I went through something very similar last year! I was denied in December 2023 for insufficient earnings and didn't appeal until March 2024 due to dealing with my mom's cancer treatment. EDD actually accepted my late appeal after I submitted the DE 1000M form with hospital records and a detailed explanation. A few things that really helped my case: 1) I was very specific about how the family crisis prevented me from handling the appeal (couldn't focus, was at hospital daily, etc.), 2) I included actual documentation (medical records, bills), and 3) I had my paystubs organized to clearly show the wage discrepancy. The hearing officer told me that family medical emergencies are one of the most commonly accepted "good cause" reasons, especially when you have documentation. The whole process took about 2 months from filing the late appeal to getting my benefits, but it was worth it - I ended up getting retroactive payments back to my original claim date. Don't give up! Five months isn't that long in EDD terms, and having your paystubs as proof of the wage error gives you a really strong case. Make sure to emphasize both the family emergency AND the employer's wage reporting mistake in your appeal.

I've been following unemployment cases in California for a while and wanted to add some practical tips for your situation. Since you have 5 months that have passed, here's what I'd prioritize: 1. **File the late appeal IMMEDIATELY** - every additional day makes it harder to justify the delay. Use form DE 1000M and be very detailed about your family emergency. 2. **Organize your wage evidence** - create a clear timeline showing your actual earnings vs. what EDD has on file. Include pay stubs, W-2s, and any other wage documentation. 3. **Consider getting legal help** - many legal aid organizations offer free assistance with EDD appeals, especially for cases involving wage reporting errors. They know exactly how to present your case. 4. **File a new claim simultaneously** - as others mentioned, your base period for a new claim filed now would be different, so you might qualify even if the appeal doesn't work out. The combination of family emergency + employer wage reporting error actually gives you two strong arguments for why the original denial was wrong AND why your late appeal should be accepted. Don't let anyone discourage you from trying - I've seen much older appeals get accepted when there's clear evidence of errors.

I've been tracking my call attempts too and can confirm the patterns everyone's mentioning. After 89 attempts over 10 days, I finally got through yesterday at 3:15pm on a Thursday. What worked for me was using the comma trick (dial the main number, then when the menu starts, press 1,2,1 really quickly to skip the long intro). Also noticed that when you get the busy signal, waiting exactly 2-3 minutes before calling back seems more effective than calling immediately. The system seems to temporarily "remember" your number if you call too rapidly. Tuesday-Thursday 2:30-4pm is definitely the sweet spot, and yes, avoid Mondays like the plague. Still took 45+ attempts even during the "good" times, but at least I knew I wasn't wasting my time during impossible hours.

After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm convinced the official hours are basically meaningless. I've been calling for 3 days straight during "business hours" and got nothing but busy signals. The lunch break blackout that nobody mentions officially is particularly infuriating - like why wouldn't they stagger breaks so the phones stay staffed? At this point I'm seriously considering just paying for one of those callback services everyone keeps mentioning. My time is worth more than spending entire days hitting redial. Has anyone here actually gotten through on their first try during the posted hours, or is that just a myth?

DONT FORGET TO APPEAL IF YOU GET DENIED! A lot of people give up after the first rejection, but many cases get approved on appeal. Keep fighting!

Thanks for starting this thread, Liam! I went through the SDI application process about 6 months ago and it was definitely overwhelming at first. One thing I'd add to the great advice already shared - make sure you're applying for the right program. SDI (State Disability Insurance) is different from SSDI (Social Security Disability). SDI is for short-term disabilities and you need to have paid into the system through payroll deductions. The good news is SDI applications are usually processed faster than federal disability claims. Also, don't be discouraged if you need to provide additional documentation - it's totally normal for them to request more info. You've got this! 💪

This thread is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar employer address issue right now - my claim has been pending for 2 weeks because EDD has my previous employer's old office address from before they relocated. I've been calling daily with no luck getting through, but seeing Dylan's success story gives me hope. I'm definitely going to try calling right at 8am tomorrow and mention specifically that it's for "employer address correction for a flagged claim" like Miguel suggested. It's so frustrating that this can't be fixed online, but at least now I know what to expect for timing once I do get through. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who works in HR and deals with EDD employer verifications regularly. When EDD sends verification requests to the wrong address, it creates a backlog on both ends - we employers never receive the forms to respond, and claimants get stuck in limbo. If you know your employer's current correct address, you might also try reaching out to your former employer's HR department directly to let them know EDD might be trying to contact them at an old address. Sometimes they can proactively call EDD to provide the correct information, which can speed up the process. Obviously this only works if you're on decent terms with your former employer, but it's worth considering as an additional avenue while you're trying to get through to EDD yourself.

This is such a comprehensive thread - thank you everyone for sharing your experiences! I'm bookmarking this for future reference. One thing I'd add from my own experience is that if you're really anxious about the timing, you can also check with your bank to see if they have a specific cutoff time for processing ACH deposits. My credit union processes them twice a day (morning and afternoon) so knowing those times helped me set realistic expectations. Also, some banks will give you a reference number for pending government deposits if you call and ask specifically about EDD payments. The customer service reps are usually pretty familiar with unemployment deposit questions since they get asked about it so frequently. Really appreciate how supportive this community is - going through unemployment is stressful enough without having to worry about payment timing on top of everything else!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just set up direct deposit last Friday and my payment status changed to "paid" this morning, but nothing in my account yet. Reading through everyone's experiences here is such a relief - I was starting to panic that I messed up my routing number or something. It sounds like 2-4 business days is completely normal for the first direct deposit, especially since mine is with Chase and they seem to be pretty standard with processing times. I'm definitely going to set up those mobile alerts that someone mentioned and check out that "Payment Activity" section in UI Online for more detailed info. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines and tips - this thread is incredibly helpful for newcomers like me who don't know what to expect! Will update once mine comes through.