my cousin works at edd and she says they are SUPER backlogged right now with all these refunds because of some computer system update they did in april. she said if u want ur money faster u gotta get a tier 2 specialist on the phone but they like never answer the phones lol

UPDATE: I finally got through today after trying for 2 hours this morning! The rep transferred me to an Overpayment Specialist who confirmed my refund was never actually initiated in the system despite what I was told before. She apologized and said she's manually processing it now, and I should receive a check within 10-14 business days. She also gave me a confirmation number for the refund request and her employee ID. Will update again when/if I actually get the money. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

How much was ur management job paying compared to school job? If school job pays more than 125% of ur weekly benefit amount, u probably wont get anything anyway. But still file!

One last tip: when you file, you'll be asked about your availability for work. Make sure you indicate you're available for part-time work during the hours you used to work your management job. If you say you're only available on weekends or evenings (for example), that shows you're ready and willing to replace the lost income with similar work. Focus on the fact that you lost income through no fault of your own - that's the key eligibility factor here.

Quick tip: Write down notes about your employment separation before the call. It's easy to get flustered and forget important details when they're asking questions rapid-fire. Having a little "cheat sheet" with dates, reasons, and any severance info will help you stay calm and consistent. Also, make sure your phone is fully charged and you're in a quiet place with good reception. The worst thing is getting disconnected mid-interview and then not being able to get back through to EDD!

one more thing nobody mentioned - the interview slots are super specific like 10:15-10:30am and sometimes they call right at the beginning and sometimes at the very end of that window. so dont panic if they dont call right at the start time, but be ready the whole time!!

Has anyone tried the local Assembly member route? My cousin was stuck for over a month and then contacted her district's Assembly person and they helped push it through within a week. Might be worth trying if the phone hell continues?

Just wanted to update - I finally got through! The trick was calling the 833 number at exactly 8:01am and following the menu options that @profile1 suggested. Waited about 35 minutes but finally spoke to someone. Turns out I had an identity verification issue that wasn't showing on my online account. The rep helped clear it up and my pending payments should be processed in 24-48 hours. Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions!

Regarding your appeal strategy: When the employer presents contradicting information, the burden shifts to them to prove their case. That's why documentation is so critical. One more tip - I recommend creating a one-page summary document with bullet points of key facts and dates to give to the judge at the beginning. Include: - Date of hire - Date of termination - Exact reason stated on termination letter (quote it) - Date you filed for unemployment - Date/details of initial disqualification - Summary of why the employer's changing story lacks credibility Make it professional and stick to facts only - judges appreciate organization and clarity.

One thing to watch out for - they might try to say you had "personal issues with management" but twist it to claim you essentially abandoned your job or became insubordinate. I've seen employers try this tactic to transform a layoff into misconduct or voluntary quit. If they start going this route, immediately clarify that you followed all company policies and procedures until your final day, and that any disagreements were professional in nature and did not affect your work performance. Then refer back to your termination letter that clearly states "restructuring" as the reason. The fact that they've already changed their story once makes this second version much less credible. The judge will see through it.