I'm dealing with the exact same issue - going on 3 weeks without my Money Network card and really starting to panic about rent! This thread has been a lifesaver though - I had no idea about calling early morning or asking specifically for a "card fulfillment specialist." Just wanted to add one more resource that helped me while waiting: if you have a **local 211 service** (dial 2-1-1), they can connect you with emergency rental assistance programs in your area. Many of them are familiar with EDD delays right now and can provide temporary help while you sort out the card situation. I'm definitely going to try the 7:30am calling strategy tomorrow and ask about address formatting issues since I'm also in an apartment. The fact that tiny differences like "Apt" vs "#" can cause weeks of delays is mind-blowing but at least now I know what to look for! Will update with how my call goes. Thank you everyone for sharing such detailed and helpful experiences - this community is amazing! 🙏

I went through this exact same nightmare last month and wanted to share what finally worked after 3.5 weeks of stress! **The winning strategy:** Call Money Network at 1-888-323-7735 at exactly 7:30am (they sometimes pick up before official hours). When the automated system asks why you're calling, say "lost or stolen card" to get routed faster to a human. **Immediately ask for a "card fulfillment specialist"** - this is crucial! Regular customer service can only see basic info, but specialists can actually track your card through their internal system and fix issues. **What they found:** My card was stuck because EDD had my address as "123 Oak St Apartment 4B" but Money Network's system expected "123 Oak St #4B". This tiny formatting difference kept my card in limbo for almost a month! **The fix:** The specialist corrected the address format instantly and expedited a replacement card at no charge since it was their system error. I had it in 48 hours with tracking info. **Pro tip:** Take screenshots of your UI Online "Paid" status before calling - specialists can use this as proof to expedite your case. **Backup plan:** While dealing with this, immediately switch to direct deposit in UI Online under "Payment Methods." Takes 2 business days to activate and future payments go straight to your bank. Your money is absolutely safe - it's just trapped by a fixable system glitch! Don't give up. The early morning + specialist approach works! 💪

I'm a substitute teacher who successfully claimed unemployment benefits last summer and wanted to share my experience! Your situation sounds very similar to mine - I had been subbing for about 6 months with incredibly inconsistent work (some weeks 4-5 days, many weeks absolutely nothing). **Key things that worked for me:** 1. **Applied immediately after my last school day** - don't wait for any letters from the district 2. **Got documentation from HR confirming I was a "substitute employee with no guaranteed hours"** - this was crucial 3. **Emphasized that being on the sub list only means I'm ELIGIBLE to be called, not guaranteed any actual work or income** 4. **Kept records of my sporadic work pattern** - I showed EDD that I worked 0 days in 12 out of 32 weeks during the school year **About "reasonable assurance":** That September form you signed likely just puts you on an eligible list. Unless it specifically guarantees you minimum hours or income, it's not the same as reasonable assurance of work. **During the process:** I was completely transparent about being a substitute from the beginning and used language like "on-call employment with no income guarantee." The whole process took about 3 weeks from application to first payment. I ended up collecting benefits for 8 weeks last summer, which was a lifesaver! Since you worked retail for 2 years before subbing, you should easily meet the earnings requirement. Don't be discouraged if you get initially denied - many educational workers succeed on appeal. You absolutely have a legitimate claim - apply as soon as your school year ends!

I'm a substitute teacher who just went through this exact situation and successfully received unemployment benefits! Your post really resonates with me - the inconsistent work and financial stress is so real. Here's what I learned that might help you: **You absolutely CAN claim unemployment as a substitute teacher!** Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The key is understanding that we're in a unique employment category - we're "on-call" workers with zero guarantee of actual assignments or income. **For your specific situation:** - During school year: Claim benefits for weeks with zero assignments, report gross income for weeks you do work - Summer break: That September form likely just makes you "eligible" to be called - very different from guaranteed work - Your 2 years of retail experience should easily cover the base period earnings requirement **What helped me get approved:** 1. Applied the day after my last assignment ended 2. Got a letter from HR confirming "substitute status with no guaranteed minimum hours" 3. Used specific language like "temporary on-call employment with unpredictable income" 4. Kept simple records showing my inconsistent work pattern **Pro tip:** Contact your district's payroll office (not just HR) - they often have more detailed employment classification info and may have template letters for EDD purposes. The whole process took about 3-4 weeks for me, and I collected benefits for 9 weeks last summer. Even if initially denied, many subs succeed on appeal. Be completely transparent about your substitute status and emphasize that being on a list doesn't guarantee income. You've got a legitimate claim - go for it!

Just wanted to add - make sure you keep track of your job search efforts while your claim is pending! EDD requires you to apply for jobs and keep records even during the application process. Also, if you haven't already, try reaching out to your old managers/supervisors from before the ownership change - they might be willing to provide a reference or even a statement about how you were a good employee with consistent hours before the new owners took over. This could help if there's any dispute about your work history. The whole situation sucks but you definitely have a solid case for unemployment benefits!

Just want to echo what everyone else is saying - you're definitely eligible! I went through something super similar when the family restaurant I worked at for 3 years got sold to a corporate chain. They basically forced out all the longtime employees by cutting our hours to nothing while bringing in their own management team. The ownership change actually worked in my favor during the EDD process because I had clear documentation showing consistent work history with the previous owners versus the sudden drop to zero hours with the new ones. Make sure when you file that you emphasize the drastic reduction in hours rather than making it sound like you quit or had availability issues. One tip - if you still have contact info for any coworkers who went through the same thing, it might help to mention that multiple employees experienced hour cuts after the ownership change. Shows it was a systematic thing, not performance-related. You've got this!

I'm in a really similar situation! Just lost my full-time job at a retail chain last month and have been so stressed about whether to take part-time work while on unemployment. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like pretty much everyone is making more money with part-time + partial UI than just full unemployment alone. The tips about keeping detailed records and using time-tracking apps are so helpful. I was overthinking how complicated the reporting would be, but it seems like as long as you're organized and completely honest about your hours and wages, EDD's system handles the calculations automatically. I have a potential opportunity at a local restaurant (about 15-20 hours/week) and was hesitant because I thought it might hurt my chances of finding another retail management position. But seeing how many people have actually gotten full-time jobs through connections made at their part-time jobs is really encouraging! Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - this thread has convinced me to pursue the restaurant job. Having some income plus staying active in the workforce definitely seems better than just sitting at home waiting for the perfect full-time opportunity to appear.

I've been working part-time at a local grocery store (about 16 hours/week) while collecting partial unemployment for the past 5 months, and I can't stress enough how much this combination has helped both financially and mentally! A few practical tips that have made my experience smooth: - Set up phone reminders to log your hours immediately after each shift - don't rely on memory - Create a simple "EDD folder" on your phone to store photos of schedules, pay stubs, and certification screenshots - The first month might feel overwhelming with all the tracking, but it becomes automatic pretty quickly What really surprised me was how supportive EDD has been about this arrangement. During a random phone interview, the rep actually commended me for staying active in the workforce while job searching. They see part-time work as a positive step toward full employment, not something that complicates your claim. The networking aspect is real too - I've gotten two interviews for full-time positions through customers I met at the store. Working in customer service while job hunting keeps your people skills sharp and gives you natural conversation starters in interviews. You're absolutely making the right call with the cafe job. The combination of wages + partial benefits will put you ahead financially, and you'll feel so much more productive than just waiting around for full-time opportunities. This community is great for support if any questions come up along the way!

I'm so glad you posted this question because I was literally dealing with the exact same confusion just a few weeks ago when I started my claim! The way EDD words that work search reporting question is honestly terrible - it completely makes it sound like it's just some optional extra feature when really you're choosing whether or not to create bulletproof documentation for something you're required to do anyway. After reading through tons of posts on here and talking to people who've been through the system, I decided to always click "Yes" and document everything. Here's why: even though the reporting is technically optional, the work search activities themselves are absolutely mandatory for most people. So you're going to be doing the job applications, networking, resume updates, etc. regardless - the question is just whether you want an official timestamped record of all that work in EDD's own system. I think of it like this: if you're already doing the homework, why wouldn't you turn it in? Those few extra minutes each week could literally save your entire claim if you ever get audited or selected for an eligibility interview. I've seen too many stories of people losing appeals because they couldn't prove months of work search activities that they actually did but just didn't document properly. Your instinct to play it safe is absolutely right. Keep clicking "Yes" and logging everything - you're protecting yourself the smart way!

I completely understand your confusion - I went through this exact same thing when I first started my claim about 3 months ago! The way EDD phrases that question is so misleading. It makes work search reporting sound like just a convenience feature when it's actually your best protection against future headaches. Here's what I learned after doing research and talking to other claimants: work search activities ARE required for most people, but documenting them online is technically "optional." However, that "optional" label is really misleading because you're essentially choosing whether to create an official record of your compliance. I've been religiously clicking "Yes" and documenting everything because I realized those few extra minutes each week could save me thousands of dollars if I ever get audited. Think of it this way - you're already doing the job applications and networking anyway (because that's required), so why not create an official timestamped record in EDD's own system? I actually got a scare last month when I received what I thought was an eligibility review notice, and I was SO grateful I had months of detailed documentation already in the system. Your cousin might be getting lucky for now, but he's basically gambling with his benefits. Better to spend 5 minutes protecting yourself than potentially lose weeks of benefits trying to recreate your work search history from memory! Keep doing what you're doing - you're being smart about this!