Thanks everyone for the advice! Sounds like I need to: 1) Report drill pay when I RECEIVE it, not when I perform the duty, 2) Keep all my LES statements in case of audit, and 3) Be prepared for reduced benefits during weeks I receive pay. I think I'll try that Claimyr service to get an official answer from EDD before my first certification. I definitely don't want to end up with an overpayment situation!

Fellow veteran here! Just wanted to add that when you do report your drill pay, make sure you're clear about which type of pay it is. Regular drill pay (UTAs) gets reported differently than special pays like travel reimbursements or family separation allowance if you have any. Also, if you end up getting orders for longer training periods (like your 2-week AT), you'll need to stop certifying entirely during those periods since you're considered temporarily employed full-time. The military liaison at your local EDD office might also be helpful - not all offices have them but it's worth asking. Stay strong during the transition!

UPDATE: My payments just switched to PAID this morning! Never got a call or interview, but all my pending weeks suddenly changed status. I'm so relieved! For anyone else experiencing this, I ended up waiting 3 business days after the missed interview before the system updated. Thanks everyone for your advice and support!

That's such great news! I'm so happy your payments finally came through. This gives me hope for others who might be going through the same situation. It sounds like the technical issues with their phone system are forcing them to review cases manually, which might actually be faster than waiting for interviews. Thanks for posting the update - it's really helpful to see how these situations resolve!

Just wanted to update that I've now successfully done the cash advance method at 4 different banks! Chase, Wells Fargo, BofA (even though it's the issuing bank), and a local credit union. Fees ranged from $1-3. I've made it part of my routine now - as soon as I get the certification confirmation email from EDD, I wait 2 days for the deposit, then immediately go get a cash advance for the full amount. No more worrying about card skimmers or hacked accounts! THANKS to everyone for the other suggestions too. I might try the transfer to personal bank option next time.

This is such valuable info! I just started getting unemployment benefits last month and have been so paranoid about using the card after reading all the horror stories online. I had no idea you could do cash advances at any bank - I thought you were stuck with just BofA ATMs or sketchy corner store ATMs. Quick question though - when you go to the bank, do you need to have an account there or can literally anyone walk in and request a cash advance? And is there a daily limit on how much you can take out this way? My payments are usually around $450 every two weeks so I'd love to just get it all at once and avoid using the card completely. Also really appreciate the tip about transferring to your personal bank account through the app. Definitely going to look into that as a backup option!

I just went through this exact nightmare last month! Here's what finally worked for me: First, update your ID.me account completely - upload your marriage certificate or court order for the name change, new driver's license, and updated Social Security card. ID.me took about 3-4 business days to verify everything. Once that was done, I called EDD early morning (around 8:15am seemed to work best) and explained the situation. The rep was actually really helpful and updated my EDD profile to match my ID.me account on the spot. The whole thing took about 2 weeks total, but most of that was just waiting for verifications. Don't give up - the system is clunky but it does work eventually! Also, keep detailed notes of every call you make with dates and reference numbers. Good luck with your maternity leave claim! 🤞

I'm currently going through this exact same situation! Just wanted to share what's been working for me so far. I updated my ID.me account first (took about 5 business days for verification), then used the EDD online contact form to explain my name change situation before trying to call. When I finally got through to someone, they already had my message in the system which seemed to help speed things up. Also, I found that calling around 2:30pm on Tuesdays has been less busy than other times I've tried. The rep told me that once everything is synced up, I should be able to file my SDI claim without issues. Still waiting for the final update, but feeling more optimistic now! It's definitely frustrating but you're not alone in this - so many of us are dealing with the same bureaucratic maze. Keep us posted on your progress! 🤞

To answer the original question about automatic payments - yes, your bi-weekly WBA (Weekly Benefit Amount) will be automatically loaded onto the Money Network card exactly the same way it worked with BofA. The payment schedule isn't changing at all. One other thing I learned: Money Network has a feature where you can temporarily lock your card through the app if you misplace it. The BofA card didn't have that option and it was always a pain if you thought you lost your card but didn't want to fully cancel it.

I just wanted to add something that might help ease your worries - I went through a similar card transition with CalFresh benefits last year and it was actually smoother than I expected. The key is definitely preparing ahead of time like others have mentioned. One tip: when you get your new Money Network card, activate it immediately even if you're still using your BofA card. That way if there are any activation issues, you have time to resolve them before your BofA card stops working. I made the mistake of waiting until the last minute with my CalFresh transition and had a few stressful days. Also, Money Network's customer service is supposedly much better than BofA's - my caseworker mentioned they actually have people you can talk to instead of endless phone trees. Fingers crossed that's true!