I went through the appeals process about 6 months ago and won my case! Similar to your situation, my employer claimed I voluntarily quit when they actually forced me out by making unreasonable schedule changes and cutting my hours drastically. Here's my experience and advice: **Preparation was key:** I spent hours organizing all my documentation - pay stubs, emails, text messages, anything that showed the timeline of what happened. Having everything organized chronologically made a huge difference during the hearing. **The hearing itself:** It was conducted over the phone and lasted about 40 minutes. The Administrative Law Judge was fair and asked detailed questions to both sides. My former employer's HR representative tried to stick to their story, but when the judge asked for specifics, they couldn't provide documentation to back up their claims. **What worked in my favor:** - Clear documentation showing the change in working conditions - Evidence that I tried to work with the situation before leaving - Staying factual and professional throughout the hearing - Explaining how a reasonable person would have responded in my situation For your case specifically, the reduction from 40 hours to 12 hours is a slam dunk for constructive discharge. Make sure to emphasize the financial impossibility of surviving on 70% less income. If you have any evidence showing you tried to make it work or asked for more hours, that's golden. You don't necessarily need a lawyer for this type of case if you have good documentation and can present your story clearly. I represented myself and it worked out fine. The whole process from hearing to decision took about 3 weeks. Hang in there - you've got a strong case!

I went through the EDD appeals process in December and won my case! I was in almost the exact same situation - employer claimed I quit when they actually cut my hours from 35 to 8 per week. Here's what really helped me prepare: **Documentation is everything:** I gathered pay stubs showing the hour reduction, screenshots of my work schedule changes, and text messages where I asked my supervisor about getting more hours. The judge specifically asked about my attempts to address the situation with my employer first. **Practice your timeline:** I wrote out a simple chronology - when I was hired, what my original hours were, when they got cut, what I did to try to fix it, and when I finally had to leave. Having this clear narrative really helped during the hearing. **The hearing itself:** It was less intimidating than I expected. The judge asked me to explain what happened, then asked my employer questions. When they claimed the hour reduction was "temporary," the judge asked them to specify how long and what the plan was to restore hours. They couldn't give a clear answer, which really helped my case. Your situation with 40 hours dropping to 12 is even more dramatic than mine was. That's a 70% reduction in income - no reasonable person could be expected to survive on that. Make sure to emphasize the financial impact and that you tried to work with them before leaving. The whole process took about a month from hearing to decision, but getting that approval letter made all the stress worth it. You've got a strong case - stay organized and confident!

I'm dealing with this same nightmare right now and honestly, reading through everyone's experiences has been both reassuring and frustrating. It's crazy how many of us are going through this exact same situation with EDD! I've been trying the fraud hotline for three days straight with zero success - just busy signals and disconnections. Based on what everyone's shared here, it sounds like I need to completely abandon that approach and go straight to: 1. Police report (doing this today) 2. Email identitytheft@edd.ca.gov 3. Contact my assembly member's office ASAP @James Maki - thank you for mentioning that specific email address! I had no idea it existed and was just getting lost in the general EDD website maze. @Dana Doyle @Zachary Hughes - the assembly member tip seems to be the real game-changer here. I'm looking up my representative right now. The tax implications are what's keeping me up at night. I'm terrified of getting hit with a 1099-G for benefits I never received. Going to file Form 14039 with the IRS preemptively based on @Miguel Ramos's advice. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become experts in navigating broken government systems just because criminals stole our identities, but I'm grateful for everyone sharing what actually works vs. what we're "supposed" to do. Time to skip the front door and go straight to the people who can actually help!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Just discovered someone filed unemployment claims using my identity last week and I've been in complete panic mode. Like everyone else, I tried calling the fraud hotline multiple times and it's absolutely useless - either busy signals or they hang up on you. Based on all the advice shared here, I'm abandoning that approach completely and going straight to: 1. Filing a police report today to get a case number 2. Emailing identitytheft@edd.ca.gov with all details 3. Contacting my state assembly member's office immediately The assembly member route seems to be the real secret weapon that everyone discovers too late. I had no idea they had dedicated EDD liaisons who could actually cut through the bureaucracy. I'm also really concerned about the tax implications since multiple people mentioned receiving 1099-G forms for benefits they never got. Going to file Form 14039 with the IRS preemptively and put fraud alerts on all my credit reports today. It's absolutely insane that we have to become experts in navigating broken government systems just because criminals stole our information, but I'm so grateful everyone shared what actually works instead of the official channels that clearly don't. This community has probably saved me months of frustration! Has anyone had success with getting EDD to send written confirmation once the fraudulent claim is closed? I want to make sure I have documentation that this was resolved properly.

I just went through this exact same situation 6 months ago and want to offer some hope - I successfully got my overpayment completely overturned! Here's what made the difference in my case: First, that "without fault" designation is actually HUGE in your favor. It means no penalties and you're eligible for a waiver if needed. Second, the fact that they're only questioning 2 months suggests this might be fixable with the right documentation. My game-changer was getting a simple one-page letter from my former manager on company letterhead (even though the business had closed, they still had access to letterhead). The letter stated: my hire date, layoff date, reason for layoff (business closure), and confirmed I didn't quit or get fired for misconduct. I also gathered: final pay stub showing "layoff", group text messages between coworkers about the closure, a newspaper article mentioning restaurant closures in our area during that time period, and my termination letter. The appeal hearing took about 45 minutes via phone. The judge was actually really fair and understood that the employer's initial report to EDD was probably just a clerical error. My entire $7,200 overpayment was dismissed. Don't let them intimidate you into just accepting this. File that appeal ASAP (within 30 days!) and start gathering any evidence of that restaurant closure. You can absolutely win this if you fight it properly. The system makes mistakes constantly - your job is to prove they made one here.

I'm going through something very similar right now and wanted to add a few things that have helped me in my research. Since you mentioned this is about your "employment separation reason" being redetermined, I'd specifically recommend checking if your former employer filed anything with EDD recently that contradicted their original layoff report. Sometimes employers file corrected information months or years later, which can trigger these redeterminations. Also, if you can't track down your former manager, consider reaching out to your state labor department - they sometimes have records of mass layoffs or business closures that can serve as independent verification of what happened. In California, the WARN Act requires certain employers to report layoffs, so there might be official documentation of your restaurant's closure. One more tip: when you file your appeal, ask specifically for a phone hearing rather than in-person if given the option. From what I've heard from others, the judges tend to be more accommodating over the phone, and it's much less intimidating than going to an office. The fact that yours is marked "without fault" and only covers 2 months really suggests this is just a paperwork mixup that can be resolved. Don't let EDD intimidate you - they make errors constantly and count on people not fighting back. You've got this!

I just had my RESEA appointment two weeks ago and was in almost the exact same situation as you! I'd only been unemployed for about 5 weeks when I got selected, and I already had multiple interviews scheduled including one final round interview. I was really frustrated at first thinking "why are they making me do this when I'm clearly already being proactive?" But honestly, the appointment was way less stressful than I built it up to be in my head. Here's what helped me get through it smoothly: - I organized all my job applications into a simple spreadsheet (company name, position, date applied, current status) - Had my resume ready as a PDF to share on Zoom if they asked - Prepared a brief summary of my job search approach and timeline The representative was actually really positive when I explained my active interviews. She said it's refreshing to see people who are already taking initiative rather than waiting to be told what to do. We spent about 40 minutes going through my application tracking and she gave me some additional job board resources I hadn't tried yet. One thing I wasn't prepared for - they asked about my salary expectations and whether I'd be open to temporary positions while waiting to hear back from my top choice interviews. Just something to think about ahead of time. Since you already have 3 interviews going including that second round, you're in a really strong position! The fact that you're actively interviewing will definitely work in your favor. Just bring your documentation and be honest about your progress - they genuinely want to see you succeed and get back to work quickly. Don't stress too much about it. With your current interview activity, this will probably be one of the easier appointments they have to conduct!

I had my RESEA appointment about a month ago when I was in a really similar situation - only been unemployed for about 4 weeks but already had 2 interviews lined up! I was honestly pretty annoyed at first because I felt like I was already doing everything right and didn't need their help. But the appointment actually went really well. The representative was super encouraging when I told her about my active interviews and said it makes her job so much easier when people are already being proactive. The whole thing took about 45 minutes and felt more like a friendly check-in than some kind of test. Here's what I brought that made it go smoothly: - A simple list of all my job applications with company names, positions, dates applied, and current status - My updated resume saved as a PDF ready to share if needed - Notes about what types of roles I was targeting and my general timeline One thing I wasn't expecting - she asked about my commute preferences and whether I'd be open to contract work while waiting to hear back from my top choice interviews. Nothing too intense though! Since you already have 3 interviews going including a second round, you're in an even better position than I was. They really just want to see that you're actively looking for work, which you obviously are. Don't stress about it too much - with your current interview activity, this should be pretty straightforward! Good luck with those interviews! Sounds like you'll probably be back to work soon anyway.

I'm in a really similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My benefits just exhausted yesterday and I was panicking about potentially waiting until my benefit year ends in October - that would be a 6+ month gap that I honestly can't afford. I worked part-time doing freelance graphic design during my benefit year and earned about $4,600 total. From reading everyone's experiences here, it sounds like the critical factor is whether I hit that $1,300 threshold in any single quarter. Most of my freelance work was concentrated in two big projects, so I'm hoping the timing works out in my favor. The consistent recommendations for using Claimyr to actually reach a human at EDD and asking specifically about "lag quarter" wages seem like the key to success. I've been dreading calling EDD directly after hearing so many horror stories about their phone system, but seeing multiple people here get through with good results gives me confidence to try. It's honestly such a relief to find this community and realize I'm not alone in this confusing situation! The EDD website is completely useless for explaining these exception rules, but hearing from people who've actually navigated the process successfully makes all the difference. Planning to organize all my invoices by quarter this weekend and call first thing Monday using Claimyr. Really hoping my freelance earnings were distributed in a way that qualifies me for the exception. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences - you've given those of us just starting this process so much hope! 🙏

I'm in almost the exact same situation and this thread has been a total lifesaver! Just exhausted my benefits this week and was absolutely panicking about potentially waiting until my benefit year ends in January - that would be an 8+ month gap that would financially destroy me. I worked seasonal retail and some gig work during my benefit year and earned around $5,900 total. Reading through all these detailed responses, it sounds like the key is whether I earned over $1,300 in any single quarter. I'm pretty sure most of my retail earnings were concentrated during the holiday quarter, so I'm cautiously optimistic! The consistent advice about using Claimyr to bypass EDD's impossible phone system and asking specifically about "lag quarter" wages seems to be the winning formula. I've been putting off calling because I know how brutal it is to reach anyone there, but seeing so many success stories here gives me the confidence to actually try. This community has been incredible for understanding rules that EDD makes unnecessarily confusing. It's such a relief to know I'm not alone in this stressful situation and that there might actually be a path forward before waiting the full benefit year! Planning to organize all my pay stubs and 1099s by quarter this weekend and call first thing Monday morning using Claimyr. Really hoping my seasonal work timing puts me over that threshold. Thanks to everyone who's shared their real experiences - you've given those of us just starting this process so much hope! 🙏