I went through penalty weeks myself about 6 months ago. The most important thing for your brother to understand is that he MUST keep certifying every two weeks during the penalty period - even though he won't get paid. Each certification counts as serving one penalty week. Also, if he's struggling financially, he should look into local food banks and emergency assistance programs. Many counties have rent assistance programs too. The penalty weeks will end eventually, but he needs to stay on top of the certifications or they'll just sit there forever.

I'm new here but dealing with a similar situation. Your brother should also know that during penalty weeks, any work he does needs to be reported accurately when he certifies - even though he's not getting UI benefits, incorrect reporting during penalty weeks can lead to additional penalties later. I learned this the hard way. Also, if he's considering taking temporary work during the penalty period, he should still report those earnings on his certifications. The penalty weeks will still count down as long as he's certifying, regardless of whether he's working or not.

I'm dealing with the same "review required" status right now - it's so frustrating! From what I've been reading in other posts here, it seems like it could be several different things causing it. Some people had identity verification issues, others had wage/income discrepancies, and some had employer disputes to resolve. The tricky part is that the system doesn't tell you exactly what type of review is needed. I've been trying to call EDD for over a week but keep getting the busy signal. Has anyone had luck with any of the phone tricks people have been sharing? I'm getting desperate at this point - bills don't wait for EDD reviews to complete! @Alex Reeder - when did your status first change to "review required"? Mine's been like that for about 10 days now with no updates.

I went through this exact same thing about 3 months ago! My claim got stuck on "review required" for almost 6 weeks and I was going crazy trying to figure out what was wrong. Turns out it was a simple address verification issue - apparently when I moved last year, there was a mismatch between what I put on my claim and what was in their system from my previous employer. The key is really getting through to a Tier 2 specialist who can actually see what's flagged for review. The regular reps can't access those details. I finally got through using the phone method where you call right at 8:01 AM and keep hitting redial - took me about 45 minutes of constant calling but it worked. Once I got the right person, they fixed it in literally 5 minutes and all my pending payments were released within 24 hours. So don't lose hope - it's usually something much simpler than it seems! The hardest part is just reaching someone who can actually help. @Alex Reeder have you tried checking if there are any document requests in your UI Online account? Sometimes they'll ask for additional verification there even if the main status just says "review required.

Hey Zoe! Just wanted to add that when you do find temp work, make sure to keep detailed records of your earnings and pay stubs. I learned this the hard way - EDD sometimes has delays getting wage information from employers, especially smaller temp agencies. Having your own documentation can speed up the claims process. Also, don't forget that you can work part-time while collecting UI benefits (once you qualify again). You can earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit amount without any reduction, and 25-100% gets partially deducted. So even if you start with a lower-paying temp job to establish eligibility, you might be able to supplement those benefits while continuing to look for something better in tech. Good luck with everything! The system is definitely frustrating but it sounds like you have a solid plan now.

Just wanted to share another perspective on this - I was in a similar situation in 2024 where I had been unemployed for over a year and couldn't qualify for a new claim due to the base period issue. What saved me was signing up with multiple temp agencies at once rather than just one. I registered with Robert Half, Kelly Services, and a few local staffing companies all in the same week. This gave me way more opportunities for short-term assignments, and I was able to piece together enough work across different agencies to hit the minimum earnings threshold much faster than I expected. The key was being super flexible about the type of work - I took admin roles, data entry, even some warehouse shifts when office work wasn't available. It wasn't glamorous, but within about 8 weeks I had enough qualifying wages to file a new claim. Plus some of these temp assignments actually led to interviews for permanent positions, so it wasn't a total dead end. One more tip: if you have any connections from your previous tech job, let them know you're available for contract or freelance work while you're building up your UI eligibility. Sometimes former colleagues have short-term projects they need help with, and that W-2 income (even if it's contract work reported on a W-2) can count toward your base period earnings.

I feel for you - being a parent trying to navigate this system is incredibly stressful. One resource that might help specifically with your kids is checking if your county has an Emergency Family Assistance program. Many Bay Area counties offer emergency help with utilities, groceries, and even temporary childcare assistance for job-seeking parents. Also, if your children are school-aged, make sure you're signed up for free school meals if you weren't already - that can save $200+ per month on food costs. The combination of all these smaller assistance programs can add up to meaningful relief while you're job hunting. Hang in there, and don't hesitate to ask family/friends for help during this rough patch - most people understand how brutal the current job market is, especially in tech.

I'm going through something similar right now - lost my marketing job in January and the EDD benefits are just devastating when you have real expenses. What's helped me a bit is signing up for gig work like Instacart or DoorDash during off-peak job hunting hours. It's not glamorous but every extra $100-200/week helps, and you can still collect partial unemployment as long as you report it. Also, if you're in tech product management, have you checked out the Bay Area job boards like AngelList or Built In SF? Sometimes smaller startups move faster than big companies and there's less competition. The whole situation is just brutal right now - you're definitely not alone in feeling overwhelmed by how inadequate these benefits are for actual living costs.

I've been having the exact same problem with Telecert for the past week! It's so relieving to see I'm not the only one dealing with this. I tried calling yesterday around 2 PM and got the same "transferring you to a representative" message followed by endless ringing. Based on all the helpful advice in this thread, I'm going to try the early morning approach (around 5 AM) and also download the UI Online mobile app as a backup. It's really frustrating that we have to work around these system issues, but I'm grateful for this community sharing all these practical solutions. Has anyone noticed if certain days of the week work better than others for Telecert, or is it pretty much random when the system decides to cooperate?

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been pulling my hair out trying to certify through Telecert for the past three days with the exact same issue - it just rings forever after saying it's transferring me. I had no idea about the early morning trick or that there was a separate mobile app! This community is amazing - reading through everyone's solutions gives me hope that I can actually get this done. I'm definitely setting my alarm for 5 AM tomorrow and downloading the UI Online mobile app right now as a backup. It's crazy that we have to work around all these system issues just to get our benefits, but at least we're all helping each other figure it out. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and tips!