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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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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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I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago! EDD levied $340 from my account before I won my appeal for a bogus $2,800 overpayment claim. Here's what worked for me: 1. Submit the DE 800 form immediately (as others mentioned) with certified mail 2. Call the Benefit Overpayment Section specifically - don't waste time with general customer service 3. Keep detailed records of every interaction, including names and dates 4. Follow up every 2-3 weeks by phone to check status The whole process took about 11 weeks for me, which was frustrating but I did get every penny back plus a small amount of interest. One thing that helped speed things up was when I mentioned to the rep that I was considering filing a complaint with the California Labor Commissioner - suddenly they became much more responsive. Also, if you haven't already, document any financial hardship the levy caused you (overdraft fees, missed bill payments, etc.). Sometimes they'll reimburse those costs too, though they don't advertise that fact. Stay persistent - you WILL get your money back!
This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I love that you got interest on top of your refund - I had no idea that was even possible. The tip about mentioning the California Labor Commissioner is brilliant too. It's amazing how mentioning potential complaints suddenly makes government agencies more responsive. I'm definitely going to keep detailed records of everything like you suggested. Did you have to provide specific documentation for the financial hardship reimbursement, or was it pretty straightforward once you mentioned the overdraft fees? This gives me a lot of hope that persistence really does pay off with these cases!
I'm going through something similar right now - EDD levied $450 from my account last month for an alleged overpayment, and my appeal hearing is coming up in two weeks. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening about what to expect if I win. One question I have for those who successfully got refunds: did any of you have to deal with EDD trying to claim they couldn't locate your appeal decision in their system? I'm worried about that scenario since so many people mentioned communication issues between different EDD departments. I'm planning to get multiple certified copies of whatever decision comes out of my hearing just in case. Also, has anyone tried submitting the DE 800 form electronically through their online system, or is mail the only reliable way? I know everyone's emphasizing certified mail, but I'm curious if the online option might be faster for tracking purposes. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - it's reassuring to know that persistence eventually pays off, even though the process sounds like a nightmare. I'll definitely be following the advice about calling right at 8 AM and asking specifically for the Benefit Overpayment Section if I win my appeal.
Great question about the online DE 800 submission! I actually tried both methods when I was dealing with my refund situation. The online system kept giving me error messages when I tried to upload my appeal decision documents, so I ended up having to mail everything anyway. Stick with certified mail - it's more reliable and gives you that paper trail everyone keeps mentioning. As for EDD claiming they can't find your appeal decision, YES that absolutely happens! I'd definitely get multiple certified copies like you're planning. When I called to follow up, the first rep told me they had no record of my appeal even though it was decided weeks earlier. I had to fax them a copy of the decision and then call back the next day to confirm they received it. It's frustrating but totally normal with their system. Your strategy of being prepared with multiple copies is spot on!
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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!
This is exactly what I needed to hear! I've been so anxious about this whole process, especially with rent due soon. It's really comforting to know that the backpay comes so quickly after a successful interview - 24 hours sounds amazing compared to how long everything else has taken with EDD. I definitely have all my paperwork ready (termination letter, last paystub, etc.) so hopefully my interview will go smoothly too. Thanks for sharing your experience, it really helps calm my nerves about this whole situation!
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That's awesome news @Anna Xian! Thanks for updating us - it's really helpful to know that mentioning the "Benefits Transition Unit" actually works. I'm bookmarking this thread for future reference. Hope you get your payments sorted quickly and can catch up on those bills!
So glad to hear you got it resolved @Anna Xian! This whole thread has been super educational - I had no idea there was a specific Benefits Transition Unit. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and tips. It's crazy how much we have to figure out on our own when dealing with EDD, but at least we have communities like this to help each other out!
This is such a relief to read! I'm actually going through the exact same situation right now - just finished PFL for bonding with my newborn and filed for UI last week. My weeks have been pending for 5 days and I was starting to panic. Definitely calling tomorrow and asking specifically for the Benefits Transition Unit. Thanks @Anna Xian for following up with the resolution and @Rajan Walker for that super helpful tip about the dedicated team!
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I've been through this process twice in different states, and your situation actually sounds pretty ideal from an unemployment perspective. "Change in relationship" is corporate speak for "we're letting you go but it's not your fault" - which is exactly what you want on your paperwork for UI benefits. During my interviews, the EDD representatives were very matter-of-fact. They're not trying to catch you in a lie, they just need to establish the basic facts: were you fired for misconduct (no), did you quit voluntarily (no), are you able and available to work (yes). Your clean performance record and the vague, non-misconduct language on your termination papers check all the right boxes. One thing that really helped me during my interview was writing out a simple timeline beforehand: hire date, job duties, any promotions/raises, last day worked, and the reason given for termination. Having it in front of me made me feel more confident and kept my answers concise and factual. You've got this - try not to stress too much about it. The hard part (losing your job) is already behind you.
@Keisha Williams Thank you so much for this perspective! Writing out a timeline beforehand is such a smart idea - I m'definitely going to do that. You re'right that the vague wording actually works in my favor rather than against me. I keep reminding myself that they terminated me without cause, so there s'really nothing for me to be defensive about. It helps to hear from someone who s'been through this process multiple times that the interviewers are just gathering facts, not trying to trip people up. I really appreciate everyone s'advice here - this community has been amazing!
I went through something very similar about 6 months ago! My termination letter said "position eliminated due to business restructuring" which is just as vague. I was also super nervous about the EDD interview, but it turned out to be much easier than I expected. The interviewer basically just verified the facts - when I started, what I did, last day worked, and reason for separation. When I told them it was position elimination per my paperwork, they didn't ask for any elaboration or act suspicious about the vague wording. They seemed to understand that employers often use generic language on termination documents. My interview lasted about 20 minutes and I was approved within a week. The fact that you have clean performance reviews and no disciplinary actions actually puts you in a really good position. Just be honest, stick to the facts you know for certain, and don't feel like you need to speculate about their "real" reasons. Also, make sure you're ready to answer when they ask if you're actively looking for work and available to accept suitable employment - those are the other key eligibility factors they care about. You're going to do fine!
Grace Patel
Thank you everyone for the helpful information! I appreciate all the explanations. It makes sense now why the claim starts on April 14th - the 2 weeks of vacation pay essentially pushed the start date. Frustrating, but at least we understand the system now. We'll adjust our budget accordingly and look forward to the regular payments starting after the waiting week.
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Dmitry Petrov
I'm new here but going through something similar right now. My company laid me off last week and I also got vacation payout, so this thread is really helpful! One question - does the vacation payout delay apply even if your employer pays it out as a lump sum rather than allocating it to specific weeks? My HR said they're just putting it all on my final paycheck without specifying dates. Will EDD still push back my claim start date?
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Talia Klein
•Welcome to the community! From what I've learned here, EDD typically looks at how many hours or days of vacation pay you received, not necessarily how it's reported on your paycheck. So if you got, say, 2 weeks worth of vacation hours as a lump sum, they'll likely still delay your claim by those 2 weeks. The key is the actual amount of vacation time you're being paid for. You might want to ask your HR department exactly how many vacation days/hours are included in that payout - that should give you an idea of how long the delay might be. Good luck with your claim!
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