I had my EDD phone hearing about 7 months ago for wage discrepancy issues and wanted to share what worked best for me! The most important thing is to stay organized and confident - you clearly have the right documentation with your paystubs. A few tips: 1) Number all your paystubs and reference them by number during the hearing (like "paystub #3 from March shows..."), 2) Have a notepad ready to jot down any questions or statements from the EDD rep that you want to address, and 3) Don't be afraid to ask the judge to repeat something if the connection cuts out - they're used to technical hiccups. My hearing was about 50 minutes and the judge was very fair, asking detailed questions to both sides. I won my case and got the correct benefit calculation based on my actual wages rather than what my employer incorrectly reported. The decision came 13 days later and retroactive payments processed within 3 weeks. You're going to do great - having solid paystub evidence puts you in an excellent position to win this appeal!

I went through an EDD phone hearing for wage discrepancy about 3 months ago and wanted to share what really helped me succeed! The most important thing is being super organized with your evidence. I created a simple spreadsheet showing each pay period, what my employer reported vs what my paystubs showed, and the difference - having those exact numbers ready made a huge impact. During the hearing, speak slowly and clearly (I was nervous and talking fast at first), and don't hesitate to pause to check your documents before answering. The judge was very patient and professional. When they ask if you have questions for the EDD rep, definitely ask them to explain their calculation method and why they accepted the employer's figures over your documented paystubs. My hearing lasted about 40 minutes and I got my favorable decision 2 weeks later. The retroactive payments came through pretty quickly after that. You're in a strong position with your paystub evidence - that's exactly what the judge needs to see. Just stay calm and stick to the facts!

I'm 58 and just went through this exact situation 3 months ago! Got laid off from my property management job while receiving a pension from my previous career in education. I was absolutely convinced that EDD would either deny my claim completely or reduce my benefits significantly, but I was completely wrong. Since your pension is from your previous healthcare job and you were laid off from a different employer, you should definitely be eligible for full unemployment benefits without any reduction. The rule is crystal clear once you understand it: only pensions from the SAME employer that laid you off will impact your UI benefits. My advice is to file your claim ASAP and be completely upfront about your pension when they ask about other income. I reported my teacher's pension on every bi-weekly certification and never had a single issue. My weekly benefit amount was calculated based solely on my property management wages, not reduced by my pension at all. The hardest part was actually getting through to EDD on the phone when I had questions, but once I did, the representative was really helpful in confirming that my situation was straightforward. Don't let the conflicting online information paralyze you - just be honest and follow the process. You've got valuable experience and this is just a bridge to your next opportunity!

I'm 64 and was in a very similar situation last year - laid off from my administrative job at a medical office while receiving a pension from my 22-year career in public service. I was absolutely terrified about how the pension would affect my unemployment benefits, but after going through the entire process, I can confidently say you'll be fine! Since your pension is from your previous healthcare employer (completely different from where you were just laid off), EDD shouldn't reduce your weekly benefits at all. I reported my public service pension on every single certification and received my full calculated unemployment amount without any deductions. The most important advice I can give you is to file your claim immediately - don't wait while trying to figure out every detail. When you file, there will be specific questions about pension income, and you should answer them honestly. The EDD system is actually pretty good at sorting out these different employer situations once you provide accurate information. I also kept a simple file folder with all my pension statements, layoff paperwork, and notes from any EDD conversations just in case they needed verification (they never did, but it gave me peace of mind). Holly, I know how scary this feels at our age, but based on your situation description, you should be able to receive both your pension and full unemployment benefits. Don't let the stress overwhelm you - you've got 8 years of valuable healthcare administration experience that will serve you well in your job search!

I just went through this exact process about 4 months ago when my company did unexpected layoffs. I filed on my actual last day of work and everything processed smoothly without any complications. Since your HR team has already processed your final paycheck and it's hit your account, you're in a really good position to file accurately on 9/23. The EDD application will specifically ask for your "last day worked" regardless of when you actually submit the claim, so just make sure you enter 9/23 correctly in that field. Having your final pay stub accessible while completing the application is super helpful for accurately reporting your final week's earnings, including any vacation or PTO payouts. One practical tip that saved me stress later - take screenshots of each page as you complete the application, especially the employment dates and wage information sections. I ended up needing to reference some of those details during my first certification period, and having that record made everything much easier. Your benefit year calculation starts from the Sunday of the week you file anyway, so there's really no advantage to waiting until 9/24. Since you're being proactive about getting organized and you have all your documentation ready, I'd say go ahead and file on 9/23. The accuracy of your information matters way more than the exact timing of submission. You've got this!

I went through this same situation about 6 months ago and can share what worked for me. I filed on my actual last day of work and had no issues with my claim. Since your HR team already processed your final paycheck and it's in your account, you have all the accurate wage information you need to complete the application properly. The EDD system will ask you to specify your last day worked, and you just need to enter 9/23 accurately regardless of whether you submit on 9/23 or 9/24. Your benefit year starts on the Sunday of the week you file anyway, so the timing doesn't really matter for benefit calculations. My advice would be to have your final pay stub ready while filling out the application - the system asks specific questions about earnings for your final week, and having those details handy makes it much easier to be accurate. Also make sure to include any vacation payout or severance in that final week's earnings. Since you're being proactive about getting organized and you have all your documentation ready, I'd say go ahead and file on 9/23. The most important thing is accuracy with your employment dates and wage information, not the exact timing of when you submit. Good luck with your claim!

This thread has been a lifesaver! I had my EDD card frozen in May 2024 for "security verification" and it took them 18 days to get me a replacement. I had $467 on the card and ended up missing my rent payment, which cost me a $100 late fee. I called BOA at least 12 times during those 18 days and they kept giving me the runaround about "processing delays" and "high call volume" - absolutely zero mention of any settlement program! I was so frustrated I just gave up and figured I was stuck with the financial damage. Finding this thread feels like hitting the lottery! Based on everyone's experiences, my May 2024 timeframe with 18 days and $467 balance should definitely qualify me for the pandemic-era settlement. I'm calling BOA tomorrow morning using the "Card Deactivation Settlement Department" strategy that so many of you have had success with. It's absolutely criminal that they're not proactively notifying people about money they're legally entitled to. Thank you to everyone who shared their success stories and the specific language that works - this community is literally putting money back in people's pockets that BOA was hoping would disappear! I'll definitely update once I get through to them and hopefully can add another win to help others who might still be unaware they're owed compensation.

This thread has been absolutely incredible - I can't thank everyone enough for sharing their experiences! I had my EDD card frozen in August 2024 for what they called "routine account verification" and it took them 23 days to send me a replacement. I had $612 on the card at the time and ended up having to borrow $400 from my mom just to keep my electricity from being shut off. I called BOA at least 15 times during those 23 days and got nothing but scripted responses about "processing your request" and "please continue to wait" - not ONE person ever mentioned any kind of settlement or compensation program! I honestly thought I was just screwed and had to eat the financial stress and embarrassment of borrowing money from family. Reading through everyone's success stories here has given me so much hope! Based on what others have shared, my August 2024 timeframe with 23 days and $612 balance should definitely put me in line for a substantial settlement payment. I'm calling BOA first thing Monday morning using the "Card Deactivation Settlement Department" approach that has worked so well for so many of you. It's absolutely disgusting that they're making people hunt for information about money they're legally owed while sitting on funds that could help people recover from the financial damage THEY caused. This community is doing more to help EDD recipients than BOA or any official agency ever has. I'll definitely update with my results and hopefully can add another success story to help others who might still be unaware they're entitled to compensation!

To all those having trouble reaching a human at the EDD. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/Ize0EkN4HDI

I've had this exact issue before! Usually when you get the "technical issue" message at a BOA ATM, it's either the machine is temporarily out of cash or there's a connection problem with the card network. Since there's only one BOA in your town, I'd suggest trying a different bank's ATM that accepts your card (most unemployment debit cards work at multiple ATM networks). You can also try going inside the bank branch when they're open - the tellers can usually do a manual withdrawal even when the ATM is having issues. If it keeps happening, definitely call the customer service number on the back of your card to make sure there aren't any holds or restrictions on your account.