One more important thing - when reporting income, you report earnings in the week you WORKED, not when you got paid. So if you work Monday-Sunday but don't get the paycheck until the following Friday, you still report those earnings for the week you actually performed the work. This trips up a lot of people!

Just want to add - make sure you're also reporting your earnings as GROSS income (before taxes and deductions), not your take-home pay. I made that mistake early on and it created a mess when EDD cross-referenced with employer wage reports later. They want to know what you actually earned, not what hit your bank account after taxes were taken out. Also keep good records of your hours and pay stubs in case they ever audit your certifications!

I feel for you on this - penalty weeks are brutal financially but everyone here is right that the money is gone forever. One thing I learned during my penalty period last year is to keep detailed records of everything during this time. Save all your certification confirmations and any correspondence from EDD. Sometimes there can be processing delays when your benefits resume, and having documentation helps if you need to contact them. Also, consider looking into local community resources like 211 (dial 2-1-1) - they can connect you with emergency assistance programs for utilities, food, etc. The penalty system is harsh but you're handling it the right way by staying on top of certifications. Just a few more weeks and you'll be back to receiving benefits!

I went through penalty weeks myself about 8 months ago and can confirm what everyone is saying - no backpay for those weeks, unfortunately. The money is just gone as part of the penalty. What I found helpful was setting up a strict budget for those penalty weeks and reaching out to my bank about temporary overdraft forgiveness since I knew exactly when my benefits would resume. Also, don't forget that food banks don't usually require proof of income - just that you're in need. Many churches and community centers have pantries open to anyone struggling. The penalty weeks feel endless when you're in them, but you'll get through this. Make sure to keep certifying on schedule and your payments should automatically resume once you complete all 7 weeks.

I'm dealing with this exact same conditional payment nightmare right now and reading through all these experiences is both validating and infuriating! Filed in mid-February after getting laid off from my tech job, and I have my eligibility interview scheduled for March 18th. Out of my 3 pending weeks, they only paid me conditionally for the middle week - not the first or most recent one, which makes absolutely no logical sense whatsoever. What really gets me is how EDD keeps saying conditional payments are "automatic" after 14 days, but clearly their system is completely broken. I've called three times and gotten three different explanations: system glitches, batch processing delays, and some mysterious "verification holds" that no one can actually explain. The worst part is the unpredictability. You can't budget or plan when you don't know if you'll get paid for weeks that should qualify for conditional payments. It's like they're running some kind of random number generator to decide which weeks get paid! I'm documenting everything for when I hopefully get through to a supervisor who can actually fix this mess. Connor, I really hope your husband's March 10th interview resolves everything. This whole thread shows just how widespread this problem has become - EDD needs to acknowledge that their conditional payment system is fundamentally broken and stop giving people the runaround!

I'm going through the exact same conditional payment mess and it's absolutely maddening! Filed in late January after my hospitality job ended, and I've been waiting for my eligibility interview scheduled for March 14th. Out of 4 pending weeks, EDD randomly decided to pay me conditionally for weeks 1 and 3, but left weeks 2 and 4 still pending with no explanation. What really drives me crazy is that I called EDD last week and the rep told me that conditional payments are processed by an "automated system" that sometimes has "temporary delays." When I asked why the delays would affect some weeks but not others from the same claim, she couldn't give me any logical answer - just kept repeating that the system "processes in its own timeframe." The inconsistency is the worst part. Reading through all these comments, it's clear that EDD's conditional payment system is completely broken right now. Some people get all weeks paid, others get random selections, and the explanations from reps are all over the place. It feels like they're just making stuff up because nobody actually understands how the system works anymore. Connor, I really hope your husband's March 10th interview clears up those pending weeks. This thread has been so helpful in showing that we're definitely not alone in dealing with this broken system. The financial stress of not knowing which weeks will get paid (or when) while waiting for interviews is honestly cruel. EDD really needs to fix this mess!

Congratulations Diego! This is such a relief to read - I've been following your thread because I'm in a similar situation (had my interview 8 days ago and still waiting). Your update gives me so much hope that things will work out. It's really reassuring to see that the delay didn't mean anything bad, just that EDD moves at their own pace. Thanks for taking the time to update everyone - I know how stressful this waiting period is and your follow-up is incredibly helpful for others going through the same thing. Hope your payments hit your card soon!

This thread has been so helpful to follow! I'm currently on day 11 after my EDD interview and was getting really anxious, but reading through everyone's experiences - especially Diego's successful outcome - has given me so much peace of mind. It's clear that EDD's processing times are all over the place right now, but the consensus seems to be that delays are normal and don't indicate a negative decision. For anyone else in this waiting period: definitely keep certifying weekly (as multiple people mentioned), check your spam folder regularly, and try to be patient even though it's incredibly stressful when money is tight. The advice about calling right at 8 AM if you need to reach them is also really valuable. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and experiences - this community support makes such a difference during these nerve-wracking waits!

Have you considered looking into job training programs? Sometimes EDD offers extensions if you're enrolled in approved training. Might be worth checking out!

I went through this exact same situation a few months ago! What ended up working for me was filing an appeal through the online portal - sometimes there are computational errors in how they calculate your remaining balance. Also, check if you qualify for any of the federal extension programs that might still be available. In the meantime, make sure you're still certifying for benefits even if it shows $0, because if an extension gets approved, you don't want to miss out on back payments. The whole process is super confusing, but don't give up! 💪