Just wanted to update that I went through my records from when this happened to me. My timeline was: - Filed claim: June 3 - First certification: June 17 - Eligibility interview notice: June 29 (letter arrived July 3) - Interview conducted: July 12 - Determination letter: July 18 (approved) So from filing to interview was almost exactly 5.5 weeks for me. Hope that helps give you some idea of timeline.

I'm going through a similar situation right now - my former employer is claiming I quit when they actually just stopped scheduling me after promising to keep me on permanently. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really helpful and reassuring that EDD does seem to side with employees when there's good documentation. @Sara I think you have a really strong case based on what you've described. The emails showing they promised to keep you on and your attempts to get clarification about your status should definitely work in your favor. I'm keeping detailed records of everything too after seeing how important that seems to be. Has anyone here dealt with an employer that tries to claim "job abandonment" instead of voluntary quit? That's what I'm worried my former company might try to argue since there was a gap between when my hours got cut and when I finally gave up trying to get them restored.

I'm a newcomer here but dealing with something similar! I just got my interview notice last week after 6 months on partial unemployment (restaurant industry - hours are super unpredictable). Reading through everyone's experiences here is making me feel so much better. I was convinced I had messed something up, but it sounds like these random reviews are just part of the process. @Carmen Ruiz - have you had your interview yet? I'm scheduled for next Friday and getting nervous. Going to follow all the advice here about having my work calendar and pay stubs organized. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver when dealing with EDD stress!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since it sounds so similar to yours! I just went through an EDD eligibility interview last month after being on partial unemployment for about 8 months (I work in retail with fluctuating hours). Like you, I got the notice out of nowhere with no explanation. The interview ended up being totally routine - the representative just wanted to verify that I was still available and actively searching for full-time work, and she asked me to walk through a few of my recent certifications to make sure my reported hours matched my actual work schedule. She was actually really professional and understanding about the nature of part-time/inconsistent work. The key things that helped me were: having my work schedule/calendar handy, keeping my job search log up to date (even though it wasn't perfect), and just being completely honest about everything. The whole thing took maybe 25 minutes and my benefits continued without any interruption. It definitely seems like they do these random check-ins more frequently with partial claims since our work patterns can look "irregular" to their system. Try not to worry too much - it sounds like you've been doing everything by the book! Good luck with your interview!

As someone who recently went through the EDD certification process while genuinely job hunting, I can confirm that the system is pretty much honor-based right now. You just check "yes" to looking for work each week without having to provide any details unless you get randomly selected for an eligibility interview. What really bothers me about the no-show issue is that it makes legitimate job seekers look bad. When I was unemployed, I treated every interview as an opportunity, even for positions I wasn't initially excited about. Some of my best jobs came from interviews I almost didn't take seriously at first. I think part of the problem is that people are applying to jobs way outside their skill level or interest just to hit their weekly application quota. Then when they actually get called for an interview, they realize they don't want the job but are too cowardly to just decline professionally. For employers dealing with this - maybe try asking during initial contact something like "On a scale of 1-10, how interested are you in this specific role and why?" It might help you gauge who's actually serious versus just going through the motions for EDD requirements.

I'm a hiring manager at a mid-size company and we've implemented a few strategies that have helped reduce our no-show rate from about 50% to around 15%. Here's what worked for us: 1. **Pre-interview questionnaire**: We send a short 3-question form asking why they're interested in the role, what their salary expectations are, and when they'd be available to start. People who are just applying to meet EDD requirements rarely fill this out properly. 2. **Video screening first**: We do a quick 10-minute video call before any in-person interviews. This weeds out people who aren't serious, and it's much less time investment if they no-show the video call. 3. **Clear expectations upfront**: We explicitly tell candidates that we're a small team and no-shows waste significant time and resources. Most legitimate candidates appreciate the transparency, while it seems to discourage people who aren't serious. 4. **24-hour confirmation with consequences**: We require confirmation 24 hours before and clearly state that failure to show up without 2+ hours notice will result in being blacklisted from future opportunities with our company. The combination has really helped us focus our time on candidates who actually want to work. It's sad that we have to put these barriers in place, but it's become necessary given the current situation with unemployment requirements.

extended benefits are a myth, change my mind 🤔

Hey Chad! I just went through this process last month. A few things that helped me: 1. Try calling the EDD technical support line (1-800-300-5616) instead of the main number - sometimes it's less busy 2. Have your Social Security number and all employment info from the last 18 months ready 3. The extended benefits eligibility depends on whether California's unemployment rate triggers the program (it changes quarterly) 4. You can also check your eligibility online through your EDD account under "Extensions" The whole process took me about 6 weeks from application to first payment, but that included some back-and-forth for additional documentation. Hang in there - it's frustrating but worth it if you qualify!

I'm going through this exact same issue right now! Been trying to update my direct deposit info for almost two weeks with zero success. The EDD website just keeps giving me that frustrating "unable to process request" error message every single time, no matter what browser I use or when I try. What's really stressing me out is that I closed my old bank account last month when I switched to a credit union, so I'm worried about what happens when my next payment tries to go through. I've been reading through all the suggestions here and I'm definitely going to try the 3 AM approach tonight when there's less traffic on their servers - that actually makes a lot of sense! I'm also going to attempt calling on Tuesday morning right at 8 AM like someone suggested. I know it's going to be a long wait, but at this point I'd rather spend hours on hold than keep hitting this brick wall with their broken website. It's honestly insane that in 2025 we're dealing with a system this outdated and unreliable for something as basic as updating payment information. These are people's lifelines we're talking about! Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences and tips - it really helps to know this is a widespread system issue and not just me doing something wrong. I'll report back if any of these methods work! 🤞

I'm so relieved to find this thread! I've been struggling with the exact same issue for the past week and was starting to think I was going crazy. Every time I try to update my payment method, I get hit with that super unhelpful "unable to process request" error. I've tried everything - different browsers, clearing cache, even borrowing my friend's laptop thinking it might be a device issue. Nothing works! What's really stressing me out is that I need to switch from my current bank to a new one for my job, and I'm terrified about missing payments while this system is broken. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both frustrating and comforting - frustrating that this is such a widespread issue that EDD clearly isn't fixing fast enough, but comforting to know I'm not alone in this mess. I'm definitely going to try some of the suggestions here - the 3 AM low-traffic approach sounds promising, and I'll also try calling Tuesday morning at 8 AM sharp. If those don't work, I might look into that paper form backup plan. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to update basic banking info, but I appreciate everyone sharing what's worked for them. This community has been more helpful than EDD's actual support! I'll update everyone once I hopefully get this resolved. 🤞