UPDATE: I finally got through! I took the advice about trying late at night (went online at 11:30pm) and turned off all my browser extensions. The site was actually much faster and I was able to complete my entire application! Now it says my claim is processing and I should receive something in the mail within 10 days. Thanks everyone for your help - this community is amazing!

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! Been trying for 4 days straight and keep getting error messages or the site just freezes during the income verification section. It's so frustrating when you desperately need benefits and the system designed to help you is completely broken. Reading through all these responses gives me some hope though - I'm definitely going to try the late night approach and disable all my browser extensions. Has anyone had success with the mobile app version, or is the regular mobile site through a browser better? Also really considering the in-person office visit if I can't get through online by this weekend.

UPDATE: I finally got through today! For anyone finding this thread later, here's what worked: Called at 8:17am (after the initial 8am rush), used prompt sequence 1-2-4 as suggested, waited on hold for about 50 minutes, then got connected to a rep. Turns out there was a mismatch between my ID.me verification and my claim info (my address on one was slightly different than the other). The rep fixed it immediately and said my payments should be processed within 48 hours. Thank you all SO MUCH for your help and suggestions! I would have never figured this out from the automated system or website alone.

So glad you got through and resolved the issue! The address mismatch between ID.me and your claim is actually super common - I work in customer service and see this all the time with government verification systems. They're very picky about exact formatting (like "Street" vs "St" or apartment numbers). Your update is going to help so many people who are dealing with the same "pending verification" status with no clear explanation. Congrats on persistence paying off!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! The questionnaire and eligibility review is actually pretty standard - they have to do it whenever someone was terminated to make sure it wasn't for misconduct that would disqualify you from benefits. When you call, they'll basically go through your questionnaire responses with you again and might ask for clarification on specific points. The key things that helped me: 1) Have all your termination paperwork ready (termination letter, final pay stub, etc.), 2) Write down a clear timeline of events leading up to your firing, 3) Be completely honest but stick to the facts - don't get emotional or badmouth your former employer. The call took about 30 minutes for me, and I got my determination letter 2 weeks later (approved!). The waiting is definitely the hardest part, but most people who weren't fired for serious misconduct do get approved. Try calling first thing in the morning - I got through around 8:05 AM on my third try. You've got this! 💪

I'm actually going through something similar right now! Just submitted my termination questionnaire last week and I'm already anxious about what comes next. Reading through all these responses has been really reassuring though - it sounds like this eligibility review process is way more common than I initially thought. I've been gathering all my documentation (termination letter, final paystub, any relevant emails) and writing down a clear timeline of what happened leading up to my firing. One thing I'm wondering - for those of you who successfully got through this process, did EDD end up contacting your former employer directly as part of their review? I'm curious if they do their own fact-checking or if they mainly rely on what you and your employer initially reported. Thanks for sharing all your experiences - it's really helping me feel more prepared for when I make that call! 🙏

Hey OP, what exactly does your claim status say? Sometimes the wording can give you a clue about what's holding things up.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now - 3 weeks in review and counting. One thing that helped me was documenting everything with screenshots and dates. I also found that calling the disability insurance number (1-800-480-3287) sometimes transfers you to someone who can at least look at your account, even if they can't make changes. It's not ideal but at least you get a human voice. Also, if you have any missing documents or identity verification issues, those seem to be the biggest causes of delays. Worth double-checking your account for any pending items you might have missed!

sorry about your layoff im in the same boat. my severence was only 2 weeks and its already gone lol. the waiting is the worst part especially when you have bills!!

I'm sorry you're going through this too. Getting laid off is stressful enough without having to navigate the unemployment system on top of it. From what everyone's shared here, it sounds like the key things are: 1) File immediately even though you'll have to wait, 2) Be very precise about how you report your severance, and 3) Keep doing those bi-weekly certifications during the waiting period. At least with 12 weeks of severance you have some breathing room to get everything sorted out. Hang in there and best of luck with the job hunt!