clear the benefit year end date." Already have all my employment info gathered for the past 18 months. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need this level of strategic planning just to access unemployment benefits we're legally entitled to after losing our jobs, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing what actually works. The fact that this takes a rep 5 minutes to fix after we spend days trying to solve it ourselves really shows how broken the EDD system is. Fingers crossed I can finally break free from this bureaucratic nightmare tomorrow! Will definitely report back with my results to help anyone else who gets stuck in this same loop. Thanks everyone for the hope and practical strategies! 🙏
Zadie Patel
I'm new to this community but wanted to chime in since I just went through a very similar situation about a month ago! I was also transitioning from SDI to unemployment and had uploaded my CalJOBS resume about 20 days late due to technical issues with my old account. My eligibility interview ended up being exactly what everyone here has described - entirely focused on my work capacity after disability, with zero mention of the late CalJOBS upload. The interviewer asked about my injury, when I was medically cleared, any current restrictions, and my job search efforts. The whole call took maybe 10 minutes. I was so stressed beforehand about the CalJOBS delay, but it really seems like these interviews are automatically triggered by the SDI-to-unemployment transition and they're just checking the box that you're able to work now. Having your medical clearance ready is definitely the most important thing. You're clearly well-prepared and have all the right documentation. Don't let the CalJOBS timing stress you out - from everything I've seen, it's really not their focus for this type of interview. Good luck on Wednesday, and definitely update us on how it goes!
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Tasia Synder
•Welcome to the community! Your experience adds even more confirmation to what everyone else has been sharing - it's so helpful to hear from someone who just went through this about a month ago. 20 days late on CalJOBS and they didn't even mention it! That's really reassuring since mine was 16 days late. It sounds like these SDI-to-unemployment interviews really are just a standard checkbox process to verify work readiness, not a compliance investigation. I'm feeling much more prepared now thanks to everyone's shared experiences. The consistency across all these stories is really calming my nerves. I'll definitely come back with an update after Wednesday - hopefully to add another positive outcome to this thread!
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Issac Nightingale
I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since it sounds almost identical to yours! I just had my eligibility interview two weeks ago after transitioning from SDI to unemployment. My CalJOBS resume was also late - about 14 days because I had forgotten my old account password and kept putting off dealing with it. The interview was completely focused on my work capacity after disability. They asked about the nature of my injury, when I was medically cleared to return to work, whether I had any current restrictions, and if I was actively job searching. The whole call lasted maybe 15 minutes and CalJOBS never came up once! I had been so worried about the late upload, but it's clear from my experience and everyone else's here that these interviews are automatically generated when you transition from SDI and they're really just verifying you're able to work now. The interviewer was professional and straightforward - no gotcha questions or compliance interrogation. You're already well-prepared with your medical clearance and seem to have a good handle on your job search activities. Based on everything I've read in this thread, you're going to do just fine on Wednesday! The pattern is so consistent across everyone's experiences. Looking forward to your update!
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StarSurfer
•Welcome to the community and thank you for sharing your recent experience! It's incredible how consistent everyone's stories have been - yours is the latest confirmation that these interviews really are just routine work capacity checks after SDI transitions. 14 days late on CalJOBS and it never came up at all! The pattern across all these experiences is so reassuring. I'm feeling much more confident about Wednesday's call now. It's clear I've been overthinking the CalJOBS delay when the real focus is demonstrating work readiness after disability. Having my medical clearance from July and being able to speak confidently about my recovery and job search efforts seems to be exactly what they're looking for. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience - this community has been amazing in helping me understand what to expect!
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