One last piece of advice - once you get the case file, go through it with a fine-tooth comb. Look for any inconsistencies in the employer's statements, dates that don't match up, or claims that contradict your husband's employment record. During the hearing, be respectful but assertive in pointing these out. Stay organized and stick to relevant facts. Judges appreciate concise, well-organized presentations rather than emotional appeals. If your husband truly was laid off rather than fired for misconduct, focus on presenting the evidence that supports this fact pattern. Best of luck with your hearing!

As someone who went through this process recently, I want to emphasize how important it is to act quickly. I submitted my DE 6313 form online through the EDD website and also called the appeals office multiple times until I got through. Don't just rely on one method - use both! When you do get your case file, pay special attention to the initial determination letter and any statements from your husband's former employer. In misconduct cases, employers often make vague or unsupported claims, so look for specific examples they provide (or lack thereof). Also, if your husband has any documentation about the company's financial situation, layoffs of other employees around the same time, or communications suggesting it was a layoff rather than termination for cause, gather all of that. The appeals process can feel overwhelming, but being thorough in your preparation really makes a difference. Wishing you both the best of luck!

To all those having trouble reaching a human at California Unemployment. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/Ize0EkN4HDI

That's absolutely unacceptable behavior from the EDD representative. It sounds like she deliberately flagged your account out of spite, which is a serious abuse of power. Here are some steps you can take: 1) Document everything - write down the exact time/date of the call and what was said, 2) File a complaint with EDD's customer service supervisor about the representative's unprofessional conduct, 3) Contact your local assembly member's office - they have dedicated EDD liaisons who can help resolve these issues, 4) Try calling back to speak with a different representative who can review your account and reverse any fraudulent flags. Since you were already verified through ID.me and have been receiving payments, this is clearly retaliation. Don't let one bad agent derail your legitimate claim!

I see a lot of conflicting advice here, so let me clarify as someone familiar with the process. You have several options during an appeal: 1. Request a Stay of Collection (form DE 1447) - this is your BEST option 2. Set up a minimal payment plan as a backup if stay is denied 3. Request a waiver of overpayment if repayment would cause financial hardship Collection CAN legally proceed during appeal unless you get the stay. If you win your appeal, you'll receive a Notice of Affirmative Decision and any payments made will be refunded, but this can take 30-45 days to process. Current appeal timelines in California are running 8-12 weeks minimum. Call the Appeals office directly (not regular EDD) at their specific number to check your status.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - got my overpayment notice last week for $3,800 while my appeal has been pending for 5 weeks. The whole thing is so intimidating! Reading through everyone's advice here, it sounds like the DE 1447 form for Stay of Collection is definitely the way to go. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone had experience with how long it takes for EDD to actually process the stay request? I'm worried they'll start collection actions before they even review my stay form. Also, if anyone knows whether I should send the form certified mail or if regular mail is fine? I don't trust anything to get to EDD these days without proof of delivery. The stress of this whole process is unreal. It feels like you're guilty until proven innocent with their system.

One more thing to add - when I documented my agent submissions, I made sure to include: - The specific project name - The role I was submitted for - The production company - The date of submission - Any follow-up actions I took (like sending a thank you email after auditions) This level of detail made it clear to EDD that these were legitimate work search activities. The key is showing that you're actively engaged in the process, not just passively letting your agent do everything. Also, don't forget to mention any informal networking you did with industry contacts. Those count too!

I'm also navigating this as a freelance voice actor! From what I've learned through my own EDD experience, agent submissions absolutely do count, but I'd recommend mixing them with some direct outreach too. What really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet tracking: - Agent submissions (with project names and dates) - Direct pitches I sent to production companies - Industry networking (even virtual events count!) - Skills development (like voice coaching sessions) The EDD rep I spoke with emphasized that they want to see you're making "reasonable efforts" specific to your industry. Since acting work primarily comes through agents and casting directors, those submissions are totally legitimate work search activities. Pro tip: Save any emails from your agent about submissions - even just a quick "submitted you for XYZ project" text counts as documentation. Good luck with your certification!

This entire thread is like a masterclass in navigating EDD's broken system! As someone who works in tech support, I can tell you that what @Alicia Stern experienced is a classic case of poor form validation - the system probably accepted her "Yes" response but then failed to properly save or validate the subsequent work search details due to session timeouts, browser issues, or just plain bad code. The advice everyone's given here is spot-on, especially the documentation strategies. I'd add one more tip: if you're using Chrome or Firefox, you can actually save the entire webpage (Ctrl+S) during each step of certification, not just screenshots. This saves all the form data and can serve as proof of what you actually entered if there's ever a dispute. Also, for anyone dealing with this in the future - if you get the dreaded "disqualified" status, try submitting a message through the UI Online portal BEFORE calling. Sometimes this creates a paper trail that speeds up the phone resolution process. Include your work search details in that message so it's already in their system when you do get through to a rep. The fact that we need these workarounds for a basic government service is ridiculous, but at least this community exists to help each other navigate the maze!

This thread is absolutely incredible - it's like finding a treasure trove of EDD survival wisdom! @Alicia Stern I'm so glad everything worked out for you, especially with rent being due. That kind of stress is just unbearable. I wanted to share something that might help others avoid this issue entirely: I've started taking a photo of my computer screen with my phone at each step of certification, in addition to screenshots. I know it sounds overkill, but hear me out - if there's ever a dispute about what you actually submitted vs. what the system recorded, having a photo taken with your phone provides an extra layer of proof with timestamp metadata that's harder to dispute than just a screenshot file. Also, I learned this the hard way - if you're ever unsure about ANY answer during certification, you can actually call EDD BEFORE submitting to clarify questions. I didn't know this was an option until a rep mentioned it during a previous call. It might save some people from having to deal with corrections after the fact. The community knowledge in this thread is just amazing. Between the Claimyr recommendation, the detailed documentation strategies, the tech insights about form validation, and all the prevention tips - this is better than any official EDD guide I've ever seen. Thank you everyone for sharing your hard-won expertise!