This is such an inspiring success story! Thank you for sharing all the practical tips - it really helps to see what actually works in these appeals. I'm currently waiting for my own appeal hearing (they say I didn't meet work search requirements during a week when I was actually interviewing for 3 different positions). Your point about organizing documentation chronologically is spot-on. I've been putting together a folder with all my job applications, interview confirmations, and follow-up emails sorted by week. It's tedious but I can see how it would help during the hearing to quickly reference specific dates. For your friend's hearing today - I'd add that she should have water nearby! My cousin had a phone hearing that lasted almost an hour and her voice got really dry halfway through. Also, if possible, use a landline or make sure her cell phone is fully charged and she's in an area with strong signal. Wishing her the best of luck! Stories like yours give the rest of us hope that the system can work when you're properly prepared.

This is so encouraging to read! I just got my appeal hearing notice yesterday and I've been stressed about it for weeks. Your documentation strategy is really smart - I'm going to start organizing everything chronologically like you did. Quick question: when you say you had "relevant EDD code sections ready," did you print them out or just bookmark them online? I'm trying to figure out the best way to have reference materials accessible during a phone hearing without rustling through a bunch of papers. Also sending positive vibes to your friend for her hearing today! With all this great advice from everyone, she should be well prepared. The tip about answering unknown numbers is especially good - I would have definitely missed the call thinking it was spam.

As someone who just went through a similar email mess with EDD last year, I'm so glad you got this resolved! The whole system is incredibly outdated - I couldn't believe they were still using technology that can't handle basic email updates without manual intervention. For anyone reading this thread who might face the same issue: definitely prioritize getting your current certification done through whatever account works, even if it's your old email. Missing those bi-weekly deadlines creates way bigger problems than having the "wrong" email address temporarily. Also, if you do use a service like Claimyr to get through to EDD, make sure to ask the rep to confirm that your email is updated in ALL their systems - apparently they have separate databases for different functions and sometimes the updates don't sync properly between them. I learned this the hard way when my email was updated for UI Online but not for important notices! The whole experience really makes you appreciate how much we take modern, integrated systems for granted. Hopefully that 2026 system upgrade someone mentioned actually happens! 🤞

This thread is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation but with my old Yahoo email from 2008. Just filed a new claim last week and realized all my correspondence is going to an email I haven't checked in years. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the key takeaways are: 1. Access whatever account currently has your active claim (even if it's the old email) 2. Certify on time no matter what - don't let email issues delay payments 3. Either use a service like Claimyr or be prepared for many attempts calling EDD directly 4. Ask specifically for email updates across ALL their systems, not just UI Online @Mateo Rodriguez thanks for sharing your journey through this nightmare - it gives me hope that there's light at the end of the tunnel! Going to dig into my old Yahoo account tonight and see if I can get logged in. Has anyone had success with the "Contact Us" form method that was mentioned earlier, or does it really require a phone call to get this fixed properly?

Try accessing the site very early morning like 5am. Thats when it worked for me. Less traffic on their servers then.

Success! Just wanted to update everyone. I ended up using Claimyr to reach an EDD rep this morning (took about 35 mins but WAY better than calling myself all day). The agent explained this is a known issue with their latest system update. They fixed my language preference on their end and reset my account access. I'm now able to log in normally and just completed my certification! For anyone else having this problem, here's what they told me: When the update rolled out, some accounts got stuck in a weird state where the language preference wasn't properly set but the system still tries to force you to select one. The fix has to be done on their end. Thanks everyone for your help!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Lost my job at a hotel last Friday and trying to file after not needing benefits since early 2022. The "account exists but login fails" loop is maddening. Reading through all these responses is both frustrating (that EDD hasn't fixed this obvious system flaw) and reassuring (that I'm not alone and there IS a solution). The 18-month auto-lockout "security feature" seems designed to discourage people from reapplying rather than actually provide security. I'm going to try the early morning calling strategy - probably Tuesday at 8:00am sharp with all my documents ready. Found my old customer account number in an email from 2022 thankfully. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to access benefits we're entitled to, but at least now I know what to expect when I finally get through. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! This thread should be pinned somewhere because clearly this affects hundreds of people every day.

I'm dealing with this nightmare too! Just got laid off from my retail job on Monday and haven't touched my EDD account since 2022. Spent the last 3 days trying every combination of passwords and getting nowhere - thought I was losing my mind until I found this thread. The fact that this happens to 200-300 people DAILY according to what someone mentioned here and EDD still hasn't created an online fix is absolutely insane. It's like they're deliberately making it harder for people who actually found work and stayed off benefits for a while. I'm going to try the 8:00am Tuesday calling strategy with my old customer account number ready (luckily found it in my email archive). Has anyone had success with the auto-dialer apps mentioned? I'm willing to try anything at this point because manually redialing for hours isn't sustainable when you're already stressed about being unemployed. Really grateful for everyone sharing their experiences here - at least now I know I'm not alone in this broken system and there IS light at the end of the tunnel once you get through to a human!

I feel ya, OP. The whole system is a mess. I've been trying to get answers about my claim for weeks. It's like they don't want us to understand our own benefits 🙄

I actually went through this exact situation about 6 months ago! From my experience, severance pay typically doesn't affect your PFL benefits because PFL is based on your wages from a specific base period (usually 5-18 months before your claim started). The severance is considered a one-time payment, not ongoing wages. However, you definitely want to report it to EDD when you file your weekly certifications just to be safe. I'd also recommend checking the DE 2515 form (PFL claim form) instructions - they usually have some guidance on what income to report. Hope this helps and good luck navigating the EDD maze! 🤞