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I went through a similar situation last year with an "able and available" overpayment for caregiving. The good news is that temporary family caregiving can qualify for exceptions, especially if you properly disclosed it during certification. When you appeal, emphasize that you were transparent about your situation and had every intention of returning to work once your mom recovered. I also recommend calling your local Assembly member's office - they often have caseworkers who can help expedite EDD issues. Mine helped me get my appeal resolved in 6 weeks instead of months. Document everything and don't let them intimidate you into paying without fighting it first!
This is really encouraging to hear! I didn't know about contacting my Assembly member's office - that's a great tip. I'm in the Bay Area, so I'll look up who represents my district and give their office a call. Six weeks sounds so much better than the horror stories I've heard about people waiting 6+ months for resolution. Did you end up winning your appeal completely or did they reduce the amount you owed?
I'm so sorry you're going through this stress - I know exactly how overwhelming it feels! I had a similar overpayment notice for $4,200 last year and was terrified. The most important thing is DON'T PANIC and don't ignore it. Since you were caring for your mom and reported it during certification, you actually have a strong case for appeal. The "able and available" requirement has specific exceptions for temporary family caregiving situations. When I appealed mine, I gathered all my certification records showing I was honest about my situation, medical documentation for my family member, and a detailed timeline of events. I also filed for the overpayment waiver (DE 1446W form) at the same time, documenting my financial hardship. The whole process took about 3 months, but I ended up getting 80% of the overpayment waived. During the appeal process, they can't garnish your wages or take collection action, which gives you breathing room. Stay strong - you reported everything honestly and that matters a lot in these cases!
This gives me so much hope! Thank you for sharing your experience. 80% waived is amazing - I would be over the moon if I could get even half of mine reduced. I'm definitely going to file for that waiver form along with my appeal. Can I ask what kind of medical documentation you included? I have some paperwork from my mom's surgery but wasn't sure if that would be enough or if I need more official records from her doctors.
To clarify on some of the responses here - when unreported wages are found to be an honest mistake rather than willful fraud, EDD typically won't issue an overpayment or disqualification, especially for smaller amounts like you mentioned. The interviewer was required to tell you about appeal rights because that's standard procedure for ALL determinations, even favorable ones. The Notice of Determination you'll receive will include language about appeal rights regardless of whether they ruled in your favor or not. This is because all EDD determinations, positive or negative, can be appealed (though obviously you wouldn't appeal a favorable decision). The payment status changing to PAID is the system implementation of their decision, which is clearly in your favor. While there are occasional system glitches, this sequence of events strongly indicates a positive outcome for your claim.
That's awesome news that your money came through! @Kennedy Morrison I m'going through something similar - had my interview last week about some freelance work I forgot to report and I ve'been a nervous wreck waiting for the decision. Your post gives me hope that maybe the stern interviewer tone doesn t'automatically mean bad news. Did you end up getting that determination letter in the mail yet?
@Fatima Al-Farsi Yes, I got the determination letter about a week later and it confirmed they found in my favor! The letter basically said they determined it was an unintentional error rather than willful misrepresentation. Try not to stress too much - if your situation is similar small (amount, honest mistake, you were upfront about it ,)you ll'probably be fine. The interviewers really do have to maintain that serious tone regardless of how they re'leaning. Good luck with your decision!
Congratulations on getting your payments! I went through a similar situation last year with unreported DoorDash earnings from 2022 that I completely forgot about (only like $1,800). The interviewer was ice cold and made me feel like a criminal, but my payments also switched to PAID right after the call. Got my money within 2 days and the determination letter a week later confirming they ruled it was an honest oversight. The key thing EDD looks for is whether you were trying to hide income deliberately vs. just making a mistake. Since you were honest about it during the interview and the amount was relatively small, they likely saw it as the latter. Definitely keep reporting everything going forward - even if it's just $50 from a random gig. Better safe than sorry with EDD!
This is so reassuring to hear! I'm actually dealing with a similar situation right now - I have my eligibility interview scheduled for next week about some Uber driving income I forgot to report from early 2023 (around $1,200 total). I've been losing sleep over it because I keep reading horror stories online about people getting huge overpayment bills. Your experience and @Kennedy Morrison s'really help calm my nerves. Did you have to provide any documentation during your interview, or did they just ask you questions about the unreported income? I m'trying to prepare as much as possible so I don t'fumble through it like I m'hiding something when I m'really not.
lol welcome to the club. EDD's been a nightmare since covid hit. good luck getting anyone on the phone 💀
Hey Giovanni! I went through this exact same issue a few months ago. Here's what worked for me: I couldn't remember my last check amount either, so I went to my local EDD office in person with my ID and Social Security card. They were able to verify my identity on the spot and help me reset my password without needing the check details. It took about 2 hours of waiting, but I walked out with access to my account. Way faster than trying to get through on the phone! Check if your local office has walk-in hours - some are by appointment only now.
@Keisha Williams This is incredibly helpful! I had no idea you could go in person for password resets. Do you remember which documents they actually needed beyond ID and Social Security card? And did they ask you any security questions, or was the physical ID verification enough? I m'definitely going to try this route - 2 hours of waiting beats weeks of trying to get through on the phone!
@Keisha Williams That s'amazing advice! I didn t'even think about going in person. Do you know if all EDD offices can help with password resets, or should I call ahead to make sure? I m'willing to wait 2 hours if it means I can finally get back into my account and reapply. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Don't worry, this happens more than you'd think! When this happened to me, I called the EDD phone number (1-800-300-5616) and pressed 1-2-1 to get through to someone. Make sure to mention that you were available during your scheduled time window and never received the call. They should be able to reschedule without penalizing your benefits. Also, keep detailed notes of when you call, who you speak with, and any reference numbers they give you. The key is being persistent but polite - they deal with this situation regularly and know it's not always the claimant's fault. Good luck!
Thanks for sharing that phone number and the button sequence! That's super helpful. I've been dreading trying to navigate their phone system, but having the exact steps makes it feel less overwhelming. Really appreciate the tip about keeping detailed notes too - I'll make sure to document everything just in case.
This exact thing happened to my friend last week! EDD never called during her scheduled window either. She ended up calling the main number and explaining the situation - turns out there was a system glitch on their end that day. They rescheduled her for the following week with no issues or penalties to her benefits. The rep even apologized and noted in her file that the missed call wasn't her fault. So definitely don't stress too much about this affecting your benefits - it's more common than you'd think and they're usually pretty understanding when it's on their end. Just make sure to call them ASAP to get it sorted out!
Mikayla Davison
I went through this exact same situation about two months ago! First certification on a new claim, and I was freaking out because it stayed pending for 4 days straight. Called EDD multiple times but couldn't get through. Finally it processed on the 5th day and I got both weeks at once. Now that I'm a few certifications in, my payments usually process within 24-48 hours. The waiting is brutal but it really does seem to be their new normal for first certifications. Hang in there - sounds like yours should process soon based on what others are saying about the estimated dates!
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Ethan Moore
•Thank you for sharing your experience! It's so helpful to hear from someone who went through the exact same thing. 4-5 days does sound brutal when you're waiting for rent money, but knowing it gets faster after the first few certifications is really reassuring. I'm going to try to be patient and wait it out. Did you notice any particular day of the week when your later certifications would process faster?
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JaylinCharles
I'm going through this exact same thing right now! Just certified for my second week on a new claim and it's been pending for 2 days. Reading through all these comments is actually really helpful - I had no idea EDD changed their processing so much since 2023. The estimated processing date feature is clutch though, mine shows it should be done by Thursday. It's definitely stressful when you're used to the old instant system, but sounds like this is just the new reality for first few certifications. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, makes me feel way less anxious about it!
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Dmitry Petrov
•You're so right about that estimated processing date feature being helpful! I just discovered it from reading this thread too. It's crazy how much EDD has changed since 2023 - I remember when everything was basically instant. Thursday isn't too far away, so hopefully yours processes on schedule. It's definitely reassuring to see so many people going through the same thing with new claims. Makes you realize it really is just their new system and not something we did wrong!
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