I went through this exact situation last month! I was on partial UI and got COVID. I reported it honestly on my certification and EDD sent me a form asking about my work availability. I just explained it was temporary illness due to COVID, included my positive test date and expected return date, and submitted it within the deadline they gave me. My benefits continued without any issues and there was no impact on my ongoing claim status. The key is being upfront about it being temporary and providing clear dates. Don't stress too much - temporary illness while on partial unemployment is pretty common and EDD handles it routinely as long as you're honest and responsive to any follow-up they send.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - tested positive yesterday and supposed to work tomorrow. Reading through all these responses is super helpful! It sounds like the consensus is definitely to report it honestly. I was leaning toward just saying I was available to work to avoid complications, but after seeing what @Isaac Wright said about EDD cross-referencing with employer records, I'm convinced that being truthful is the only safe approach. Better to deal with a form or two than risk getting hit with overpayment penalties later. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is so valuable for navigating EDD's confusing system!

Could you share what your disqualification reason was? The specific reason matters because it affects how the hearing is structured and who has the burden of proof. For misconduct cases, the employer has to prove you committed misconduct. For voluntary quit cases, you have to prove you had good cause to quit. This affects how aggressive you need to be in challenging their evidence.

I went through something very similar last year - employer submitted a bunch of witness statements at the last minute that were clearly coordinated. The good news is that during my phone hearing, the ALJ specifically asked me about each statement and gave me plenty of time to respond. What really helped my case was that I had prepared a simple chart beforehand listing each false claim and the specific evidence that contradicted it. For example, when they claimed I missed a meeting on X date, I could immediately reference the email showing I had requested time off that was approved by HR weeks earlier. The judge seemed to appreciate that I stayed factual and specific rather than just saying "that's not true." I also noticed that when the ALJ asked the employer's witnesses follow-up questions, several of them couldn't provide details beyond what was in their written statements, which made their testimony seem less credible. One thing that worked in my favor - I mentioned early in the hearing that all the negative statements were submitted simultaneously at the deadline, while my evidence had been submitted weeks prior. The judge made a note of that timing. You've got this! Having your documentation organized and staying calm will serve you well. The fact that you prepared so thoroughly ahead of time actually puts you at an advantage.

Glad you got through and got your account restored! That's the hardest part honestly. Just a heads up - when you get that letter from HR, make sure it specifically mentions that substitute positions are "on-call" or "as-needed" with no guarantee of hours or assignments for the upcoming school year. EDD looks for very specific language about the lack of reasonable assurance. Also, if you have any documentation showing your substitute work history (like how many days you actually worked last year vs. total school days), that can help demonstrate the uncertainty of the work. Good luck with your claim!

Wow, what a journey! So glad to see you got your account access back. Your situation really highlights how confusing the system can be for seasonal workers. For others reading this who might face similar issues: 1. The 8:01 AM call strategy really does work better than calling later in the day 2. Account restrictions after inactivity are super common - don't panic if this happens to you 3. For substitute teachers, the "reasonable assurance" rule is key - you CAN qualify if you don't have guaranteed work One thing to add: when you do get approved and start certifying, make sure you understand the work search requirements. As a substitute with no reasonable assurance, you'll likely need to actively look for other work during summer, not just wait for potential substitute calls. Keep good records of your job search activities! Hope your claim gets approved quickly. Thanks for updating us - these success stories help other people know it's possible to get through the system!

Update: Finally spoke to a representative today using Claimyr after weeks of failed manual attempts. Got my issue resolved and benefits restarted. Honestly should have done this weeks ago instead of torturing myself with endless redialing.

I feel your pain! I've been in the exact same situation - spent countless hours calling EDD trying to speak to a representative with zero success. The system is absolutely broken. After reading through all these comments, I'm convinced that using a service like Claimyr is the only realistic way to actually get through anymore. The fact that so many people are having success with it while manual calling fails repeatedly says everything. At some point you have to stop banging your head against the wall and try a different approach. Hope you get your benefits sorted out soon!

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

I've been struggling with this same issue for weeks! After reading through all these experiences, it seems like persistence is key. Has anyone had success with the "ask to speak to a supervisor" approach when you get tier 1? I'm wondering if that might be another way to get escalated to tier 2 without having to keep calling back. Also, for those who successfully got through to tier 2, what time of day did you call? I'm trying to figure out if there are better windows when tier 2 reps are more likely to pick up directly.