EDD is THE WORST at sending mail!!! I never got ANYTHING from them on time during my whole claim. Everything was always late or never came at all. I ended up just doing everything online because I couldn't trust their mail system. Did you try logging into UI Online??? That's where I got all my tax forms.

Just a heads-up for anyone dealing with this issue in the future: EDD makes 1099-G forms for unemployment benefits available by January 31st each year. You can access them immediately in your UI Online account rather than waiting for mail. If you need forms from previous years (like 2020-2023), they remain accessible in your account history. If you've changed addresses or no longer have UI Online access, you can request a duplicate 1099-G by calling 1-866-401-2849, but online access is much faster if you can get into your account. This applies to regular UI, disability, and PFL benefits.

Thank you everyone for all the advice! We've filed the appeal today and included all the specific information and regulations you suggested. We're also going to keep trying to call EDD directly. I'll update this thread if we get it resolved so it might help someone else dealing with the same issue.

My brother had almost the identical problem last year with his claim. The appeal process actually worked surprisingly well for him. The judge instantly recognized it as a technical issue when they saw the login timestamp data compared to the ID.me verification completion time. They backdated everything and he got all the benefits he was entitled to. Just make sure you gather ALL documentation showing your attempts to comply with deadlines.

mail applications take FOREVER now!! my neighbor tried calling edd for 3 weeks straight couldnt get thru either. she ended up just going in person to the edd office and they helped her right there. maybe try that?

I had the same issue back in November when I applied by mail. Waited and waited... then I realized I had certification forms in my mailbox that were about to be late! Turns out they processed my application but never sent me the confirmation letter. When I finally got through to someone they said sometimes the notification letters get lost. Have you checked your mailbox carefully? Maybe they already processed it but the letter got lost.

Thank you so much for this insider perspective! This makes me feel much better about filing right away. One quick follow-up question - when I report the severance on my certification, do I report it as \

You report it as wages for the week you receive it. There isn't a separate category specifically for severance. When completing your certification, in the section asking about income, include the gross (pre-tax) amount of your severance as wages for that specific week.\n\nAlso, make sure to keep documentation of exactly when the severance was paid to you (like a bank statement or pay stub) in case there are questions later. EDD sometimes audits these reports, especially for larger amounts.

Another important thing: while you're trying to get through on the phone, make sure you're still certifying for benefits every two weeks on time. Even if your claim is pending, don't miss your certification dates. Many people focus so much on calling that they miss certification and that creates a whole new problem that can further delay payments.

Update for anyone still following: I called the technical support line that someone suggested above (1-833-978-2511) at exactly 8:00 AM this morning, went through the prompts, and after a 45-minute wait, I got through to a representative! They were able to see that my identity verification was flagged for a manual review, which was causing the pending status. The representative expedited the review, and they said my payments should be processed within 3-5 business days. For anyone else stuck in pending status - sometimes it's an identity verification issue that needs manual intervention. Keep trying the phone numbers early in the morning!