FINAL UPDATE: All my pending payments were released yesterday! The EDD specialist I spoke with must have expedited my case. Received all 3 weeks of back payments via direct deposit. Such a relief. For anyone else facing this issue - don't wait around hoping it resolves itself. Getting through to an actual human at EDD is absolutely necessary with the "more info needed" status.

Wow, thank you so much for sharing this entire journey from start to resolution! As someone who's currently dealing with a similar "more info needed" status (going on week 2 now), your experience gives me hope that there IS a solution. The fact that your employer contested the claim without EDD properly notifying you is infuriating but unfortunately not surprising based on what I've been reading here. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service you mentioned - at this point the phone system seems completely impossible to navigate on your own. Quick question - when you spoke with the EDD rep, did they mention anything about whether this kind of employer contest is common? I'm wondering if my former company might have done something similar since my situation sounds almost identical to yours. Thanks again for taking the time to update everyone. Posts like this are exactly what people in our situation need to see!

Update: Got my decision in the mail today! That's 13 days after the hearing. The judge ruled in my favor and found that I had correctly reported all my income! They're cancelling the overpayment and will refund the money they've been deducting from my payments. So relieved this nightmare is over. Thanks everyone for your help and support!

Congratulations Nia! That's such fantastic news! 🎉 It's so encouraging to see someone win their appeal, especially when they clearly had their documentation together like you did. Your timeline of 13 days is really helpful for others going through this process too. Definitely keep multiple copies of that decision letter - scan it and save digital copies just in case. Hope the refund process goes smoothly and you can finally breathe easy knowing this is behind you!

When I broke my ankle last year I found that my city has a temporary disability assistance program thru the social services dept. It wasn't much $ but helped with rent for 2 months while I healed. Maybe check if your area has something similar? Just google "[your county] emergency assistance program" or call 211.

I'm sorry to hear about your accident and the difficult situation you're in. Since you've already confirmed you don't qualify for UI or SDI, here are a few additional resources that might help bridge the gap while you recover: 1. Check if either of your delivery apps (DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc.) have any emergency assistance programs for drivers - some companies started offering these during COVID 2. Look into your county's General Relief/General Assistance program - it's designed for people who don't qualify for other benefits 3. Contact The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, or other local faith-based organizations - they often have emergency rent assistance funds 4. If you have a credit union account, many offer emergency hardship loans with low interest rates Also, once you're healed, consider enrolling in DIEC (Disability Insurance Elective Coverage) for future protection - it's only about 1% of your income but could save you in situations like this. Hope your wrist heals quickly!

Thank you! That's really helpful advice for my mortgage situation. I'll definitely request that statement once I get this sorted out. I appreciate everyone's help here!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My $2,200 refund was intercepted 4 weeks ago and my UI Online balance hasn't budged at all. It's so stressful not knowing if they even received it properly. I've been trying to call but can never get through. Reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel a bit better knowing I'm not alone, but also worried it might take months to resolve. Has anyone had success with the EDD overpayment email address, or is calling really the only way to get answers?

As someone who went through a similar situation with EDD overpayment collections, I want to emphasize that time is critical here. The sooner you get that hardship reduction in place, the better. When I called EDD, I made sure to have all my documentation ready - rent/mortgage statements, utility bills, grocery receipts, anything showing our monthly expenses with two kids. Also, don't be discouraged if the first representative you speak with says they can't help or that 100% collection is "standard policy." Ask to speak with a supervisor or tier 2 representative who has authority to make adjustments. I had to escalate my call twice before finding someone who could actually process the hardship reduction. One tip for calling: try calling exactly at 8:00 AM or right after lunch around 1:30 PM. Those seem to be the best times to get through. Good luck - you shouldn't have to choose between paying rent and EDD getting their money back!

I went through this exact nightmare last year and want to share what worked for me. EDD was taking 100% of my benefits for a $3,100 overpayment from 2022. After reading advice similar to what's been shared here, I called at exactly 8:00 AM and got through on my third try. The key was being persistent but polite, and having ALL my financial documents ready. I brought up my rent, utilities, groceries, and childcare costs, and explained that with zero income coming in, we couldn't even afford basic necessities. The tier 2 rep was actually understanding and reduced my collection rate to 30%. It made such a huge difference - I was finally getting some money each week instead of nothing. The whole process took about 45 minutes on the phone, but it was worth every minute. Don't give up if you get disconnected or if the first person says they can't help. Keep calling back and asking for someone with authority to adjust collection rates. You have rights as a claimant, especially when you have dependents and can prove financial hardship.