ok but hear me out - what if the new job suddenly calls tomorrow and says "start monday"? then what happens with your unemployment claim? do you have to pay everything back? this whole system is so confusing

I went through something similar a few years ago and learned the hard way that transparency is absolutely key with EDD. Even though your situation is frustrating and unclear, you need to report the orientation and job offer situation immediately. Here's what I'd recommend doing right now: 1. Call EDD and explain the entire timeline - quitting due to unsafe conditions, getting the job offer, completing orientation, and the lack of follow-up from the new employer 2. Keep detailed records of ALL communication attempts with the new employer (screenshot those unanswered emails!) 3. When you certify, report the 3 orientation hours even though unpaid - better to over-report than under-report 4. Be prepared to provide documentation of the safety issues at your previous job since you quit voluntarily The worst thing you can do is stay silent and hope it works out. EDD has ways of finding out about employment activity, and discovering unreported information later will create much bigger problems than addressing it upfront. Your situation isn't uncommon - employers sometimes string people along or have disorganized hiring processes. EDD understands this happens, but they need full disclosure to make proper determinations. Good luck getting through to them - persistence is key with EDD phone lines!

Glad to hear it worked out! This is exactly why I always tell people to wait before panicking with EDD system messages. Their computers are notorious for showing outdated or confusing statuses while the backend processes are still updating. It's frustrating that they don't have better real-time synchronization, but at least now you know for future reference - if you're receiving payments, your claim is active regardless of what weird messages pop up temporarily.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact same scenario about 6 months ago! The "reopen claim" message after getting approved and receiving your first payment is definitely a system glitch that seems to happen pretty regularly. I made the mistake of actually clicking "reopen claim" thinking I had to, and it created a whole mess that took weeks to sort out with EDD. My advice: absolutely do NOT click anything - just wait it out like others have said. The fact that you got your $450 payment means your claim is 100% active and working properly. The UI Online portal just takes time to sync up all the different parts of your claim status. Super frustrating but totally normal!

I'm reading through all these experiences and honestly feel sick to my stomach because this is exactly the hell I'm trapped in right now. Been calling for 3 weeks straight, over 180 attempts documented, and I've reached a human exactly NEVER. My claim is stuck in some verification loop and meanwhile I'm two weeks behind on rent with an eviction notice sitting on my kitchen table. What really breaks my heart is reading about people taking time off work just to call EDD, or switching their entire phone plans, or developing actual anxiety disorders from this process. We're all here sharing "survival strategies" for reaching our own government like we're prisoners planning an escape. After reading everyone's success stories with Claimyr - people getting through in 20-30 minutes after months of manual hell - I think I need to just accept reality and pay for what should be free. It goes against everything I believe about government services, but I can't lose my apartment over principles while this broken system destroys my life. Thank you to everyone sharing their stories - knowing I'm not alone in this nightmare is literally keeping me sane.

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation Diego - this is absolutely infuriating and heartbreaking. I've been following this thread and seeing everyone's experiences, and it's clear that EDD's phone system is completely broken beyond repair. The fact that you're facing potential eviction while unable to reach the very agency that's supposed to help you is just cruel. After reading through all these stories - people making 400+ calls, tracking attempts in spreadsheets, taking time off work just to dial EDD - it's obvious this isn't just bad customer service, it's systematic failure that's destroying people's lives. I know it feels wrong to pay for government services, but based on what everyone here is saying about Claimyr and similar services, it might be your lifeline right now. Your housing is too important to keep gambling on a system with a 1% success rate. The "free" option literally doesn't work anymore. Document everything you've been through, try contacting your assembly member's office for help, but seriously consider those paid calling services if you're facing immediate crisis. Your mental health and financial survival have to come first, even if the whole situation is completely backwards and wrong.

Another RIDICULOUS thing they do is verify with your employer, who has a FINANCIAL INCENTIVE to deny your claim! If your employer says anything that doesn't perfectly match your statement, EDD will side with them. Make sure every date and dollar amount you provide EXACTLY matches your documentation!

I went through something similar last year and it turned out EDD needed to verify my wages through their system called the "Base Period Employer Account Cross-match" or something like that. Basically, your employer reports wages quarterly to the state, and if there's ANY discrepancy between what you claim and what they have on file, they flag it for manual review. In my case, my employer had reported my wages under a slightly different name (they had my middle initial wrong) so the system couldn't match them automatically. Try asking EDD specifically if your wages are showing up in their system and if there are any matching issues with your employer's quarterly reports.

I'm convinced EDD stands for 'Extremely Delayed Disappointment' at this point. 🙃

Just went through this same nightmare last week! I waited 3.5 hours for my callback and when they finally called, the connection was so bad I could barely hear them. Had to schedule ANOTHER callback. 😡 One thing that helped me was using the contact form on their website as backup - sometimes they respond to those faster than phone calls. Also, if you have UI Online access, try messaging through there too. Multiple channels seem to increase your chances. The 8 AM - 5 PM thing is accurate, but honestly those hours feel more like suggestions than actual availability. Hang in there - you're definitely not alone in this frustration!