Just wanted to add that you should also keep detailed records of all your severance payments - dates, amounts, and any documentation from your employer. This will make the certification process much smoother and help if EDD ever needs to verify your reported income. I learned this the hard way when I couldn't find my pay stubs during a review and it delayed my claim for weeks. Good luck with everything!

I went through this exact same situation last year! Applied immediately after my layoff even though I had 6 weeks of severance coming. The key is being completely transparent when you certify - I reported every penny of severance pay and had zero issues. My benefits kicked in seamlessly once the severance ended. Don't stress about it, just be honest with the reporting. The EDD system is actually designed to handle this exact scenario. Your manager probably means well but isn't familiar with how unemployment actually works.

Just to clarify some confusion in this thread - FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) is actually a federal program that protects your job for up to 12 weeks. What you're dealing with is California's Paid Family Leave (PFL) program, which is administered through EDD's State Disability Insurance (SDI) division. For verification calls, the most common reasons are: 1. Information mismatch between your application and their records 2. Missing physician certification details 3. Identity verification if it's your first time filing 4. Clarification on care recipient relationship One tip that worked for me: call the main SDI number but select the Spanish option, then when a rep answers, politely explain you need English service. The Spanish queue is often much shorter, and all reps are bilingual. Good luck!

UPDATE: Finally got through this morning! Called the correct SDI number at 8:01am and only waited about 15 minutes. Turns out they needed to verify my mom's address because it didn't match what they had on file (she moved last year). The rep was actually super helpful and processed everything right away. My claim should be paid within 7-10 days. Thanks everyone for your advice!

UPDATE: I wanted to let everyone know what worked for me in case someone else has this problem in the future. I used the Claimyr service that someone recommended and got through to an actual SDI representative in about 20 minutes! The rep was able to verify my identity using my driver's license, social security number, and address history. She reset my account access and helped me start my disability claim right there on the phone. The weird thing is that my old unemployment account and this new disability claim are somehow separate in their system, even though they both use my SSN. The rep explained that while they're both under EDD, they use different systems. Anyway, my claim is now processing and I should receive my SDI debit card within 7-10 days according to the rep. Thanks to everyone who helped with suggestions!

Wow, this is such a relief to read! I've been dealing with a similar password reset nightmare for weeks now. The fact that UI and SDI use different systems is really good to know - I was getting so frustrated thinking it was all one big mess. @QuantumQuest thanks for sharing your success story and @Fatima Al-Hashemi thanks for explaining the system differences. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service since the regular phone lines have been impossible. It's crazy that we have to pay a third-party service just to access our own government benefits, but if it works, it's worth it. Also wanted to add for anyone else reading this - make sure you keep all your medical documentation organized from day one. I learned the hard way that EDD can request additional paperwork at any point in the process, so having everything ready speeds things up a lot.

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'm going through something similar right now. From what I've learned, "pending" status after certifying usually means there's some kind of hold or flag on your account that needs to be reviewed before they can release payment. Since you mentioned you're waiting for an interview, that's likely what's causing the delay - they probably won't process payments until after your interview is completed and any eligibility issues are resolved. The timing can vary a lot depending on how backed up they are with interviews. I'd suggest calling the EDD line to get a more specific timeline for your interview and ask about your pending status. Hang in there!

One more important thing - this isn't a regular judge like in a courtroom, it's an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) who specializes in EDD cases. They're usually pretty understanding and just want to get the facts straight. Just explain your situation clearly, and if you made any mistakes in your application, be upfront about them. It's much better to acknowledge and explain than to have them think you were trying to hide something.

Just wanted to wish you good luck on your interview tomorrow! I went through the same thing about 6 months ago and was terrified, but honestly the judge was really professional and fair. Make sure you answer their questions directly - they usually ask about your last day of work, why you were separated, and whether you were offered any other positions. If you were laid off due to position elimination like you mentioned, that should work in your favor since it's clearly not misconduct on your part. The whole thing was over in about 20 minutes for me. You've got this!