Hey Rhett! I totally get the anxiety around getting everything right with EDD - I was in the exact same boat when I filed my claim a few months ago after getting laid off from my server job. Like everyone else has said, you really don't need to worry about submitting paystubs upfront! EDD already has all your wage info from your employers' quarterly reports. Since you mentioned restaurant work, one thing I'd add is to make sure you understand how your tip income was reported. Most restaurants report your tips as part of your wages, but if you ever had any cash tips that weren't properly reported, those won't count toward your base period calculation. Just something to keep in mind when you review your Notice of Wages. The base period thing seems super confusing at first, but it's really just looking at those 4 quarters of earnings to figure out your weekly benefit amount. You've already done the hard part by getting through that waiting week! Now you just need to stay consistent with your weekly certifications and you'll be all set. Good luck with everything!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who recently went through this process! I was stressed about the same thing when I filed my claim a couple months ago. Everyone here is absolutely right - you don't need to submit paystubs initially. EDD uses the wage data that employers already reported to calculate your base period automatically. Since you worked in restaurants, definitely keep an eye out for your "Notice of Wages Used for UI Claim" to make sure all your tip income is included correctly. I had a similar situation with variable hours and was worried about those slow weeks, but the quarterly averaging really does smooth everything out. One thing that helped me was setting up the EDD online account right away and checking it regularly for any updates or requests. The whole process became much less intimidating once I realized how much is automated on their end. You've made it through the waiting week which is honestly the hardest part mentally! The weekly certifications are pretty straightforward as long as you're honest about any work or income. You've got this!

This thread has been incredibly educational! I'm fairly new to receiving EDD benefits and had a similar scare about a week ago when my payment showed as issued but didn't appear on my Money Network card for almost 72 hours. Reading through everyone's experiences here really helped me understand that these delays are actually pretty normal. The advice about calling Money Network first instead of EDD is spot on - I was able to get through to them in about 10 minutes and they confirmed my payment was just processing. It's also really helpful to know about the Payment Details section in UI Online that shows exactly how each payment was sent. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge, and Emma, glad you got your issue resolved! This community is such a great resource for navigating all the confusing aspects of the EDD system.

This thread is a goldmine of information! I just started my EDD claim process last month and honestly had no clue about any of these Money Network nuances. The fact that there can be 24-48 hour delays even when UI Online shows "paid" is something I wish I'd known earlier - I was panicking when my first payment took two days to show up! The advice about calling Money Network directly at 1-866-898-2213 instead of trying to reach EDD is incredibly valuable. I also had no idea about the Payment Details feature in UI Online that shows exactly where each payment was sent. Bookmarking this whole discussion for future reference. Emma, so glad you got everything sorted out - your updates throughout the thread were really helpful for understanding the whole process!

I had something kind of similar happen but it was for my disability claim not unemployment. They scheduled me for a phone appointment but never called. I ended up having to call the main number like 20 times and finally got someone who told me my interview was actually canceled but nobody bothered to tell me! Maybe check if yours was actually still scheduled? The whole system is such a mess sometimes.

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to reach someone at EDD today? Did they help resolve the interview situation?

So glad you figured it out! This is such a common issue and your post will definitely help others who run into the same problem. The 1099-G tip is golden - I wish EDD would make it more obvious that's where people should look first instead of making us guess our benefit amounts. Hope your new claim goes smoothly and you get approved quickly!

Welcome to the community Ellie! I totally understand that dread about dealing with EDD again - the system can be really overwhelming, especially when you're already stressed about losing your job. This thread is a perfect example of how helpful this community can be though. Don't hesitate to post if you run into any issues with your claim - there are a lot of experienced people here who've been through the process multiple times and are always willing to help. Also, definitely save this thread for reference since the 1099-G tip and other advice here could come in handy. Good luck with your claim!

Based on everything you've shared, you definitely have a strong case for unemployment benefits! The combination of medical documentation for 3 out of 5 absences, legitimate reasons for the other 2 (car breakdown and family emergency), and zero progressive discipline from your employer puts you in a really good position. I've been through the EDD process myself and here's what I'd recommend: File your claim TODAY - don't wait. When you get to the eligibility interview, be super organized with your timeline and documentation. Have your doctor's notes, tow truck receipt, and any hospital records ready to reference. The fact that your employer jumped straight to termination without any verbal or written warnings is actually a huge point in your favor. EDD expects employers to follow progressive discipline, especially for attendance issues that aren't willful misconduct. Don't let the "attendance = automatic denial" myth stop you from filing. Your absences were legitimate and documented - that's completely different from someone who's just chronically late or calling out for frivolous reasons. You followed proper procedures and had genuine emergencies/medical needs. Even if your employer contests (which many do automatically), stay confident in your case. The evidence is on your side. Good luck with both the claim and your job search!

I'm new to this community but wanted to chime in since I just went through something very similar! Got fired from my warehouse job 3 weeks ago for "attendance issues" - had 6 absences in 4 months but all were either documented medical (had COVID twice) or legitimate emergencies. Like you, zero warnings from management. I was terrified to file thinking I'd get automatically denied, but after reading advice similar to what everyone's giving you here, I applied anyway. Just got my approval letter yesterday! The eligibility interview was way less scary than I expected - the rep was actually really understanding when I explained the medical situations and lack of progressive discipline. Your case sounds even stronger than mine since you have that solid medical documentation for the bronchitis. The key things that seemed to help me were: being completely honest about each absence, having all my documentation ready during the interview, and emphasizing that my employer never gave me a chance to improve before termination. Don't let them intimidate you out of applying - from everything I've learned, EDD really does look at each case individually and considers whether the absences were for legitimate reasons. File today and stay positive!