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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
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Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
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An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
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Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
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I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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whatever u do DON'T STOP CERTIFYING during ur contract work!!!! just report ur earnings. if u stop certifying completely u might have to file a whole new claim instead of reopening!!!
This isn't entirely accurate. While continuing to certify and reporting earnings is ideal, if you do stop certifying, you won't need to file a new claim as long as you're within your benefit year. You'll just need to reopen your existing claim. However, stopping certification completely might lead to additional questions when you reopen.
I went through this exact situation last year! Just to add to what others have said - make sure you understand the "substantial earnings" threshold. If your weekly 1099 earnings exceed 1.25 times your weekly benefit amount, you'll get $0 for that week but your claim stays active. If you earn less than that, you might still get partial benefits. Also, keep in mind that 1099 work can sometimes take longer to get paid, so plan your budget accordingly. The good news is that once your contract ends, you should be able to reopen without too much hassle as long as you've been reporting everything correctly. Good luck with the contract opportunity!
Thanks for mentioning the "substantial earnings" threshold! I hadn't heard of that specific calculation before (1.25 times the weekly benefit amount). That's really helpful to know since I'm not sure yet exactly how much I'll be making per week on this contract. Do you happen to know if that threshold applies to gross earnings or net earnings after expenses? With 1099 work there can be business expenses that reduce the actual income.
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I want to highlight something important that hasn't been mentioned yet: When you reopen your claim, make sure you're prepared to meet the current work search requirements. Unlike during the pandemic when these were relaxed, you now need to document at least 3 work search activities per week. These can include applying for jobs, networking, updating your resume, attending job fairs, etc. EDD has been conducting more eligibility interviews lately, especially for reopened claims, so keep good records of your work search efforts.
This is really good to know! I've been applying to jobs anyway, but I wasn't documenting it thoroughly. I'll start keeping better records of all my applications and networking. Is there a specific form or format EDD prefers for tracking these work search activities?
EDD doesn't have a specific required format, but they do provide a work search log template on their website under the "Work Search Requirements" section. You can also just keep a simple spreadsheet or notebook with: date, company name, position applied for, method (online application, networking contact, etc.), and any follow-up actions. The key is being detailed and consistent. I learned this the hard way when they selected me for an eligibility review - having organized records made the process much smoother!
Update: I was finally able to reopen my claim! For anyone else dealing with this, I found the "Reopen Claim" button exactly where everyone said it would be - it really is small and easy to miss on the UI Online homepage. The process was pretty straightforward once I found it. I had to answer questions about my work during the period when I wasn't claiming benefits, verify my contact info, and confirm I was still able and available for work. The whole thing took maybe 10 minutes. One thing I wasn't expecting: they asked for detailed information about each freelance contract I had, including start/end dates and total earnings. Luckily I kept good records of all my gig work. After submitting everything, I was able to certify for the past two weeks within about 24 hours, and my payment showed up 2 days later. My remaining balance was exactly what I thought it was - $3,847. Thanks everyone for the help! This community is amazing. For anyone still struggling with this, definitely try during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) as the system seems to work better then.
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Update: I spoke with an EDD rep today (finally got through after 2 hours on hold) and they explained that even if I win my appeal, I'll likely still have to pay back some money since I did actually work those hours. But they said the penalty for "willful misrepresentation" might be removed if I can convince the judge I genuinely misunderstood based on the information I was given. My appeal hearing is scheduled for June 3rd. I'm gathering all my documentation and preparing my explanation. Thank you all for the advice and support - it's really helped me understand what I'm facing and how to prepare.
That's a good update. The distinction between a regular overpayment and an overpayment with penalties for willful misrepresentation is significant. If the judge finds you didn't intentionally misreport, you may avoid the 30% penalty and any potential disqualification weeks on future claims. Good luck with your hearing!
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress - the uncertainty around these appeals can be really overwhelming. One thing that might help your case is to check if you have any written documentation from when you first applied for benefits. Sometimes people save confirmation emails or print out pages that might reference the phone conversation details. Also, when you write your timeline for the hearing, include not just what the rep told you, but also why their advice seemed reasonable to you at the time. For example, if you mentioned your part-time hours during that call and they specifically said not to report them, that shows you were being transparent from the start. The fact that you proactively asked about reporting requirements during your initial interview actually works in your favor - it shows you had no intent to hide anything. Make sure to emphasize that during your hearing. You've got this!
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I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! Filed my claim about a month ago and just got my first payment yesterday - also only for 3 days instead of the full two weeks I certified for. Like you, I have a pending eligibility interview scheduled (mine's this Thursday). It's such a relief to see I'm not the only one dealing with this! I also set up direct deposit but I'm still waiting to see if the payment hits my bank account or if I need to wait for that card to arrive. The uncertainty is killing me when bills are due! Has anyone here had experience with how quickly they pay out the backpay after a successful eligibility interview? I'm really hoping it doesn't take another few weeks to get those missing days paid.
Hey! It's so reassuring to know someone else is going through the exact same thing right now. I was starting to feel like I was the only one confused by this whole process. My interview is next week too, so we're basically on the same timeline! From what everyone here is saying, it sounds like the backpay comes pretty quickly after a successful interview - within 1-2 days. I'm really hoping that's true because I need those missing days to cover rent next week. Good luck with your interview on Thursday! Maybe we can update each other on how it goes?
I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! The partial first payment is totally normal - it's usually because of the waiting week plus any pending issues on your claim. In my case, I had a similar eligibility interview and they paid out all the missing days within 24 hours of completing it successfully. For the direct deposit, even though you set it up, your first payment might still come on the card since they probably already processed it before your bank info was fully verified. But all my payments after that went straight to my checking account, so don't stress too much about it. One tip for your interview - have everything organized ahead of time (last paystub, separation paperwork, etc.) and just be honest about your situation. Since you mentioned you were laid off, it should be pretty straightforward. The whole process gets much smoother once you get past this initial hurdle!
Abigail bergen
The waiting is the worst part of the whole process! When I was waiting for mine, I found that tracking my informed delivery from USPS helped ease my anxiety. You can sign up for free and they'll email you pictures of the mail coming to your address each day. That way you know if your card is arriving that day.
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Rudy Cenizo
•That's a brilliant idea! I just signed up for informed delivery. Now at least I'll know what to expect in my mailbox each day. Thank you!
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Dmitry Sokolov
Don't stress too much about it! I went through the same anxiety when I was waiting for my first card. Since your payment shows as "paid" from 4 days ago, you're right on track for the typical 7-10 business day timeline everyone mentioned. The system actually works pretty smoothly - the payment gets loaded onto your card account immediately when it shows "paid," but the physical card takes time to be manufactured and mailed. One thing that helped me sleep better was calling my landlord early to give them a heads up that my payment might be a few days late due to waiting for the unemployment card. Most landlords are understanding about unemployment situations, especially if you communicate proactively. You might also ask if they accept any payment apps like Zelle or Venmo once you get your card and can transfer the funds. Hang in there - you're almost at the finish line!
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