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!

I'd like to summarize what's been shared here for the OP since there's been a lot of information: 1. Quitting for "good cause" can qualify you for benefits - misrepresentation of job conditions can meet this standard 2. Document everything about how the job differs from what was promised 3. Keep certifying every two weeks even while waiting for your eligibility interview 4. Be prepared for a 4-8 week wait for the interview (consider Claimyr if you need to reach EDD) 5. During the interview, be specific about the discrepancies between what was promised and reality 6. If denied, you have the right to appeal One last thing - if you haven't quit yet, you might consider discussing your concerns with the employer first. This demonstrates good faith effort to resolve the issues, which strengthens your case with EDD if you do end up quitting.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you also document the transportation costs for those split shifts! If you're having to make two separate trips to work in one day, that's additional gas/transportation expense that wasn't disclosed. I had a similar situation where the commute costs made the job financially unsustainable, and EDD considered that as part of my good cause argument. Also, split shifts with long gaps like that (4 hours between shifts) can be considered unreasonable working conditions since you can't really do anything productive during that break time. Good luck with your conversation with the manager tomorrow!

Just an update on a recent policy change - the California EDD has actually been instructed to more carefully evaluate self-employment situations since 2023. They now look more closely at whether your business is "completely idle" versus "just not getting clients." In your case, since you're still actively marketing, they might consider you "still working but with reduced income" rather than unemployed. But again, each case is unique and they'll evaluate your specific circumstances. When you get to the phone interview (and you likely will), be prepared to discuss: 1. Your regular work hours before the slowdown 2. Your current activities related to the business 3. Whether you've taken definitive steps to close or suspend the business 4. Your willingness to accept full-time work elsewhere Document everything - your marketing efforts, lack of client inquiries, financial statements showing the business has no income, etc. This documentation will be crucial if there's any question about your eligibility.

I'm not an expert but I've been following similar situations in my area. One thing that might help is looking into the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program if it's still available, or any state programs specifically for self-employed individuals. Also, have you considered reaching out to your local Small Business Development Center? They sometimes have resources or emergency funding programs for small businesses going through tough times. Another thought - since you mentioned you're still actively marketing, you might want to document exactly what that entails and how many hours per week you're spending on it. If it's just a few hours of posting on social media vs. 40 hours a week of active prospecting, that could make a difference in how EDD views your situation. The more you can show that your business activity has significantly decreased from normal operations, the better your case might be. Good luck with whatever you decide!

UPDATE: My payment finally hit the Money Network card this morning! So that's exactly 3 business days after it showed 'paid' on the EDD website. Definitely slower than the old Bank of America system, but at least it came through. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions. I'm definitely setting up those text alerts and looking into the direct deposit option!

Glad your payment finally came through! I'm dealing with the same transition headache right now. Been waiting 2 days since my status changed to 'paid' and getting anxious. The BofA card was so reliable - this uncertainty is really stressful when you're depending on these payments for basic expenses. I'm curious - for those who've had the Money Network card for a while now, have you noticed if certain days of the week are better for timing? Like if you certify on different days, does it affect when the funds actually hit? Just trying to figure out if there's any pattern I can plan around. Also going to look into that direct deposit option mentioned earlier. Sounds like it might be worth the hassle of switching if it's more consistent.

The reality is there's no special San Bernardino number anymore. We're all in the same statewide queue competing with 20+ million other Californians. The math just doesn't work for manual calling.

Thanks everyone for all the info! This thread has been super helpful. I think I'm done torturing myself with manual calling - going to try Claimyr this week. The fact that so many people here have had success with it makes me feel better about spending the money. It's crazy that we have to pay a third party service just to reach our own state agency, but here we are. Will report back if it works!