I went through this exact same anxiety when I started doing irregular freelance work while on UI! The key thing that helped me was understanding that your claim doesn't disappear just because you have some good weeks. Think of it this way - your benefit year is like a bank account that stays open until June 2025, and each week you either withdraw from it (if you earn under your WBA) or you don't (if you earn over your WBA), but the account itself stays active. Just make sure you're honest about ALL your earnings and hours when you certify, even the weeks you know will result in $0 benefits. I learned this the hard way when I tried to be "helpful" by rounding down my hours slightly and got flagged for review. EDD has access to wage records anyway, so accuracy is everything. Your irregular schedule is actually more common than you think - tons of people are dealing with gig work, on-call positions, and seasonal jobs while on UI. The system is built to handle this, even if it doesn't always feel that way!

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who works in payroll and has seen this scenario countless times - you're absolutely doing the right thing by continuing to certify even during your high-earning weeks. The EDD system is specifically designed to handle fluctuating income situations like yours. One thing that might ease your mind: when you report earnings above your WBA, the system automatically calculates $0 benefits for that week, but it also maintains your claim status and benefit year timeline. Think of those weeks as "paused" rather than "lost" - your remaining benefit balance stays exactly the same and will be there when your hours drop again. Also, since you mentioned being stressed about reapplying - as long as you're within your benefit year (which you are until June 2025) and you keep certifying regularly, you'll never need to file a new claim. The only time you'd need to reapply is if your benefit year expires or if you stop certifying for an extended period and your claim goes completely inactive. Your on-call situation is actually pretty standard in today's economy, so don't feel like you're gaming the system or doing anything wrong. You're using UI exactly as intended - as a safety net during periods of reduced work!

I've been battling this E318 error for about 2 weeks now and this thread is incredibly helpful! I wanted to share something that just worked for me today - I tried the incognito + VPN combo that several people mentioned, but what seemed to make the difference was also temporarily disabling my antivirus software's web protection feature. Apparently some security software can interfere with the EDD site's form submission process. I used a free VPN, switched to incognito mode in Edge, disabled my antivirus web shield for 30 minutes, and filed at around 6 AM this morning. Got through on the first try! Just make sure to re-enable your antivirus protection right after you're done. It's wild that we need to basically dismantle our computer's security just to file a disability claim, but desperate times... 🤷‍♀️ Hope this helps someone else who's been stuck!

I've been dealing with the E318 error for over a week now and this thread is a goldmine! After reading through everyone's experiences, I just tried a combination of the techniques mentioned here and FINALLY got through! Here's what worked for me: used a free VPN (connected to San Francisco), opened Edge in incognito mode, temporarily disabled Windows Defender's real-time protection, and filed at 5:30 AM this morning. The key seems to be hitting multiple angles at once - different IP location, clean browser session, no security interference, and off-peak timing. I also followed the advice about only filling required fields and logging in through the main CA.gov portal first. Got my confirmation email 20 minutes ago! 🎉 Don't lose hope everyone - this broken system can be beaten with enough persistence and the right combination of workarounds. Huge thanks to this community for sharing all these solutions!

I've been following this thread closely since I'm dealing with the same E311 error right now, and I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who shared their detailed experiences! The advice about calling 1-800-480-3287 at exactly 8 AM with the error code ready has been mentioned multiple times, so I'm definitely going to try that approach. What really helped me understand the situation better is learning that E311 can have so many different root causes - from wage corrections to identity verification issues to missing documents. It explains why I kept getting generic "try again later" responses when I called the main unemployment line. I'm planning my call for tomorrow morning with all my documents organized: claim number, SSN, ID, recent pay stubs, and any EDD letters I've received. I'm also going to use that script approach that @Dmitry shared - being specific and direct about what I need instead of just describing the problem vaguely. For anyone else dealing with this error, this thread is proof that it IS solvable and most people get it resolved pretty quickly once they reach the right person. The key seems to be persistence and calling the right number at the right time. Fingers crossed we can all get through this! 🤞

I just successfully resolved my E311 error this morning using the advice from this thread! Called 1-800-480-3287 at exactly 8:05 AM and got through after about 15 minutes on hold. I told the agent right away "I'm calling about an E311 error on my disability claim, case number [my number]" and she immediately knew what to look for. Turns out my error was caused by a mismatch between the address on my claim and what they had in their employer database - my company had an old address on file from when I moved last year. The agent was able to verify my current address and clear the flag in about 5 minutes. She said it should be fully resolved within 24 hours and I should be able to access my claim online normally. For anyone still dealing with this, here's what I had ready that seemed to help speed things up: claim number, SSN, current address, previous address, employer name and address, and my recent doctor's note. The agent appreciated that I had everything organized and could quickly verify the information she needed. Don't give up - this error is definitely fixable! The key really is calling that specific SDI number right when they open and being prepared with your info. Huge thanks to everyone in this thread who shared their experiences - you literally saved me weeks of frustration! 🙏✨

This is such a helpful thread! I'm scheduled for my RESEA appointment in two weeks and was having the same anxiety about that minimum wage question. Reading through everyone's experiences has really put my mind at ease. I was making $29/hr in my previous customer service management role, so based on all the advice here, I'm thinking of putting around $25/hr as my minimum (about 14% reduction). It sounds like the key is being reasonable and prepared to explain your reasoning. One question for those who've been through it - did they ask about your job search activities during the interview, or is it mainly focused on the forms you fill out beforehand? I want to make sure I'm documenting my search efforts properly. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating all the EDD processes!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm scheduled for RESEA next month and was really stressing about that minimum wage question. Reading everyone's experiences shows it's really about being realistic rather than trying to game the system. I was making $34/hr as a network administrator before my layoff, so based on the advice here, I'm thinking around $28-29/hr would be reasonable (about 15% reduction). It's reassuring to know they're actually trying to help rather than find reasons to cut benefits. One thing I'm curious about - did anyone find the job search resources they provided actually useful? I've been mostly using the big job boards like Indeed and LinkedIn, but it sounds like they might have access to some specialized resources I don't know about. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially the updates on how appointments actually went!

As someone who's completely new to the unemployment system, this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I haven't even filed my first claim yet, but reading everyone's experiences with the Money Network card has really prepared me for what to expect. It's honestly shocking that they use such a plain, generic envelope that so many people accidentally throw away - you'd think after years of this happening, they'd redesign it to be more obviously important! The tip about USPS Informed Delivery seems like a must-have service, and knowing that Money Network's customer service is more accessible than EDD's is really helpful information. I'm bookmarking this entire conversation for when I need to navigate this process myself. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed, practical advice - this community knowledge is so much more useful than anything I've found in the official documentation!

As a complete newcomer to this whole unemployment system, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing such detailed experiences! I'm still in the early stages of my application process and had no idea about any of these Money Network card details. The fact that the envelope is so generic and plain that people regularly throw it away by accident seems like a huge oversight in the system design. Reading through all these timelines and tips has been incredibly helpful - especially the advice about USPS Informed Delivery, Money Network's customer service being more accessible than EDD's, and the option to set up direct deposit to avoid future card-mailing stress altogether. It's amazing how much more practical information I've gotten from this community thread than from any official EDD documentation. Definitely bookmarking this conversation for reference when my card eventually gets mailed out. Thanks to everyone for being so generous with sharing your real-world experiences - it makes navigating this intimidating process feel much more manageable!