the entire california edd system is designed to confuse people i swear. like they WANT us to mess up and not get benefits. so glad u got it figured out!

So glad you got it sorted out! I went through this exact same confusion last year when I was laid off from my retail job. The EDD phone reps really should mention that UI Online is only for managing existing claims, not filing new ones. I wasted so much time refreshing that empty dashboard thinking it was broken! One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - after your claim gets approved, bookmark the UI Online certification page because you'll be going there every 2 weeks. And definitely sign up for text notifications if they offer it, because sometimes the email reminders end up in spam. The whole process gets much easier once you understand the system, but that initial setup is needlessly confusing for first-timers.

Thank you everyone for the amazing advice! I've taken notes and will definitely be more careful with my certifications. I'm going to look into both the Claimyr service to speak with an EDD rep directly and the IHSS program someone mentioned. I'm relieved to hear I'm not the only one navigating this complicated situation. I'll update this thread after I talk to EDD and get more clarification on my specific case.

I'm in a very similar situation - caring for my elderly father with dementia after quitting my job last year. One thing that really helped me was setting up a dedicated email account just for job applications and EDD correspondence. This way I could easily track and document all my work search activities in one place. Also, when you do your bi-weekly certifications, be very specific about your availability constraints. I always write something like "Available for part-time remote or flexible evening work that accommodates caregiving schedule" rather than just checking "yes" to availability. This shows EDD that you're being honest about your limitations while still being genuinely available for appropriate work. The stress of worrying about losing benefits on top of caregiving is overwhelming, but documenting everything and being transparent with EDD has worked well for me so far. Hang in there - you're doing an incredible thing for your mother.

I'm going through almost the exact same thing right now! Filed my claim in late February, got approved mid-March, and have been certifying religiously but haven't seen a penny. Just checked my account yesterday and three of my weeks that were pending are now showing disqualification with zero explanation. I've been calling EDD nonstop but it's impossible to get through. Reading through these comments is giving me some hope though - sounds like a lot of people have had this resolved through their assembly reps. I'm going to contact mine today. This whole system is such a nightmare! Please keep us updated on what your assembly person finds out, and I'll do the same if I hear anything helpful. We're all in this together!

I'm dealing with something very similar right now! Filed in early March, got approved, been certifying every two weeks but zero payments. Then last week - boom - suddenly all my certified weeks switched to "disqualification" with absolutely no explanation or warning. It's like they're playing games with people's livelihoods! The assembly rep route seems to be the way to go based on what I'm reading here. I contacted mine two days ago and they said it could take 3-5 business days to get a response from EDD on my behalf. The waiting is killing me though - I've got bills piling up and was counting on that backpay. One thing I noticed is that my UI Online account still shows my weekly benefit amount and claim balance as if everything is normal, but then all the individual weeks say disqualified. It's so confusing and frustrating that they don't give you any real information about what triggered this. Really hoping your assembly person comes through quickly! Please update us when you hear something - stories like yours and the others here are the only thing keeping me sane right now knowing this can actually get resolved.

UPDATE: Finally got through to EDD this morning! Called right at 8:00am and had to wait on hold for over an hour, but eventually spoke with a rep who identified the problem. Just like many of you said, my old pandemic claim was stuck in some kind of 'inactive' status rather than properly expired. The representative had to transfer me to a tier 2 specialist (another 20 minute wait), but they were able to reset something in their system. I was then able to file my new claim while on the phone with them. They said I should be able to certify for my first two weeks in about 10 days. Thank you all for your help and suggestions!

So glad you were able to get this sorted out! Your experience perfectly illustrates why this system is so frustrating - it's a simple backend flag that takes 5 minutes to fix but requires jumping through so many hoops to reach someone who can actually do it. Thanks for posting the update, it gives hope to others dealing with the same loop issue. Hopefully EDD will eventually fix their website to handle these expired claim transitions better so people don't have to spend hours on hold for what should be a simple online process.

I'm in the same boat with DSS. Been trying to update my address for weeks and can't get anyone on the phone. It's ridiculous how underfunded and understaffed these agencies are. We need to put pressure on our representatives to fix this mess!

I went through this exact same situation last month! For DSS, try their online portal first if you haven't already - sometimes you can get things done there without having to call. For EDD, definitely try the early morning calling strategy that others mentioned, but also check if there's a "contact us" form on their website. I submitted one of those and actually got a callback within a week. Also, make sure you're checking your EDD account online regularly - sometimes the status changes but they don't always send notifications. Hang in there, I know how stressful this is! 💪