UPDATE: My payment finally came through this morning! It took 3 days instead of the usual 1, but at least it arrived. I didn't have to activate the new card or anything. Looks like it was just a temporary delay like some of you mentioned. Thanks everyone for your help and commiseration!

Glad to hear your payment came through! For anyone else experiencing delays beyond 3-4 days, I recommend these steps: 1. Verify your payment status has changed from "pending" to "paid" in UI Online 2. Confirm your payment method hasn't changed in the system 3. Check if there are any certification questions that might have triggered a review (answering "yes" to not being available for work, etc.) 4. If you're approaching day 5 with no payment, contact EDD directly The current Money Network transition is causing some delays, but most payments are still processing within the 3-day window.

Update on my situation from January: After my card was compromised, I switched to direct deposit for all future payments. It's much more secure. You can change this in your UI Online account under Payment Methods. For your current situation, make sure to emphasize to Money Network that you need an expedited review due to financial hardship. Sometimes they can prioritize cases, but you need to be very clear about the impact this is having. Also, check if your bank or credit card offers emergency loans or advances for situations like this.

Thank you for the update and advice! I just called Money Network again and specifically asked for an expedited review due to financial hardship. The rep said she would note it in my file but couldn't promise anything. I'm going to check with my credit union tomorrow about emergency assistance options. And I'm DEFINITELY switching to direct deposit once this is resolved!

Thank you all SO MUCH for the detailed advice! I think I understand now:\n\n1) List each W2 employer separately, checking EINs to see if they're truly different entities\n2) For each employer, use the total combined time across all projects\n3) Only W2 wages count for establishing my benefits\n4) When certifying, report ALL income including 1099 work as self-employment, based on when I performed the work\n5) Keep detailed records of everything\n\nI'm going to gather all my paperwork and W2s before starting the application. This community has been incredibly helpful - the EDD website really needs better guidance for those of us with non-traditional employment!

You've got it exactly right! One last tip - when you complete your application, there's a section for additional comments at the end. I recommend briefly explaining your employment situation there (film industry, multiple short-term W2 jobs, mixed with 1099 work). This can help flag to EDD that your employment pattern is normal for your industry. Best of luck with your claim!

I remember when I had to wait for my disability hearing (not unemployment but similar system) and I was going crazy checking the mail every day!! Just hang in there you'll get through this!!!

I wanted to follow up with one more important point - while you're waiting for your appeal hearing, make sure you're meeting the ongoing work search requirements. Document all your job search activities thoroughly, because if you win your appeal, you'll need to show you were actively looking for work during all those weeks. This is especially important since your disqualification was related to job separation. The judge will want to see that you've been making consistent efforts to find new employment while your appeal was pending.

This happened to me last month too, but it was because I answered one of the certification questions wrong. I said I was "too sick to work" on one day (had a terrible cold) and that triggered some kind of review flag. Maybe double check your certification answers if this keeps happening?

I've been on unemployment three times in the past five years and I've learned you should ALWAYS keep at least one month of expenses saved if possible, even while on UI. The payment system is just too unpredictable, especially around holidays, end of quarters, and system updates. Last December they had a two-week delay for thousands of people right before Christmas! If you can't get through on the phone, try the Contact EDD function in UI Online or visit an in-person office if there's one near you.