Welcome to the community @Amara Adeyemi! Your situation sounds really tough - going from 36 to 20 hours is such a significant cut, especially in pharmacy work where you probably have pretty steady expenses to cover. It's amazing how this thread has become such a comprehensive resource for people facing hour reductions! Since you're filing tomorrow, a couple of pharmacy-specific tips: make sure you have your exact hourly wage documented since pharmacy pay can sometimes include shift differentials or other premiums that might affect your benefit calculation. Also, if your pharmacy is part of a larger chain, they might have corporate HR documentation about the hour reduction policy that could be helpful to reference. The community support in this thread has been incredible - it's so reassuring to see how many people have successfully navigated partial unemployment and are willing to share their real experiences. Based on everyone's stories here, it sounds like partial UI really does provide meaningful help while you work through this challenging period. Good luck with your application tomorrow - you're taking exactly the right steps!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience since this thread has been so incredibly helpful! I just went through almost the exact same situation about 3 months ago when my hours at a electronics retail store got cut from 40 to 23 hours per week. Like so many others here, I had absolutely no clue that partial unemployment was even an option until a coworker mentioned it. Reading through all these detailed experiences and practical advice has given me so much hope for everyone dealing with similar situations. A few things that really helped me that I haven't seen mentioned yet: - Save your employee handbook or any company policies about scheduling - sometimes they have language about hour reductions that can support your claim - If you use a time-tracking app for work, screenshot your average hours before the cut happened - Keep a simple calendar note of any extra shifts you pick up or cover for other employees - it shows EDD you're willing to work more when available - The customer service chat feature on UI Online is sometimes faster than calling if you have simple questions The partial benefits made such a huge difference during those stressful months. Going from about $1,500/month to $920 was terrifying, but with partial UI I ended up with around $1,250 total, which kept me stable while I found a second part-time gig. @Zara Ahmed I hope everything worked out well with your claim! Thank you for starting this conversation - you've created an amazing resource that's clearly helping so many people navigate a really challenging situation. This community support is incredible!

This thread has been an absolute lifesaver! I'm going through the exact same situation right now - been receiving benefits since late January and just got an interview notice yesterday. Like so many others here, I was completely panicked thinking I'd done something wrong or that they were going to demand all my money back. But reading through everyone's experiences, especially seeing @Aisha's positive update, has really put my mind at ease. I haven't reported any additional earnings, so mine is probably one of those random audits that @Freya Johansen mentioned. It's incredible how much anxiety these notices cause when you don't know what to expect, but this thread shows they're really just routine checks. I'll make sure to have all my original employment documents ready and try not to overthink it. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their stories - knowing that these interviews are typically quick, straightforward, and don't interrupt benefits when you've been honest really makes all the difference!

This thread is incredibly thorough and helpful! I'm scheduled for an eligibility interview next week after being on unemployment for about 2 months. Like many others here, I initially panicked when I got the notice, but reading through all these positive experiences has really calmed my nerves. What strikes me most is how consistent everyone's stories are - quick calls (10-15 minutes), routine verification questions, and benefits continuing normally afterward. I did report some Uber earnings last month (about $200 over 3 days), so that's probably what triggered mine. It's so reassuring to see that properly reporting additional work actually protects you rather than getting you in trouble. I'll definitely have my Uber payment records ready along with my original layoff documentation. Special thanks to everyone who shared their follow-up experiences - knowing the actual outcomes rather than just speculation makes such a huge difference when you're anxious about something like this!

I've been struggling with CalJOBS for about 4 weeks now and this entire thread has been such a lifesaver! Like everyone else here, I was getting incredibly discouraged thinking I was somehow failing at job searching since I've applied to 25+ positions through their system with only one response (which turned out to be way below market rate). Reading all these experiences has completely changed my approach. The "compliance tool" mindset is exactly what I needed to hear - I've been wasting hours daily on that clunky interface when I should have been treating it like bureaucratic paperwork while focusing my real energy elsewhere. I'm definitely going to implement the strategies everyone mentioned: that daily morning check with "Last 3 Days" filter, applying to 3-4 state positions weekly just for documentation, and most importantly - using that work search log feature to record ALL my job search activities. I had no idea you could log external applications there for audit protection! It's honestly frustrating that we all have to reverse-engineer these workarounds to make a broken government system somewhat functional, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing real experiences and practical solutions. Now I can stop feeling guilty about CalJOBS "not working" and put my time where it actually generates results. Thanks for starting this conversation - you've helped way more people navigate this bureaucratic maze than you probably realize! Sometimes peer knowledge beats official guidance every time. 🙏

I've been on CalJOBS for about 6 weeks now and this thread has honestly been a game-changer! I was getting so frustrated thinking there was something wrong with my approach - I've submitted 28 applications through their system with only one response (which was for a position paying $12/hour when the posting said $18-20). The "compliance tool" mindset everyone keeps mentioning is exactly the perspective shift I needed. I've been treating CalJOBS like it should actually function as a modern job platform when clearly it's just a bureaucratic hoop we have to jump through to satisfy EDD requirements. I'm definitely going to start implementing the systematic approach that's been mentioned - quick daily check with the "Last 3 Days" filter, apply to 3-4 state/government positions weekly for documentation purposes, and use that work search log feature to record all my external job applications. Had no idea you could log LinkedIn and Indeed activities directly in CalJOBS for audit protection! It's honestly wild that we all have to collectively figure out these workarounds just to make a government system somewhat functional, but I'm grateful for this community sharing real experiences. Now I can stop wasting 2+ hours daily on that outdated interface and focus my actual energy on LinkedIn networking and direct company outreach where I'm getting real responses. Thanks everyone for being so generous with practical advice - this discussion has been way more helpful than any official EDD guidance I've received! 🙏

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now and reading everyone's experiences has been both helpful and terrifying! Got my call in notice 2 days ago and have been calling since early morning with nothing but that dreaded "too busy" message. The stress is unreal knowing I only have 8 days left to respond and literally cannot reach anyone. After seeing all the success stories with Claimyr here, I think I'm going to have to try it tomorrow morning. The $20-25 cost definitely stings when you're already struggling financially, but losing my entire benefit stream would be catastrophic. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences - this thread has been a lifesaver in showing me there are actually viable solutions beyond spending days hitting redial on their broken phone system. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to pay a third party just to reach a government agency, but when your livelihood is on the line, what choice do we have? For anyone else dealing with call in notices, don't waste precious time on manual calling when you're up against these inflexible deadlines!

I'm going through this exact nightmare too! Got my call in notice 3 days ago and have been calling obsessively with zero success. The "too busy" message is absolutely maddening when you know the clock is ticking on that 10-day deadline. After reading everyone's experiences here, I'm convinced that manual calling is basically hopeless at this point - the system seems completely overwhelmed. I'm definitely going to try Claimyr tomorrow morning based on all the success stories shared here. The $20-25 cost really hurts when you're already struggling on unemployment, but losing my entire benefit stream would be catastrophic. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and strategies - this thread has been incredibly helpful in showing me that I'm not alone in this broken system and that there are actually viable solutions beyond spending days hitting redial. It's frustrating that we have to pay extra just to access a basic government service, but when your livelihood is literally on the line, sometimes you have to work around a broken system rather than let it defeat you.

Just wanted to add my experience from last year - I was terrified about the hearing too but it really wasn't bad at all! Mine was a phone hearing that lasted about 30 minutes. The judge was very patient and walked me through each question clearly. One thing that really helped my anxiety was calling the EDD Appeals office a few days before my hearing to confirm the phone number and process. They explained exactly how it would work - they call you at the scheduled time, put you in a "waiting room" on hold, then connect you to the judge when it's your turn. Since you have that termination letter showing budget cuts, you're in great shape. I had similar documentation and won my appeal easily. The judge seemed most interested in whether I had any advance warning about being laid off (I didn't) and whether I was given any option to stay (nope). Try not to stress too much about it - you've got solid evidence and these judges deal with wrongful disqualifications all the time. They know the difference between someone who was legitimately laid off versus someone trying to game the system.

I went through the EDD appeal process about 6 months ago and can definitely relate to your anxiety about the hearing! Yes, almost all disqualification appeals do require a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge - it's very rare for them to overturn decisions based on paperwork alone. But here's the thing - you're actually in a really strong position. Having that termination letter and documentation showing you were laid off due to budget cuts is exactly what you need. The burden will be on EDD (and potentially your former employer if they participate) to prove you voluntarily quit, which will be pretty much impossible with your evidence. My hearing was done over the phone and lasted about 45 minutes. The judge was professional and fair - definitely not the intimidating courtroom scenario I had imagined. They'll ask you to explain what happened, so just stick to the facts: you were laid off due to budget cuts, here's your documentation, and that's it. Don't overthink it or provide unnecessary details that might confuse the issue. The waiting is honestly the worst part. It took about 12 weeks for me to get my hearing scheduled, but once I had the hearing, I got my favorable decision within 2 weeks. Start preparing now by organizing your documents and maybe practicing explaining your situation to a friend or family member. You've got this!