I'm new to this community but had to jump in because I'm dealing with the exact same RESEA confusion right now! I just started the program last month and my counselor told me something very similar - that I don't need to document work search activities in UI Online because they're being tracked through the RESEA system instead. Reading through everyone's responses has been incredibly helpful, especially learning about that March 2025 policy change. That explains so much! I was getting really anxious because I've been following my counselor's guidance but then seeing conflicting information online. I love the practical advice here about keeping your own documentation and getting written clarification. As someone who's also supporting family members on unemployment, I completely understand the stress of not wanting to mess anything up. I'm definitely going to email my RESEA counselor tomorrow to get the requirements in writing, and I'm going to start keeping my own detailed records of all activities just in case. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's such a relief to know I'm not the only one dealing with this confusion, and the advice here gives me a clear path forward!

I'm going through the RESEA program right now too and had the exact same confusion! My counselor told me during our first meeting that I didn't need to enter work search details in UI Online since I'm already tracking everything through the RESEA portal. But then I started second-guessing myself after seeing all the warnings online about work search requirements. After reading through all these responses, especially the info about the March 2025 policy change, I feel so much more confident. It sounds like your counselor was actually giving you the correct updated guidance! I'm definitely going to follow everyone's advice and get written clarification from my counselor though - better safe than sorry. The stress is so real when you have kids depending on these benefits. I've been losing sleep over whether I'm doing this right! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been incredibly helpful for those of us navigating the current RESEA requirements.

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! I just stumbled across this community while desperately searching for answers about my own exhausted benefits situation, and wow - I had no idea about the subsequent new claim rules until reading everyone's experiences here. I'm in a very similar boat to many of you - exhausted my UI benefits in early October with my benefit year running until January 2026. I've been feeling pretty hopeless about the situation, but after reading @Isabella Silva's success story and all the detailed explanations from @Omar Farouk, @CosmicCadet, and others, I'm realizing I might actually have options! During my benefit year, I did some part-time work at a local restaurant for about 7 weeks (completely different from my original job in office administration). I was earning about $14/hour for roughly 25 hours per week, so that should put me around $2,450 total. I made sure to report all those wages correctly when I was certifying. Based on everything I've learned here, it sounds like I should definitely call EDD about filing a "subsequent new claim based on new wages" since the restaurant work was with a different employer and I'm well above that $1,300 threshold. This community has been more helpful than literally anything I could find on the EDD website or through their phone system. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their knowledge and experiences - you've given me hope when I thought I was out of options until January! Going to try calling EDD tomorrow with all the terminology I learned here. Will definitely update if I have any luck getting through and getting this sorted out!

This thread has been an absolute goldmine of information! I just joined this community after exhausting my benefits back in September with my benefit year running until March 2026. Like so many others here, I had completely given up hope and was planning to just wait it out. During my benefit year, I worked for a catering company for about 6 weeks doing event setup (totally different from my original job in retail management). I earned around $15/hour for about 28 hours per week, which should put me at roughly $2,520 total. I was super careful to report all those wages when certifying. Reading @Isabella Silva's success story and all the detailed explanations from @Omar Farouk and others about the subsequent new claim rules has been a real eye-opener. I had no clue this option even existed! The catering work was clearly a different employer, I'm well over the $1,300 minimum, and I handled all the wage reporting correctly. This community has provided more useful information than months of trying to navigate the EDD website and phone maze. Going to call EDD this week and ask specifically about a "subsequent new claim based on new wages" using all the terminology I've learned here. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge - you've literally given me hope when I thought I was stuck until March! Will definitely update with my results to help keep this amazing resource thread going.

I'm going through this exact same thing right now! My card has been declining at every store since Wednesday - tried at Target, a local pharmacy, and even a small sandwich shop with the same result. But just like everyone else mentioned, ATMs work perfectly which is so weird! I was getting really worried that maybe my account was frozen or there was an issue with my last certification. Reading through all these responses, especially Miranda's detailed explanation about it being a widespread Money Network system issue, has been such a huge relief! I tried calling their customer service yesterday and was on hold for over an hour before I had to hang up. After seeing so many people recommend switching to direct deposit through UI Online, I'm definitely going to set that up today. It sounds like that's the best way to avoid all these technical problems with Money Network in the future. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's really comforting to know this wasn't just happening to me and that there are solutions!

I'm having this exact same problem! My card has been declining everywhere since Tuesday - tried at three different stores including Ralphs and a local gas station, but ATMs work perfectly fine. I was starting to panic thinking my account was suspended or something went wrong with my certification. Reading through everyone's experiences here, especially Miranda's explanation about it being a widespread Money Network system issue, is such a relief! I also wasted hours trying to get through to their customer service with no luck. After seeing all the recommendations for direct deposit through UI Online, I'm definitely going to make that switch today. It's so frustrating dealing with these technical glitches when we're already stressed about everything else. Thanks everyone for sharing - it really helps to know this isn't just me!

This is so encouraging to hear! I've been struggling to get through to EDD for weeks and was considering using Claimyr but wasn't sure if it was worth it. Your experience gives me hope that it actually works. Did you have any specific issues that needed to be resolved, or was it just a general payment delay? Thanks for sharing your success story!

This is exactly what I needed to hear! I've been stuck with a pending claim for 3 weeks now and was hesitant about paying for a service like this. But seeing that you got results so quickly makes it seem worth the investment. Did they give you any updates throughout the process or did you just wait for the callback? Also, was the tier 2 specialist able to explain what was causing the delay in the first place?

Hey Ashley! Congrats on your upcoming arrival! 🎉 I just wanted to add one more piece of advice that really helped me - when you're gathering all your documents for the SDI claim, make sure you have your employer's exact legal business name and address (not just the location where you work). Sometimes these are different, especially if you work for a chain or franchise. You can usually find this info on your W-2 or paystub. Also, if you've had any wage changes in the last 18 months (raises, bonuses, etc.), make note of those dates. EDD calculates your benefit amount based on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period, so having accurate wage info ready can help ensure you get the correct benefit amount. One last thing - if you have any complications during delivery that extend your recovery time beyond the standard 6-8 weeks, you'll need your doctor to submit an updated medical certification. Just something to keep in mind for later! Best of luck with everything - you've got this! 💕

Hi Ashley! Congrats on your pregnancy! 🎉 I just went through this same process a few months ago and wanted to share something that really helped speed things up for me. When you call your doctor's office about the EDD certification, ask them if they prefer to receive the receipt number via their patient portal message system rather than over the phone. My OB's office told me that when patients send the receipt number through the portal along with a message saying "Please complete EDD SDI medical certification for maternity leave," it goes directly to their billing department and gets processed much faster than when it comes through the front desk. It saved me about a week compared to my friend who just called. Also, if your doctor's office seems confused about the online process, you can mention that they need to log into "SDI Online for Medical Providers" - sometimes using that exact phrase helps them know exactly what system they need to access. You're going to do great! The fact that you're being proactive about this shows you're already on the right track. Best of luck with your claim and your little one! 💕