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I'm completely baffled by what's happening with my unemployment claim right now. After fighting for MONTHS, I finally won my appeal hearing last week! The judge clearly ruled in my favor and overturned the original disqualification. I was so relieved that I immediately certified for the 5 months of back benefits. But here's the crazy part - no money has been loaded to my Money Network card. When I checked my UI Online account, it shows all my benefits are being withheld pending an 'eligibility interview'! How does this make any sense? The judge ALREADY determined I should get these benefits! Doesn't the appeal decision override whatever issues they're questioning now? I'm seriously stressed about this because it took 3 months just to get the appeal hearing. Has anyone else dealt with this bizarre situation? Do I really have to go through another interview process even though I already won the appeal? Or is this some kind of mistake in their system?
I'm at my wits' end trying to switch my payment method from the Money Network card to direct deposit! The EDD website keeps rejecting my banking information during the verification step. I've triple-checked that I'm entering everything correctly - routing number, account number, etc. But every time I try to save it, I get some vague error about 'unable to verify account information.' I've called EDD FOUR times today. First time, I waited 2 hours only to get disconnected. Second time, someone answered but said their 'system was down' and to call back. Third time, got transferred to a different department who told me there was nothing they could do and I should just 'keep trying online.' Fourth time they hung up while transferring me! Is anyone else having this problem? I hate the Money Network card and the fees are killing me. My last payment took 5 days to show up on the card! I have bills due and need that money in my actual bank account. What's the secret to making this work??
I had the same issues like everyone else, and the lady at the bank said to take off the first 0 of my bank account to see if that worked, and it did. If your account starts with 0, take it off, and see if that works. I also used firefox, and did it it before 2 PM. I clapped when it worked. LOL
I'm seriously at my wits end with EDD customer service. Been trying to resolve an issue with my claim for the past week and finally got through today after 137 redials (yes, I counted). After waiting on hold for 2 hours and 17 minutes, someone picked up, asked for my info, then HUNG UP ON ME when I started explaining my situation! Called back, waited ANOTHER 1.5 hours, and the EXACT same thing happened again!!!! I'm absolutely furious. There has to be a way to file an official complaint about this kind of treatment. Does anyone know the proper channel to report this? Is there an ombudsman or supervisor line? I need this resolved ASAP as my rent is due next week and I'm already behind on utilities.
This is absolutely outrageous and unfortunately way too common with EDD's broken system. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this nightmare, especially with eviction looming. Here's what I'd recommend based on what's worked for others: **MOST EFFECTIVE:** Contact your state assembly member's office ASAP - they have dedicated EDD liaisons who can bypass the phone system entirely. Multiple people here have gotten results in 2-3 days this way. **PHONE WORKAROUNDS:** If you call again, try the employer questions line (1-800-300-5616) - shorter waits and they can transfer you. Also try calling exactly at 8:00 AM when they open. **OFFICIAL COMPLAINT:** File through edd.ca.gov under Contact EDD > Submit Complaint with all your documentation (dates, times, wait durations). Make sure to emphasize your financial hardship situation. **DOCUMENT EVERYTHING:** Keep that call log going - it'll be crucial evidence for your complaint. The assembly member route is honestly your best shot at getting this resolved before rent is due. It's ridiculous that we need to go through elected officials just to get basic customer service, but the system is so broken that it's often the only thing that works. Don't let them grind you down - you deserve better than this treatment!
This is really comprehensive advice - thank you! I'm definitely going to start with my assembly member first thing tomorrow morning. The employer line trick is something I never would have thought of but it makes total sense. It's just mind-boggling that we need all these workarounds just to access basic government services we're entitled to. The fact that multiple people here have had success with the legislative route within just a few days gives me hope though. I'll make sure to emphasize the eviction timeline when I contact them. Really appreciate everyone sharing what actually works instead of just the "official" channels that clearly don't function!
I'm so sorry you're going through this absolute nightmare! Being hung up on twice after waiting over 3 hours total is beyond unacceptable, especially when you're facing eviction. The EDD system is completely broken and it's infuriating that they treat people this way when we're already struggling. Here's what I'd recommend based on what's worked for me and others: **CONTACT YOUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER IMMEDIATELY** - This is hands down the most effective route. They have dedicated EDD liaisons who can bypass the phone system entirely. I've seen people get responses within 2-3 days after months of phone hell. **FILE THE OFFICIAL COMPLAINT** - Go to edd.ca.gov > Contact EDD > Submit Complaint. Include every detail: dates, times, wait durations, exactly what happened. Your documentation will be crucial. **PHONE HACKS IF NEEDED** - Try the employer questions line (1-800-300-5616) for shorter waits, or call right at 8:00 AM sharp when they open. **EMPHASIZE YOUR HARDSHIP** - Make sure to mention the potential eviction and utility shutoffs in all communications. EDD has expedited processes for financial emergencies. The legislative route through your assembly member is honestly your best shot at getting this resolved before your rent is due. It's ridiculous that we have to go through elected officials just to get basic customer service, but the system is so broken that it's often the only thing that actually works. Stay strong and don't let them wear you down - you deserve so much better than this treatment!
This is exactly the roadmap I needed - thank you so much! I'm definitely calling my assembly member's office first thing in the morning and will emphasize the eviction timeline. It's incredible that so many people here have had success with that route within just days. The employer line workaround is brilliant too - never would have thought of that! It's absolutely maddening that we need these hacks just to get basic help from our own government, but I'm grateful everyone is sharing what actually works. I've got all my documentation ready including exact times of those infuriating hang-ups. Will definitely update once I make progress - fingers crossed this nightmare ends soon!
Hola a todos! Necesito actualizar mi dirección con el EDD de California. Alguien sabe cuál es la mejor manera de hacerlo? Ya tengo todos mis documentos listos, como facturas y contrato de arrendamiento. Algún consejo sobre qué decir exactamente cuando hable con el agente? Gracias por adelantado!
alguien sabe si puedo cambiar mi dirección si me mudé a otro estado? o tengo que cerrar mi reclamo en california y abrir uno nuevo aca?
También puedes intentar usar el portal en línea UI Online del EDD. A veces es más fácil actualizar tu información personal ahí sin tener que esperar en el teléfono por horas. Solo ve a "Perfil" y busca la opción para cambiar dirección. Si no te deja hacerlo en línea, entonces sí tendrás que llamar. Pero definitivamente vale la pena intentarlo primero - me ahorró mucho tiempo cuando me mudé el año pasado.
Freaking out a little! Just received notice that my EDD appeal hearing is scheduled for March 14th (telephone hearing). This is after getting disqualified for supposedly "voluntarily quitting" my restaurant job when in reality the manager cut my hours down to practically nothing until I couldn't afford to keep showing up. The paperwork says a judge will be on the call?! I've never done anything like this before and have no idea what to expect or how to prepare. Do I need to have a lawyer? What kind of evidence should I gather? Will they be recording the call? The notice has all these rules about witnesses and stuff, but I'm just a regular person trying to get my benefits. Anyone gone through this process recently who can walk me through what happens during these phone hearings?
Thank you everyone for all the advice! I feel much more prepared now. I've started gathering my evidence - found texts from my manager cancelling my shifts, paystubs showing my hours dropping from 30+ to under 10 per week, and even a text where I specifically asked for more hours and was told they "didn't have enough business right now." I've also started writing out my timeline and practicing explaining my situation clearly. I'll definitely request my employer's response too, that's a great tip! I'll update this thread after my hearing to let everyone know how it went. Fingers crossed!
It sounds like you have excellent documentation! Those text messages specifically asking for more hours will be very helpful. The key element in constructive discharge cases is proving that: 1) Your working conditions substantially changed (hours severely reduced) and 2) You made reasonable efforts to resolve the situation before leaving. You appear to have evidence for both points, which puts you in a strong position. Wishing you the best of luck!
You're going to do great! It sounds like you have all the right documentation - those texts showing your manager cancelling shifts and telling you there's "not enough business" are gold. That's exactly the kind of evidence that proves constructive discharge. One small thing I'd add that helped me: when you're explaining your timeline to the judge, mention the financial impact specifically. Like "my weekly pay dropped from $X to $Y, making it impossible to cover basic expenses like rent/transportation." Judges understand that people can't work for free or below survival wages. Also, stay calm if your employer tries to claim they offered you other opportunities or that business was slow for everyone. Stick to your documented facts and let the evidence speak for itself. You've got this! Definitely update us after - your case could help others in similar situations!
Mikayla Davison
When I had my eligibility interview last month, they barely asked anything! It was like 5 minutes tops. The lady just verified my identity, asked if I was able to work during each of the weeks, and if I'd been looking for work. I said yes to everything and got paid 2 days later. Probably just depends which interviewer you get though.
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Natalia Stone
I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation right now! Won my appeal three weeks ago but still stuck waiting for this eligibility interview. It's so frustrating because like you said, the judge already went through everything thoroughly during the appeal hearing. What's really getting to me is that I've been without income for over 4 months now while they keep adding more hoops to jump through. I understand they need to verify things, but it feels like they could have done this verification process while the appeal was pending instead of making us wait even longer after winning. Has anyone had luck calling the eligibility interview line directly? I keep getting transferred around when I call the main number and no one seems to know when my interview will actually be scheduled.
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Ravi Malhotra
I feel your pain! The whole process is so exhausting. I haven't tried calling the eligibility interview line directly - do you have a specific number for that? All I have is the main EDD number and like you said, they just transfer you around in circles. Four months without income is brutal. I'm at 5+ months now and it's really taking a toll. Someone mentioned earlier that they used Claimyr to get through faster - might be worth looking into if the regular lines aren't working. At this point I'm willing to try anything to speed this up! Let me know if you find out anything useful about the interview scheduling. We're in this together!
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