I'm on week 14 of my UI claim (corporate event marketing) and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! Like so many others here, I had no idea about the benefit year vs 26-week distinction - that's going to save me from a potentially expensive mistake later on. The corporate events sector is still really shaky, especially for marketing events and trade shows. Companies are being much more cautious about their event budgets, and when they do move forward, they're often handling things internally rather than hiring external planners. Reading all the suggestions about pivoting to employee engagement, corporate wellness, and internal program management roles has really shifted my perspective. I've been so focused on finding another "event marketing" role that I wasn't considering how my skills in stakeholder management, project coordination, and vendor relations could translate to other corporate functions. I'm planning to start my CalFresh application next week and reach out to my local AJCC office. The consistent advice in this thread about starting these processes early rather than waiting until benefits run out makes total sense - better to be prepared than scrambling at the last minute. One thing I'll add for others in event marketing: I've seen some companies hiring "Internal Communications Specialists" and "Employee Experience Coordinators" for roles that essentially involve planning internal company events, town halls, and employee recognition programs. The skills are nearly identical but the job security is much better than client-based event work. Thank you everyone for creating such a supportive space and sharing real, practical advice. This community is providing better guidance than any official resource I've found!

I'm on week 13 of my UI claim (music and festival event production) and this thread has been absolutely life-changing in terms of understanding what I'm actually facing! Like literally everyone else here, I had zero clue about the benefit year vs 26-week distinction - that's information that could have cost me thousands if I'd made the wrong move later. The music/festival industry has been completely decimated. Even the events that are starting to come back are operating with skeleton crews and much smaller budgets. I've been holding out hope that things would bounce back to normal, but reading everyone's experiences here is helping me accept that I need to start planning for a longer transition period. All the suggestions about corporate wellness, employee engagement, and internal program coordination roles are brilliant pivots I never would have considered. I've been so tunnel-visioned on finding another festival production job that I wasn't thinking about how my skills in logistics coordination, vendor management, and crisis problem-solving could translate to corporate environments. Definitely starting my CalFresh application this week and booking an appointment with my local AJCC office. The consistent message throughout this thread about getting these supports in place early rather than waiting until the last minute is clearly the smart move. One thing I'll add for others in music/entertainment events: I've noticed some theme parks, casinos, and cruise lines are hiring "Entertainment Operations Coordinators" and "Guest Experience Managers." These roles need people who understand live event logistics, crowd management, and working with performers/vendors. It's not the same as producing festivals, but it uses a lot of the same skill set in a more stable environment. Thank you all for creating such an honest, supportive community. This thread has given me more practical guidance and emotional support than months of trying to navigate this alone. At least now I have a realistic plan instead of just hoping and panicking!

This entire thread is such a perfect example of why community knowledge is so valuable when dealing with EDD! I went through something similar last year - had my interview on a Thursday afternoon, checked my portal Friday morning and saw "disqualified" status. I was absolutely devastated because I thought I had answered everything correctly about my layoff. Like many others here, it resolved itself within 4 days and switched to paid without me doing anything. But those 4 days were pure anxiety! What I learned from that experience is that EDD's system seems designed to show the most alarming possible status during processing phases. For anyone currently going through this - the pattern seems pretty consistent based on everyone's stories: interview happens, scary status appears within hours, real determination shows up 3-7 days later. The hard part is not panicking during that waiting period, especially when you have bills coming due. @Zoey Bianchi so glad you updated with the positive outcome! Those kinds of follow-ups are incredibly helpful for future readers who will inevitably find this thread while going through the same thing.

This thread has been incredibly eye-opening for someone who's about to start their first EDD claim! I was just laid off from my customer service job yesterday due to company downsizing, and I'm dreading having to navigate the EDD system based on all the horror stories I've heard. But reading through everyone's experiences here - especially the detailed explanations about how the interview process works and these temporary status changes - has actually made me feel more prepared and less anxious about what's ahead. @Zoey Bianchi thank you so much for sharing your whole journey and updating us with the positive outcome! @Cassandra Moon your insider knowledge about the interviewer vs claims processor roles really helps demystify the process. And @Amelia Martinez your point about documenting these experiences is so important - EDD really needs to hear feedback about how their unclear status messaging causes unnecessary stress. It's amazing how this community provides the kind of practical, real-world guidance that EDD's official resources completely lack. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread to reference when I inevitably hit bumps in my own claim process. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences so openly - it makes such a difference for newcomers like me!

I just went through this exact same issue last week! Error E 324 was driving me absolutely crazy. What finally worked for me was a combination of several things mentioned here: I used incognito mode, made sure to format my driver's license number with NO spaces or dashes (this was key!), disabled all my browser extensions including ad blockers, and tried it super early in the morning around 5:30 AM when the servers weren't overloaded. Also make sure your address exactly matches what's on your license - even apartment vs apt can mess it up. The EDD system is incredibly finicky but don't lose hope! It took me about 6 tries with different approaches before I finally got through. Hang in there and keep trying different combinations of these fixes! 💪

I'm currently stuck with this exact same Error E 324 issue and reading through everyone's solutions has been incredibly helpful! I've been trying for days to get my disability application through and was starting to panic. Going to try the combination approach that seems to work for most people - incognito mode, early morning timing (maybe 6 AM), clean formatting with no spaces/dashes in the license number, and disabling my VPN and ad blockers. Also need to double-check that my address formatting matches exactly what's on my license. It's frustrating that we have to jump through all these hoops just to access benefits we're entitled to, but at least there's hope with all these success stories! Will definitely check my spam folder for old EDD account numbers too. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this thread is a lifeline! 🙏

Update: I finally got through to EDD today after using the Claimyr service that @profile3 suggested (which worked great btw). They said I CAN file retroactively for January but I need to provide evidence of my job search activities during that time. I've been going through my emails and found confirmation for 7 job applications during those weeks, plus I have my termination letter and final pay stub. They're scheduling me for a phone interview next week to review everything. Fingers crossed this works out! Thank you all for your helpful advice!

That's fantastic news! Really glad the Claimyr service worked for you - I was hoping it would help. Seven job applications is definitely solid documentation for that time period. For your phone interview, just remember to stay calm and stick to the facts. The rep will likely ask about your work search activities week by week, so having those confirmation emails organized by date will be super helpful. Also, if they ask why you didn't file immediately, just explain that you were focused on finding work quickly and weren't aware you could backdate a claim later. That's completely reasonable and honest. Best of luck with the interview - sounds like you're well prepared!

I'm in the exact same situation! Just lost my job in food service and have been trying to navigate this CTB nightmare for weeks. The EDD website is absolutely useless - I keep getting sent in circles just like you described. After reading through all these amazing responses, I'm convinced that the key is bypassing EDD's website entirely and going straight to the source. I'm planning to: 1. Call my local community college's workforce development office first thing Monday morning 2. Visit the America's Job Center this week 3. Focus on programs that are 3-6 months, full-time, and in high-demand fields like IT What really stood out to me from everyone's experiences is that community colleges seem to have their own internal tracking of which programs get approved regularly. That's so much more useful than trying to decode EDD's confusing eligibility criteria on your own. For IT training specifically, it sounds like cybersecurity, networking, and cloud computing programs have really good approval rates. The "stackable credentials" approach that several people mentioned sounds perfect - you can build skills gradually while staying on benefits. Thanks for starting this thread - it's been incredibly helpful to hear from people who actually made it through this process successfully. Sometimes the community really does know better than the official resources!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who FINALLY got through this whole CTB maze successfully! I was in construction too before getting laid off, and spent weeks trying to find that mythical "approved programs list" that doesn't exist. Here's what actually worked for me: I called my local community college and asked to speak with their "workforce education coordinator" (not just general admissions). This person knew EXACTLY which programs get CTB approval and had helped dozens of displaced workers navigate the process. I ended up getting approved for a 5-month network administration program that had a 90% CTB approval rate according to their records. The key was that it was full-time (24 hours/week), led to industry certifications, and was in a high-demand field in our area. Pro tip: When you apply for CTB, include local job market data showing demand for the skills you'll be learning. The workforce coordinator helped me pull this data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and I think it really strengthened my application. Don't waste time trying to decode EDD's website - go straight to the community colleges and America's Job Centers. They're the ones who actually know how this system works! Good luck with your IT transition - it's totally doable coming from construction.