One more thing - make sure you keep track of all your wages from both jobs for the past 18 months or so. Sometimes EDD's system doesn't capture everything correctly, especially with multiple jobs. Having your paystubs or wage statements ready can save you a lot of headaches if there are any discrepancies. When you file your claim, you'll be asked to provide employer information for all your jobs during the base period. Make sure to include both the restaurant and your IHSS work (your county/public authority should be listed as the employer for IHSS, not your son). Best of luck with your baby! The system can be confusing but once you get through the paperwork, it's so worth it to have that time with your newborn!

Hey Zainab! I was in a very similar situation when I had my daughter last year - working part-time at a retail job plus doing IHSS for my elderly mother. Just wanted to add a few things that helped me: 1. When you file your PFL claim online, there's a section where you can list multiple employers. Make sure to include both your restaurant AND list your county's public authority as your IHSS employer (not your son's name). 2. For the doctor's certification forms, ask your OB at your next appointment if they can give you the forms early so you can get familiar with them. Some doctors prefer to fill them out closer to your due date, but having them ready saves time. 3. Keep digital copies of everything! I had to resubmit some paperwork when they said they didn't receive it the first time. The good news is with two steady jobs paying into SDI, you should definitely qualify and probably get a decent benefit amount. I was getting about 65% of my combined wages from both jobs. Don't let the horror stories scare you - plenty of us get through the process just fine! Feel free to reach out if you have questions as you get closer to filing!

As a follow-up regarding these benefit year ending scams: EDD has actually published an alert about this specific phishing attempt. You can find it on their fraud prevention page. They recommend taking screenshots of the email for your records before deleting it. Also, be aware that once fraudsters target you, they often attempt multiple approaches - so be on high alert for phone calls claiming to be EDD as well.

I'm dealing with something similar right now! Got an address verification email last month even though I haven't filed for unemployment in over 6 months. The email looked super legit with all the official EDD branding, but when I called the fraud hotline they confirmed it was fake. The rep told me these scammers are specifically targeting people around their benefit year end dates because they have access to old claim data. She said they've had hundreds of reports of this exact scam in recent weeks. Definitely don't click anything in that email and report it ASAP - they told me the sooner people report it, the better they can track the scammers and prevent others from falling for it.

This thread is incredibly helpful for anyone dealing with ID verification delays right now! The timeline data everyone's sharing (8-19 days, with 15 days being common) gives us realistic expectations instead of EDD's vague "processing" messages. I'm dealing with a similar situation - submitted my documents 9 days ago and still pending. Reading about everyone's experiences, especially Daniel's successful resolution, really helps with the anxiety of not knowing what's happening. It's ridiculous that we have to rely on community knowledge to understand basic processing timelines that EDD should be communicating clearly upfront.

I'm currently on day 13 of waiting for my ID verification to process and this thread has been incredibly reassuring! Like many others here, I submitted through ID.me and got their confirmation email, but EDD's system just shows "pending" with no updates. The lack of communication from EDD is honestly the worst part - they could save us all so much stress by just posting realistic timelines on their website instead of leaving us to figure it out through forums like this. Based on what everyone's sharing, it sounds like 12-18 business days is the current reality, which is way longer than their official "10 business days" estimate. Thanks Daniel for the detailed timeline and for coming back to update us - it gives me hope that mine will process soon too! 🤞

The waiting is the worst part of the whole process! When I was waiting for mine, I found that tracking my informed delivery from USPS helped ease my anxiety. You can sign up for free and they'll email you pictures of the mail coming to your address each day. That way you know if your card is arriving that day.

Don't stress too much about it! I went through the same anxiety when I was waiting for my first card. Since your payment shows as "paid" from 4 days ago, you're right on track for the typical 7-10 business day timeline everyone mentioned. The system actually works pretty smoothly - the payment gets loaded onto your card account immediately when it shows "paid," but the physical card takes time to be manufactured and mailed. One thing that helped me sleep better was calling my landlord early to give them a heads up that my payment might be a few days late due to waiting for the unemployment card. Most landlords are understanding about unemployment situations, especially if you communicate proactively. You might also ask if they accept any payment apps like Zelle or Venmo once you get your card and can transfer the funds. Hang in there - you're almost at the finish line!

Update: I spoke with an EDD rep today (finally got through after 2 hours on hold) and they explained that even if I win my appeal, I'll likely still have to pay back some money since I did actually work those hours. But they said the penalty for "willful misrepresentation" might be removed if I can convince the judge I genuinely misunderstood based on the information I was given. My appeal hearing is scheduled for June 3rd. I'm gathering all my documentation and preparing my explanation. Thank you all for the advice and support - it's really helped me understand what I'm facing and how to prepare.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress - the uncertainty around these appeals can be really overwhelming. One thing that might help your case is to check if you have any written documentation from when you first applied for benefits. Sometimes people save confirmation emails or print out pages that might reference the phone conversation details. Also, when you write your timeline for the hearing, include not just what the rep told you, but also why their advice seemed reasonable to you at the time. For example, if you mentioned your part-time hours during that call and they specifically said not to report them, that shows you were being transparent from the start. The fact that you proactively asked about reporting requirements during your initial interview actually works in your favor - it shows you had no intent to hide anything. Make sure to emphasize that during your hearing. You've got this!