i just want to say i LOVE the money network card lol. am i the only one? i don't have a regular bank account so this works better for me. hope they keep it as an option

I'm really hoping this Q3 2025 timeline is accurate! I've been dealing with the Money Network card for almost a year now and it's been such a headache. The random maintenance windows always seem to happen at the worst times, and I've had issues with ATM withdrawals being declined even when I had funds available. Has anyone else experienced problems with using the card at certain retailers? I've noticed some places like Costco don't accept it, which is frustrating when you're trying to buy groceries in bulk to save money while on unemployment. Direct deposit would solve all these issues since I could just use my regular debit card everywhere. @Malik Jenkins - thanks for sharing that inside info from the stakeholder meeting! Do you know if they mentioned anything about whether existing claimants would be automatically enrolled in direct deposit or if we'd have to opt-in manually?

UPDATE: The money just posted to my card! It took about 36 hours from when the payment date showed in my EDD account. Thanks everyone for your help and reassurance! I'm definitely going to look into switching to direct deposit based on the advice here.

So glad you got your payment! This is exactly why I always tell people not to panic when there's a delay between EDD showing "paid" and the Money Network card actually having the funds. The 24-48 hour window is pretty standard, though it can feel like forever when you're waiting for money you need. Direct deposit really is a game changer - I made the switch about 6 months ago and never looked back. The funds typically hit my bank account the same day or next business day after EDD processes the payment. Much more reliable than dealing with the card system delays!

I went through something similar last year - 5 weeks of pending payments after ID verification. What finally resolved it was discovering that EDD had sent a notice to my old address asking for additional wage verification, even though I had updated my address online. Check if you can access your EDD correspondence history or call your local EDD office directly (not the main 800 number). The local offices are sometimes less busy and can actually look at your account to see what's blocking it. Also, if you're really desperate, try showing up in person at your local EDD office first thing in the morning - they sometimes have walk-in appointments for urgent cases.

I'm dealing with something very similar right now - been waiting 4 weeks after ID.me verification and all my payments are stuck on pending. Reading through everyone's suggestions here has been really eye-opening. I had no idea about contacting assembly members or that there were services like Claimyr to help get through to EDD. @Sean Kelly - have you tried checking if your address is correct in all sections of your UI Online account? Sometimes the mailing address updates but the correspondence address doesn't, which could explain why you're not getting notices about additional documentation needed. Also, when you do get through to someone, definitely ask them to read back your address on file to make sure it matches where you're actually living now. The suggestion about showing up at a local EDD office in person sounds promising too. I'm going to try that this week since I'm running out of options with the phone system. Really hope you get this resolved soon - 6 weeks is way too long to be waiting when people have bills to pay!

does anyone know if the in person offices r open 2day too or just the phone lines?

This is such a lifesaver! I've been dealing with a payment hold for over a month and was planning to call first thing Tuesday morning. Just tried calling and actually got through in about 20 minutes - way faster than usual! The specialist was able to clear up my work search requirement confusion and release my payments. You're absolutely right about the lower call volume today. Can't believe I almost waited another whole day when I desperately need these payments to go through. Thanks for sharing this info - you probably helped a lot of people today!