Another thing that might help - if you're really desperate and the direct numbers aren't working, try calling first thing in the morning around 8:02 AM when they open. I've had better luck getting through to the Appeals offices then versus later in the day when the lines are jammed. Also, document EVERYTHING - every call you make, who you spoke to, what they said, dates, times. If this drags on much longer, you might need to escalate to the EDD Director's office or even consider legal action. California Legal Aid has free resources for unemployment appeals if you qualify income-wise. And honestly, while you're trying all these phone numbers and emails, definitely follow up on that assembly member suggestion. They have dedicated EDD liaisons and can sometimes get action when nothing else works. Don't give up - wrongful disqualifications get overturned all the time when you have proper documentation like you do!

I work for a nonprofit that helps people with unemployment appeals and wanted to share a few additional resources that might help: 1. The California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board has a self-help guide at https://www.cuiab.ca.gov/self-help/ - it explains the process step-by-step and includes sample forms. 2. If you're in LA County, the Public Law Center has free legal clinics specifically for unemployment appeals: (714) 541-1010. They can help you prepare your case properly. 3. One thing many people don't know - you can request an interpreter for your hearing if English isn't your first language, or even just request that the hearing be conducted more slowly if you need time to process questions. 4. During the hearing, stick to the facts about why the separation occurred. Don't get sidetracked into complaints about the employer or the EDD process itself - just focus on proving it was a layoff, not a quit. The employer confirmation letter you have is really strong evidence. Make sure to submit it as soon as possible rather than waiting for the hearing. Appeals judges appreciate having evidence in advance to review. Hang in there - appeals with solid documentation like yours have good success rates!

BOTH!!! Dispute it directly with HR/your employer right away (IN WRITING - email is fine) so you have a paper trail showing you contested their classification. Then also explain everything to EDD during the interview. This creates documentation that you didn't agree with how they categorized the separation, which helps your case.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - it's incredibly frustrating when companies pressure you to delay medical care and then penalize you for the consequences! Based on what everyone's shared here, it sounds like you have a strong case for unemployment benefits once you're medically cleared. One thing I'd add that might help: when you get your final medical clearance, ask your doctor to include specific language in the note that you are "able to return to work without restrictions" and the effective date. This exact wording can be really important for EDD. Also, if possible, get a brief note from your doctor explaining that the extended recovery time was due to complications from delaying the surgery - this could help demonstrate that the delay wasn't your fault. Document everything with timestamps - every conversation with HR, every email, every medical appointment. If they do try to classify this as abandonment or termination for cause, you'll have a clear timeline showing you were communicating throughout your leave and following medical advice. Hang in there - you've been with the company for 6 years with excellent reviews, so this clearly isn't about your performance. Focus on your recovery and know that you have options once you're cleared to work again.

Just to follow up on this - I had a similar issue last month. After speaking with Money Network, I found out my card had a security flag on it because I had tried to use it at several different stores in one day (grocery shopping, Target, and gas station). The system flagged it as potential fraud and restricted retail purchases but left ATM access active. They removed the flag and it worked fine after that. It might be worth asking if there's a security flag on your account.

I had this exact same problem a few months ago! What worked for me was calling Money Network and asking them to reset my card's merchant settings. Apparently sometimes the card gets stuck in a weird state where it thinks every store transaction is suspicious. The rep had me verify some personal info and then "refreshed" my account settings. She said to wait 2-4 hours before trying to use it at stores again. Sure enough, after waiting about 3 hours it started working perfectly everywhere. The whole call took maybe 10 minutes once I got through. Definitely mention that ATM works fine but stores don't - that seems to be a specific issue they know how to fix quickly.

Actually I just looked this up in the EDD Claimant Handbook to be sure. For retroactive pay increases (like your situation), you report it for the week you RECEIVE it. But there's a difference between "back pay" (like from a settlement) and "retroactive pay increase" (like your situation). For your $70 adjustment, just report as wages in the week received and explain briefly. Since it's a small amount, it might not even impact your benefits depending on your weekly benefit amount and the partial benefit formula.

Just wanted to add - if you're still worried about reporting it correctly, you can also check your online EDD account under "Payment History" after you certify. If there are any issues with how you reported the income, they'll usually send you a notice or it will show up in your account messages. I've found that being transparent and adding explanations (like you plan to do) goes a long way with EDD. They're more concerned about people who don't report income at all than those who make good faith efforts to report everything correctly.

Update us if the second payment comes through! Based on what you've shared, I'm still thinking it's most likely just a processing delay for your first certification. The EDD system treats the first certification differently from subsequent ones.

This is such a common issue with EDD! I went through the exact same thing when I first started claiming. The split payments on first certifications seem to be their standard operating procedure, even though they never explain it anywhere. Really glad to see your update that the second payment came through - I was about to suggest waiting it out since so many people here confirmed it's normal. For future reference, I've noticed EDD tends to process the more recent week first, then the earlier week follows within 1-3 business days. Super confusing system but at least now you know what to expect!