Just want to add my experience - I was in a similar situation where I delayed filing for about 6 weeks after my layoff due to family circumstances. When I finally filed, the EDD rep asked about the gap during my phone interview but it was no big deal once I explained the situation. One thing that really helped was having my severance paperwork ready that showed my exact last day of work. They cross-referenced that with when I filed and just made a note in my file about the reason for the delay. Also, make sure you understand that once you do file and start your claim, you'll need to certify every two weeks consistently. Missing certifications can cause your claim to go inactive, which creates more paperwork headaches later. Since you're planning to be available and looking for work starting in May, the timing sounds perfect for your situation.

I went through something very similar when my mom got sick overseas and I had to delay filing. One thing I wish someone had told me - when you do file in May, make sure you have your employment history from the past 18 months ready to go. EDD will ask for employer names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason for separation for each job during your base period. Since you've been at the same company for 23 years, this should be straightforward for you, but it's good to have your final paystub, any severance documentation, and your employer's contact info organized beforehand. The online application can time out if you're searching for information, and having to start over is frustrating. Also, don't stress about the gap - family medical emergencies are completely understandable reasons for delaying. Just be honest when they ask. Hope everything goes well with your parents! 🙏

Btw does anybody know if we're supposed to be getting a different card soon? My friend said Money Network is being replaced with some other provider but I can't find any info about this on the EDD website??

Same thing happened to me! My payment usually hits around 5:30 AM but nothing today. I was panicking because I have rent due tomorrow. The holiday explanation makes total sense though - I completely forgot today was a federal holiday. At least now I know to expect delays whenever there's a banking holiday. Thanks for posting this, saved me from calling EDD and waiting on hold for hours!

Update: I tried calling today using the tips from this thread (calling right at 8:01am) and actually got through after 45 minutes on hold! The rep confirmed my claim IS approved and the message to certify next week is legitimate. They said they'll take 25% of each payment for the overpayment like many of you mentioned. They also said my claim balance and weekly benefit amount will show up after my first certification processes. Thanks everyone for the help!

Congrats on getting through and getting confirmation! That's such a relief. The 8:01am calling tip is gold - I've had success with that timing too. It's great that they were upfront about the 25% deduction, at least now you can budget accordingly. Thanks for updating the thread, this will definitely help other people in similar situations!

I went through this same headache a few weeks ago! One thing that really helped me was checking my old calendar entries - I used to jot down payment amounts when they came in so I could plan my budget. Also, if you've ever applied for any financial assistance programs (like food stamps, rental assistance, etc.), you might have saved documentation that includes your EDD payment amounts as proof of income. I found mine in an old application I submitted to my city's rental assistance program. Another random place to check - if you use any expense tracking apps or even just your phone's notes app, you might have recorded the amount when budgeting. It's worth doing a quick search through all your apps for "EDD" or the dollar amount if you have a rough idea. The password reset system is absolutely broken, but don't lose hope! 🙏

I just went through this exact same situation! Here's another place to check that saved me - if you have any old job search or unemployment tracking spreadsheets on your computer, you might have logged payment amounts there. I keep a simple Excel sheet to track my job applications and benefits, and I had noted down several payment amounts for reference. Also check your browser's download folder - sometimes we download payment confirmations or benefit summaries as PDFs and forget about them. Another tip: if you've ever had to provide income verification for anything recent (credit applications, insurance, etc.), you might have saved EDD screenshots or documents in a dedicated folder. I found mine in a "Documents for Apartment Application" folder I had completely forgotten about! The whole system is frustrating but there are so many random places this info could be hiding. Keep digging! 🔍

So glad you got this resolved! I've been following your situation since I'm dealing with something similar myself. My card got frozen yesterday after I made a large withdrawal for my car payment. Reading through all the advice here, I'm going to try calling right at 8am tomorrow and specifically mention the "financial hardship exemption" if needed. It's ridiculous that their system flags normal usage patterns as suspicious activity. Thanks for updating us with the resolution - gives me hope that I can get mine sorted out quickly too!

This thread has been so helpful! I'm a newcomer here but had to chime in because I went through this exact same nightmare about 6 months ago. My Money Network card got frozen right before I needed to pay for my kid's daycare, and I was panicking just like you were, Eva. What really worked for me was calling at exactly 8:00 AM (set an alarm!) and having ALL my information ready - card number, SSN, address, the works. Also, I found that saying "I need to speak to a supervisor about a financial hardship situation" sometimes gets you transferred faster than going through the regular menu options. One thing I learned the hard way: if you need to make a large withdrawal in the future, try to do it all from ONE ATM if possible, or at least call them ahead of time to let them know you'll be accessing your funds at multiple locations. Their fraud detection system is apparently very sensitive to what they consider "unusual patterns." Really glad you got it sorted out and switched to direct deposit! These Money Network issues seem to be getting worse lately.