I'm going through this EXACT same situation right now! Got a letter for an interview scheduled for yesterday 2-4pm, sat by my phone the entire time with it fully charged and volume all the way up - nobody called. Just like you, when I checked my UI Online account there's absolutely no record of any interview being scheduled. It's like the letter and the online system are completely disconnected! I've been reading through all these responses and it's actually making me feel a lot better knowing this is happening to so many people. It sounds like the EDD is just severely backlogged right now and they're running way behind on these interviews. I'm going to follow the advice here about documenting everything - I already took photos of the letter and screenshots of my UI Online showing no scheduled interview. Planning to keep certifying as normal and give it about a week before trying to contact them through the online system. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this mess!

I'm so sorry this happened to you! This is actually becoming incredibly common right now - you're definitely not alone. I had a similar experience about 6 weeks ago where I was scheduled for an interview and they never called. I was absolutely panicking thinking I'd lose my benefits. What ended up happening is they called me 12 days later! The rep explained that their interview scheduling system is completely overwhelmed and they're running 1-3 weeks behind on all eligibility interviews. She said the automated letters go out based on their original timeline, but the actual staff can't keep up with the volume. The most important things: 1) Keep certifying for benefits on your normal schedule - don't stop just because of this missed interview, 2) Document everything like others mentioned (screenshots, photos of the letter, notes about when you were available), and 3) Don't panic yet - they won't disqualify you because THEY missed the call. When they finally did call me, the rep could see all the notes about the original scheduled time and that I hadn't been reached. They actually apologized for the delay! The interview itself was pretty straightforward after all that stress. Hang in there - this is definitely a system problem, not something you did wrong!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now and it's so stressful! My BofA card got shut off about 4 days ago with zero warning, and I've been certifying but my last payment is showing as "outstanding" instead of going to my card. I have bills due next week too so I totally feel your panic. After reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like I should expect the paper check to arrive in about 5-7 business days from when it first showed as "outstanding." That's actually somewhat reassuring because I thought "outstanding" meant something was wrong with my payment, but it sounds like it just means the check is already processed and on its way. I just signed up for USPS Informed Delivery after seeing multiple people recommend it - what a great tip! Now I'll get daily emails showing scanned images of my incoming mail so I'll know exactly when the EDD check is arriving instead of just anxiously checking my mailbox multiple times a day. I'm also going to start setting up direct deposit today while I'm thinking about it. This whole BofA to Money Network transition has been such a mess with no clear communication from EDD about what was happening. But based on everyone's timelines here, it sounds like once you switch to direct deposit, payments hit your account within 1-2 days instead of this whole paper check waiting game. Definitely making that change after I get this sorted out!

I just went through this exact situation last month and wanted to share my timeline to hopefully ease your stress a bit! My BofA card got deactivated without any warning (so frustrating), and my payment showed as "outstanding" for what felt like forever when I had rent due. Here's exactly what happened with my timeline: Payment showed "outstanding" on a Wednesday, and I received the paper check the following Tuesday - so 6 business days total. The check came in a plain white envelope from "Employment Development Department" via regular USPS. A few things that really helped me through the waiting period: - I called EDD at exactly 8 AM when they opened and after about 30 minutes on hold, got through to a rep who confirmed the exact date my check was mailed - Set up USPS Informed Delivery immediately (it's free!) - you get daily emails with scanned images of your incoming mail so you know exactly when to expect it - Started the direct deposit setup process right away so this never happens again The "outstanding" status actually means your check has been processed and mailed, not that something's wrong. I know the waiting is super stressful when bills are due, but based on your 3-day timeline, you should hopefully see your check arrive by early next week. Definitely switch to direct deposit after this - my payments now hit my account within 24 hours instead of this whole paper check ordeal!

Just following up - were you able to get clarity on this? For anyone finding this thread later, here's the official word: According to the EDD's UI benefit determination guide, distributions from qualified retirement plans (including 401k, IRA, etc.) are NOT considered wages for UI purposes. These distributions should not affect your weekly benefit amount. However, ongoing pension payments (not one-time distributions) might reduce your benefits, depending on whether your base period employer contributed to that pension. The safest approach is always to report and let EDD make the determination rather than risk an overpayment situation.

Great to hear you got confirmation from EDD! This is such a common source of confusion for people dealing with layoffs. Your experience perfectly illustrates why it's worth the hassle of getting through to an actual representative when you're unsure - better to get the official word than stress about it or potentially miss out on benefits you're entitled to. Thanks for following up with the resolution - this thread will definitely help others in similar situations!

One more thing to check - look at the 'Determination' section in her UI Online account. Sometimes there's an entry there showing when they determined she was eligible for PUA instead of regular UI. The date on that determination would be very close to when she was approved for PUA. Also, PUA was only available from March 29, 2020 through September 4, 2021, so that narrows down the timeframe. If she was auto-transferred, it likely happened in April or May 2020 when they were implementing the program.

I went through something similar with my elderly father last year. One thing that really helped was creating a timeline document while going through all these different sections (Claim History, Notices, Determinations, Messages). For the tax paperwork issue you mentioned, if you can't find the exact application date through EDD's portal, you might also check if she has any old bank statements or tax documents from 2020. Sometimes the first PUA payment date can help you work backwards to estimate when she applied, since there was usually only a 1-2 week processing time back then. Also, if she was automatically transferred from regular UI to PUA, there should be a gap or change in payment amounts in her claim history - regular UI was based on previous wages while PUA had a standard weekly amount. That transition point might give you clues about timing even if the exact dates aren't clearly listed. Hope this helps and good luck navigating the EDD maze! Your mother-in-law is lucky to have someone helping her with this complicated stuff.

I'm going through this exact situation right now too! My company just announced they're closing our office and we'll get WARN Act pay through May. HR gave us the same "don't file until payments end" speech, but after reading this thread I realize they're just trying to protect their own interests. One question for those who have been through this - when you file the initial claim, do you need to provide any special documentation about the WARN Act notice, or does EDD just need the standard employment information? I have the official WARN notification letter from my employer but wasn't sure if I should upload it somewhere or just mention it in the application. Also wondering if anyone knows whether the 60-day WARN period affects the work search requirements at all, or if those kick in immediately when you file? Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread is going to save me a lot of headaches!

I just went through this exact situation 6 months ago when my fintech startup laid off half the company. HR told us the same thing - "wait until WARN payments end" - but I'm so glad I ignored that advice and filed immediately. Here's what actually happened: I filed my claim the day after getting my termination notice, even though I was getting WARN Act pay for 60 days. During those 60 days, I certified every two weeks and reported the WARN payments as "other income." EDD didn't pay me anything during that period (as expected), but my claim was fully processed and approved. The moment my WARN payments ended, my unemployment benefits kicked in automatically - no gap, no additional waiting period. My coworkers who listened to HR and waited to file? They had to wait an additional 4-6 weeks after their WARN pay ended to get their first unemployment check. Some are still dealing with processing delays even now. The key things I learned: 1) Your claim effective date matters for benefit calculations, 2) Processing time doesn't magically disappear just because you wait, and 3) EDD's system is actually designed to handle WARN Act situations - it's not as complicated as HR makes it seem. File now and thank yourself later when you have seamless income transition!