I've been through this nightmare before! First, definitely appeal immediately - you usually have 20 days from the denial date, not 30. Don't wait for the explanation letter since it can take forever. When I appealed, I wrote a detailed letter explaining why I believed I qualified and resubmitted all my documents (even though I thought they already had them). Turns out they "lost" my doctor's certification form 🙄. The appeal process took about 6 weeks but I eventually got approved retroactively. Also try calling right at 8am or use that claimyr service someone mentioned - I was skeptical but desperate times call for desperate measures! Keep fighting, these denials are often administrative errors.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - the lack of explanation is the worst part! I went through a similar situation a few months ago. Here's what I learned: First, check your EDD online portal under "Inbox" - sometimes there's a message with more details that doesn't show up in the main notifications. Second, definitely call the PFL line at (877) 238-4373 first thing at 8am - I got through on my third try doing this. If you can't get through after a few days, the claimyr service people mentioned actually does work (used it myself). Most importantly, start your appeal process immediately even without the explanation letter - you can always add more info later. In my case, they denied me because my doctor used the wrong form (DE 2501 instead of DI 2501), which was a simple fix once I knew what the issue was. Don't give up - about 40% of appeals are successful!

my sister did this and when she tried to actually certify it wouldnt let her!! she had to call and they fixed something on there end. just a heads up u might still have issues

i rember in 2024 edd changed the rules for reopening claims and you have to do a phone interview if you worked more than 4 weeks so don't be surprise if they schedule you for one

Once you get the overpayment notice, make sure to thoroughly document everything. Here's my checklist for appeals: 1. Write out a clear timeline of events 2. Gather ALL communications with EDD 3. Pull together any evidence that shows you reported information correctly 4. Get a document that explains your work situation during the claim period 5. File the appeal within 30 days (don't wait until day 29!) 6. Request the hearing to be in your preferred format (phone or video) 7. If you miss the 30-day window, you can still appeal but need to explain why you were late The majority of appeals I've seen succeed are ones where people were organized and had documentation.

I'm going through something similar right now - got my disqualification notice last week for "failure to report earnings" even though I'm 100% certain I reported everything correctly through the online portal. The stress is unreal! From what I'm seeing in these responses, it sounds like the overpayment notice usually comes within 2-3 weeks, which gives me a little time to prepare. I've already started screenshotting everything from my UI Online account and gathering my pay stubs to prove I reported accurately. Really hoping the appeal process works out for both of us - it's scary how easily they can just decide you owe thousands of dollars back! Has anyone here had success getting the disqualification reversed before it even gets to the overpayment stage?

Update: Site is working now! Just certified without any issues. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions. I'll definitely try to certify during off-hours next time to avoid the stress!

Glad you got it sorted out! For future reference, I always recommend bookmarking the EDD mobile site as a backup - m.edd.ca.gov. It's usually more stable during outages and loads faster on slower connections. Also, if you ever miss your certification day due to technical issues like this, you can call the UI customer service line and explain the situation. They'll usually allow you to certify over the phone without any penalties. Just make sure to document when you tried to access the site (screenshots help) in case you need proof later.

Just an update for those following this thread - I took the suggestion to try Claimyr and it actually worked! Got connected to an EDD rep in about 40 minutes (instead of waiting on hold myself for hours). The agent was able to fix the pending payment issue that was holding up my claim. FYI for anyone else desperate - sometimes paying for a service is worth it when you're waiting on thousands in benefits.

I've been struggling with EDD calls for weeks too and finally had success yesterday! What worked for me was calling the Spanish line (1-800-326-0995) and asking to be transferred to English. The wait time was only 25 minutes compared to hours on the main line. The rep was super helpful and cleared up my pending payments immediately. I know it sounds weird but apparently fewer people know about this option so the queue is shorter. Worth a try if you're bilingual or comfortable asking for a transfer!