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my brother works for edd (not supposed to tell anyone lol) says they're doing system updates this week and lots of weekend certifications are delayed. shouldnt be anything to worry about!
UPDATE for anyone finding this post later: The most likely explanation is the Monday holiday (Memorial Day) causing processing delays. EDD typically takes 48-72 hours after holidays to catch up on certifications. Since you certified on Sunday before a holiday, expect things to take 1-2 days longer than usual. Still recommend waiting until Thursday before calling.
One more thing - make sure you report you were looking for work during this period EVEN THOUGH you had this short gig. Since it's temporary, you're still available for full-time employment and should be continuing your work search efforts. I got tripped up on this and almost lost benefits because I didn't report my work search activities during a week I had a short contract job.
OMG the EDD system is THE WORST for self-employed and contract workers!! I had to deal with this for MONTHS during the pandemic. Sometimes I think they intentionally make it confusing so they can later say you did it wrong and make you pay everything back. It's like they don't understand that not everyone has a simple hourly job with regular paychecks!!
my cousin had something like this happen and it was bcuz he didnt do enough job searches or something? did u make sure to list all ur work search activities when u certified???
Since you mentioned working part-time in January, that's almost certainly the trigger. When quarterly employer wage reports come in, the system automatically flags claims where there's any difference between what the employer reported and what you certified - even if it's just a small timing difference. The good news is that this is usually resolvable with a phone call to EDD. Once you speak with a representative, they'll likely release the hold if everything matches up. They might need to perform a quick eligibility interview, but that can often be done on the spot. Make sure you have records of your work dates and earnings available when you call.
UPDATE: I finally got through to EDD! You were right - it was because of the part-time work I did in January. The quarterly wage report from that employer came in and triggered an automatic review. The agent verified my certifications matched the employer report and removed the hold. My benefits will continue normally with my next certification. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for the help and advice!
UPDATE: I finally got through! Used the Claimyr service that someone mentioned above, and it worked exactly as described. Got connected to an EDD rep in about 25 minutes. Turns out there was a "stop payment alert" on my account because the system flagged a potential identity issue, even though I had completed ID.me verification! The rep was able to remove the flag and release my payments. She said without calling, this could have sat in the system for another 2-3 weeks waiting for manual review. All my waiting weeks switched to "paid" status within hours after the call. The money should hit my account in 24-48 hours. Such a relief! If you're stuck in pending like I was, definitely call. Don't just wait and hope it resolves itself.
I'm going through EXACTLY the same thing right now!!! Been calling and calling and calling - busy signals, disconnects, or the dreaded "we're experiencing high call volume" message. So frustrating!!!! Did anyone try the EDD Contact Center (different from the UI line)? It's 1-800-480-3287. I read somewhere that sometimes you can get help there too?? Desperate at this point... 😩
The 1-800-480-3287 number is specifically for Disability Insurance (SDI), not regular Unemployment Insurance (UI). If you call that line, they'll just redirect you back to the main UI line, which doesn't help. Stick with the main UI customer service numbers and try the timing/technical tricks I mentioned above.
Zainab Abdulrahman
I just remembered something! When I got laid off from my serving job last year, I had another part-time gig too. The EDD person told me that if my hours get reduced by 20% or more it counts as a significant change! Your hours went from 25 to 20 which is exactly 20% less! Maybe that's why someone above mentioned a new "qualifying event"?
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Yara Elias
•That's not completely right. The 20% thing is for Partial UI when you're still working but at reduced hours compared to normal. OP is already on partial UI. What matters is if they have enough wages in their base period quarters to qualify for a new claim, not the percentage reduction from an already reduced schedule.
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Sofia Gutierrez
Update: I finally got through to EDD this morning! The representative confirmed what many of you said - there are no automatic extensions currently available. However, she reviewed my case and said that because my hours were reduced again last month, I might qualify for a recalculation of my benefits. She's transferring my case to a specialist who will call me back within 7-10 business days. Fingers crossed this works out! Thanks everyone for all your advice and help.
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StarSurfer
•how did u even get through?? ive been calling for days
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Sofia Gutierrez
•I called right when they opened at 8:00 am and used the trick where you press 1-2-4 as soon as the automated system picks up. Still took about 6 attempts, but I finally got in the queue instead of getting disconnected.
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