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One final tip: If your campaign job pays significantly more than your weekly benefit amount, your weekly certifications might show "excessive earnings" while you're working. This is normal and doesn't impact your ability to collect benefits after the job ends (as long as you're still in your benefit year and have a remaining balance). Also, keep in mind the EDD work search requirement still applies after your campaign job ends - you'll need to look for and document at least 3 job contacts per week. The EDD can request these records even months later, so keep a log of your applications.
I went through this exact situation in 2022 when I worked on a local campaign for 10 weeks while on EDD. Here's what I wish someone had told me upfront: 1. Save EVERY piece of documentation - your offer letter, any emails confirming start/end dates, pay stubs, and especially anything that shows the position was always temporary. 2. When you certify during the campaign, be super specific about your job duties. Write something like "Political campaign field organizer - temporary position through 11/8/2024" rather than just "campaign work." 3. After the campaign ends, if EDD asks why you're no longer working, DO NOT just select "job ended." Choose the most specific option like "temporary/seasonal work completed" or "contract expired" if available. 4. Pro tip: Take a screenshot of your benefit balance before you start working. This helps you track exactly how much you have left when you resume benefits. The good news is political campaigns are pretty standard temporary work, so EDD sees this situation regularly. Just be thorough with documentation and honest about earnings. You've got this!
For account registration issues, you want to call the EDD technical support line at 1-833-978-2511. They can handle UI Online access issues specifically. Regular claim questions go to a different department. Make sure to have your EDDCAN, SSN, and the letter with the incorrect information ready when you call. They'll likely ask for verification details before they can make any changes to your account information.
I just wanted to update everyone - I was able to get through to EDD this morning using that technical support number. They confirmed there was a data entry error with my birth year. The rep corrected it in their system and had me try registering while I was still on the phone with her. It worked! I'm finally in my UI Online account and can see all my claim info. Thank you all for your help with this!
Thanks for coming back to update! So many people post problems and never tell us what fixed it. This will help others with the same issue.
Wait, I think there might be some confusion here. The original poster was Keisha Brown who had the birth year error, but this update is from Javier Morales. Are you saying you had the same issue and got it resolved, or did you mean to post this as Keisha? Either way, glad to hear the technical support number worked for someone!
Hey everyone, I'm dealing with a similar situation to the original poster. Got my EDD benefits after a long wait and received the Money Network card, but I'm really hesitant to do online transfers because I've had bad experiences with financial websites in the past getting hacked. Has anyone here had any security issues with the Money Network website? I'm torn between wanting to avoid fees at my credit union and being worried about putting my banking info on yet another website. The money order suggestion sounds interesting but I'm not sure my landlord would accept that for rent payment. Also, for those who switched to direct deposit for future payments - how long did it take for EDD to process that change? I want to avoid getting another one of these cards if possible. Thanks for all the helpful info in this thread, it's been really eye-opening!
I totally understand your security concerns about online banking - that's completely valid! I've been using the Money Network website for about 8 months now without any issues, but if you're not comfortable with it, you have other options. For rent payments specifically, you could ask your landlord if they accept cashier's checks instead of money orders - most credit unions can issue these using funds from the Money Network card (though there may be a small fee). Some landlords are also okay with multiple money orders if you explain the situation. Regarding the direct deposit switch - when I changed mine in my UI Online account, it took about 2 weeks to take effect. EDD processes the change after your next certification, so you might get one more payment on the card before it switches over. Make sure to keep that card active until you see the direct deposit hit your account! Another option if you're really worried about online security: call the Money Network customer service directly and ask them to do the transfer over the phone. It might take longer to get through, but they can handle it without you entering banking info online.
I'm in a very similar situation - just got approved for benefits after weeks of waiting and feeling completely overwhelmed by this Money Network card system! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. One question I haven't seen addressed yet - does anyone know if there's a time limit on how long the money sits on the card before they start charging inactivity fees? I want to make sure I transfer everything out promptly but also want to do it right the first time. Also, for anyone who's used the online transfer method - do you get email confirmations at each step of the process? I like having documentation for my records, especially when dealing with larger amounts like this. The whole EDD process has made me extra paranoid about keeping paper trails for everything! Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences here. It's such a relief to know I'm not the only one who found this confusing at first. The step-by-step instructions some of you provided are going to save me so much stress.
Great question about inactivity fees! From what I remember when I read through all the Money Network terms, they do charge a monthly maintenance fee after 12 months of inactivity, but since you're actively receiving EDD payments, that shouldn't be an issue. Still, it's definitely smart to transfer the funds out sooner rather than later. Regarding email confirmations - yes, you do get email notifications at each step! When you initiate the transfer, you'll get a confirmation email with a transaction ID. Then you'll get another email when the transfer actually processes and leaves the card. I saved all of these emails in a dedicated EDD folder - totally understand wanting that paper trail given how stressful this whole process can be. One more tip: when you do the online transfer, make sure to write down or screenshot the confirmation number they give you. I had one transfer that got delayed due to a banking holiday and having that number made it much easier when I called to check the status. You're definitely not alone in finding this confusing - the whole system seems designed to be unnecessarily complicated!
jus wanna say good luck man. been there with the id.me nightmare... took me almost 3 weeks to get my claim filed because of it. system is broken
UPDATE: The video chat with ID.me referee finally worked! I had to wait about an hour but the person was actually really helpful. They got me verified and I was able to complete my claim online. Thanks everyone for all your suggestions - especially about the video chat option! Now I just have to wait and see if they approve my claim.
So glad you got through the ID.me verification! That's a huge relief. I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and this whole thread has been incredibly helpful. Going to try the video chat option tomorrow. Thanks for updating us on what worked - it gives the rest of us hope that there's actually a way through this mess!
Fatima Al-Farsi
My partner just went thru this. U cant use the old bofa card but all ur money will be on the new card when it comes. they sent it priority mail for him and took like 5 days
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Liam O'Donnell
•That's reassuring to hear it might come faster than 7-10 days! Thanks for sharing your experience.
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Chloe Harris
Just went through this exact situation two weeks ago! Your old BofA card is completely inactive now - EDD switched everyone to Money Network in July 2023. The "paid" status means your money is already allocated to your new Money Network card account, you just need to wait for the physical card to arrive. Mine took exactly 8 business days and came in a plain white envelope (almost threw it away thinking it was junk mail!). Once you get it, activate it immediately through the Money Network app - way easier than calling. Pro tip: As soon as you activate the card, go into UI Online and set up direct deposit for future payments. That way you won't have to deal with waiting for card transfers again. The whole process becomes much smoother after that first payment hurdle. Your money is safe and waiting for you - just hang tight for a few more days!
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