UPDATE: The money just hit my card this morning! That was about 36 hours after the status changed to conditional payment. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help. Now I'm just wondering what happens next... should I expect an eligibility interview soon?

Glad to hear your money came through! Just wanted to add that when you do get scheduled for the eligibility interview, don't stress too much about it. I had mine about 3 weeks after my conditional payment started. The interviewer was actually pretty understanding and just wanted to make sure I had a valid reason for leaving my job. They asked basic questions like "why did you leave your position" and "have you been looking for work." As long as you're honest and have your paperwork ready (like your separation notice or any emails from your employer), you should be fine. The whole thing took maybe 15 minutes. Good luck!

I had my appeal hearing postponed TWICE after waiting 3 months for the initial date. The whole process took almost 6 months from start to finish. But I did eventually win and got all my backpay. Stay patient and persistent!

I'm in a similar situation - submitted my appeal in late January and still waiting! It's so frustrating not knowing when this will be resolved. One thing that's helped me mentally is setting up a simple tracking system. I created a calendar reminder to check the status every Friday, and I'm documenting everything in a notebook - when I submitted, any correspondence, etc. It makes me feel like I'm doing something productive while waiting. Also, I've been using this time to strengthen my case by organizing all my job search records and writing practice responses to potential hearing questions. The waiting is awful, but at least we can use this time to prepare thoroughly. Hang in there - sounds like most people eventually get their hearings scheduled even if it takes longer than expected!

To clarify the legal aspects here: you need to appeal the determination notice within 30 days. Once appealed, you'll eventually have a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge. For your specific situation, you need to focus on California UI Code 1253.3(b) which covers school employees. The key is proving you did NOT have "reasonable assurance" of returning to work in the same capacity. For your appeal and hearing preparation: 1. Gather any district communications showing uncertainty about reopening 2. Document any changes in your position, hours, or pay when schools eventually reopened 3. Get statements from supervisors if possible about the uncertainty during that period 4. Prepare a timeline showing how the COVID closure was different from normal breaks 5. Research any Department of Labor or EDD guidance specific to COVID school closures Finally, even if you lose the appeal, you can request a waiver of overpayment if repayment would cause financial hardship. You would need to complete DE 1446W form for that process.

As someone who went through a similar situation with EDD, I want to emphasize what others have said - file that appeal IMMEDIATELY! Don't wait even one more day. The 30-day clock is ticking from when that determination notice was mailed. I'm a substitute teacher and faced the same "reasonable assurance" issue during COVID. What saved me was keeping detailed records of every communication from my district during that chaotic period. Look for emails where they used words like "tentative," "uncertain," "pending," or "subject to change" - these show there was NO reasonable assurance. Also, when schools did eventually reopen, did you return to the exact same position with the same hours and pay? If anything changed (fewer hours, different role, etc.), that's more evidence you didn't have reasonable assurance of returning to your specific job. One tip - when you file your appeal, be very specific about dates and include copies of any documentation you have. The more concrete evidence you can provide, the better your chances. Good luck - you can beat this!

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

Thanks for sharing your experience with claimyr! It's good to hear that you eventually got through and had your pending payments processed. That 2+ hour wait time is frustrating but at least the actual resolution was quick once you reached the right person. The "quarterly review" hold seems to be a common issue many people are facing lately. Did claimyr charge you for their service, and do you feel it was worth it compared to trying to get through on your own?

I've been dealing with the same logout issue! What finally worked for me was using the "Sign Out" link at the very bottom of the page - it's in tiny text in the footer. The dropdown menu logout wasn't working for me either, but that footer link did the trick. Hope this helps!

I had the exact same problem last week! The regular logout button wasn't working at all. What ended up working for me was completely closing my browser and reopening it - seems like there was some kind of session bug. Also, make sure you're not using any browser extensions that might be interfering with the site's functionality. The EDD website is notoriously finicky with ad blockers and privacy extensions.