One more tip - if your claim is stuck in pending, sometimes sending a message through your UI Online account can help. Click on "Contact Us" in your UI Online homepage and select "Where is my payment?" as the category. Be specific about how long it's been pending. Sometimes this flags your account for review faster than calling.

This is such valuable information! I wish I had seen this post before I made the same mistake last week. Spent 2 hours at my local AJCC office only to be told they couldn't even look up my claim status. The staff was nice but clearly frustrated having to explain this to multiple people every day. It really seems like EDD should put up clearer signage or warnings on their website about which offices handle what. For anyone else struggling with pending claims, I've also heard that calling the Spanish language line (even if you speak English) sometimes has shorter wait times - the reps are bilingual and can help with English claims too.

After reading through all the advice here, I think the key points for your situation are: 1. Be honest but focus on your current availability for work 2. Prepare for an eligibility interview where you'll need to explain your situation in detail 3. Start documenting your work search activities immediately 4. Have a financial backup plan for possible payment delays And remember that EDD decisions can be appealed if needed. Many people initially get denied but are approved on appeal once they have a chance to fully explain their circumstances. Good luck with your claim!

Just wanted to add that timing can be really important here. Make sure you apply for UI as soon as your PFL claim ends - don't wait weeks thinking about it because there could be gaps in coverage that affect your benefit year. Also, when they ask about your work search during certification, make sure you can show you've been actively looking since you became available again (not while you were still on PFL obviously). I've seen people get tripped up because they waited too long to transition between programs or couldn't prove they were genuinely available for work immediately after their caregiving responsibilities ended. Document everything and keep records of when your dad's new care arrangements started - that date is crucial for showing when you became available for employment again.

glad u got ur money!! the whole system is so random sometimes. i swear it depends on which edd employee processes ur claim and what mood their in lol

Thanks for sharing your experience and the update that your payment finally came through! This thread is super helpful for understanding the typical timeline when there are delays. I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my payment shows as issued on 5/6 but hasn't hit my Money Network card yet. Based on what everyone's shared here, it sounds like 4-6 business days isn't uncommon when there are processing hiccups. I'll give it until Thursday before starting to panic and trying to get through to EDD. It's reassuring to know that these delays, while stressful, usually do resolve themselves eventually.

Just wanted to add another perspective - I went through this same ID.me hell last month and actually found success with a hybrid approach. After failing the online verification multiple times, I started the mail application process BUT also kept trying to get through to EDD by phone using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. I got lucky and connected with an EDD rep after about 2 hours on hold, and they were able to bypass the ID.me requirement entirely. They had me answer some verification questions based on my employment history and SSN, then sent me a secure email link to upload my documents directly to their system. My claim was processed within 5 days instead of waiting weeks for the mail application. So my advice would be to start the mail application as your backup plan, but also try calling EDD directly or using the callback service. Sometimes having multiple approaches going at once increases your chances of getting through faster. The key is not putting all your eggs in one basket when you're dealing with these broken systems!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 weeks ago and it was absolutely maddening! The ID.me facial recognition failed on me 8 times, and like you, I had multiple "trusted referee" appointments where they just never called. It's like they set these appointments and then completely forget about them. I ended up doing the mail application route and it worked, but here are some tips I wish I had known: 1. Use the most recent version of Form DE 1101I - I initially downloaded an older version and had to resubmit 2. Write "ID.me VERIFICATION FAILED - APPLYING BY MAIL" in big letters at the top of the first page so they know why you're not applying online 3. Include a brief cover letter explaining your ID.me issues and listing everything you're including in the package 4. Make copies of EVERYTHING before you send it - keep a complete backup set for yourself My timeline: Mailed application on a Tuesday, they received it that Friday (certified mail tracking), got my EDD customer account number in the mail 3 weeks later, and my claim showed up online 4 days after that. Total time was about 25 days from mailing to seeing benefits. Don't give up! The mail option definitely works, it's just slower. Your financial situation will improve once this gets processed. Hang in there!

Great to see this getting resolved properly! For anyone else who might be dealing with EDD overpayments, here's a quick summary of the best practices from this thread: 1) DON'T cash the check if you suspect it's an error, 2) Try UI Online messaging first (Contact EDD > Payments > Overpayment), 3) Keep detailed records of all your attempts to resolve it, 4) If you need to mail anything back, use certified mail with tracking, and 5) Be patient - the system is slow but following the proper channels protects you from penalties later. The DE 2025 form mentioned is definitely the official way to handle returns. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - this kind of community knowledge is invaluable when dealing with EDD's confusing processes!

Just want to echo what everyone else is saying - definitely don't cash it! I made that mistake a couple years ago with a $200 overpayment and it was such a headache. Not only did I have to pay it back with interest, but it also caused issues when I had to file again later. The UI Online messaging system has actually gotten better lately - I used it last month for a different issue and got a response in about 5 days. Make sure when you write your message to be very specific about the amount, date you received it, and that you believe it's an error. Also include that you're willing to return it immediately. They seem to respond faster when you're being proactive about fixing their mistakes rather than asking them to fix something that went wrong on your end.