Just to follow up - did your payment show up this morning? Most first payments to Money Network cards appear within 48 hours of EDD showing 'paid' status.

So glad to see your update that the payment finally came through! This is exactly why I always tell people to give it at least 48 hours before panicking. The disconnect between when EDD says "paid" and when Money Network actually posts it is one of the most confusing parts of the whole unemployment system. Your experience is super helpful for other first-time claimants who will inevitably go through the same stress. Hopefully your landlord situation worked out okay too!

I've been following this discussion and just wanted to chime in as someone who finally got through to EDD last week after months of trying! I actually used a combination approach - started with the YouTube methods @Tom Maxon shared (which helped me understand the best times to call and which prompts to use), and when those didn't work after a few days, I decided to try a callback service similar to Claimyr. The whole experience really opened my eyes to how broken the system is, but also how these community resources can be lifesavers. For anyone still on the fence, I'd say try the free methods for 3-4 days max, then seriously consider the paid options if you're not making progress. When you're unemployed, sometimes spending $20-25 to save weeks of stress and uncertainty is absolutely worth it. The mental health aspect alone made it worthwhile for me. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences here - this community has been more helpful than any official EDD resource I've found!

This is exactly what I needed to see today! I've been struggling to get through to EDD for the past 2 weeks and was starting to lose hope. My claim has been stuck in "pending" status since I filed, and I've probably spent 50+ hours on hold only to get disconnected every single time. Reading through everyone's experiences here - especially @Isaiah Sanders getting his 6-week issue resolved in just 3 hours and @Connor Murphy's successful combination approach - gives me so much hope that there are actually viable solutions out there. I'm definitely going to start with those free YouTube methods @Tom Maxon shared, but knowing there's a reliable backup option like Claimyr makes me feel so much less stressed about the whole situation. The $5 discount is a nice bonus too! Thank you @Elizabeth Pinedo for sharing this resource and thank you to everyone else for being so open about your experiences. This community is incredible - I wish I had found it weeks ago!

I'm starting to think we should all just show up at their office in person. Maybe then they'd have to deal with us!

I've been going through the exact same thing for over 3 weeks now. The automated system is absolutely useless and I'm starting to panic about my bills. One thing that helped me a little was calling the main EDD line first thing at 8am sharp and pressing 1-3-4 really quickly to try to skip some of the menu options. Still took forever but I at least got into a different queue. Also, make sure you have all your paperwork ready before you call because if you do get through, they'll want everything immediately. Keeping my fingers crossed for all of us! 🤞

Update: I spoke with an EDD rep today (finally!) and confirmed there are no extensions available. However, they suggested applying for CalFresh which I did online and might qualify for about $280/month in food assistance. Not enough to cover rent but at least I won't starve while job hunting. The rep also mentioned that any new claim would require earnings in the last 18 months that weren't used on my current claim, so that won't work for me either. Guess I'll be hitting the job search even harder now. Thanks everyone for the advice and support.

I'm in a similar situation - exhausted my benefits in December after being laid off from my marketing job. The job market is absolutely brutal right now, especially in tech-adjacent fields. I've been surviving on savings and gig work, but it's getting tight. One thing that's helped me is joining local job seeker meetups and networking groups. Sometimes they share leads that aren't posted online yet. Also, don't overlook temp agencies - I got a few short-term assignments that at least brought in some income while I keep searching for something permanent. The CalFresh suggestion is solid - I qualified for about $250/month which definitely helps with groceries. Also check if your county has any emergency rental assistance programs. Mine had a one-time payment program that bought me an extra month. Stay strong - this job market can't last forever, and your tech support experience should be valuable once things pick up. We're all in this together.

Thank you everyone for all the helpful replies! I'm feeling less anxious now knowing this is normal. I'll wait another week before trying to contact anyone about it. And I'll definitely set up direct deposit once I get the card to avoid this issue with future payments. I'll also check with my neighbors and make sure I'm watching for a plain envelope that could look like junk mail. Really appreciate all the advice!

One thing I'd add - if you're really stressed about accessing your money while waiting for the card, you can also check if your bank offers Zelle or if you have friends/family who could help you access funds once the card arrives. Some people I know have had their trusted family member receive the card, activate it, and then transfer money to them via Zelle or Venmo as a temporary solution. Obviously only do this with someone you completely trust! But it can be a lifesaver if you have urgent bills while waiting for the postal service to deliver your card.