Wow, this has been such a helpful thread to read through! I'm new to dealing with unemployment claims and had no idea how common it is for employers to make false claims like this. Your employer saying "excessive absences" when 15 people were laid off at once due to losing a major client is so obviously fraudulent - they're not even trying to make it sound believable! The fact that you have both the termination letter mentioning downsizing AND the HR emails about department-wide layoffs puts you in such a strong position for your interview. That kind of documentation should completely shut down their bogus story. It's really encouraging to see how this community came together to help you figure out what was happening and how to handle it. Thanks for sharing your experience and keeping everyone updated - it's incredibly valuable for newcomers like me to understand what to expect from this process. Good luck with your interview - you're going to nail it with all that evidence!

This is exactly why I always tell people dealing with EDD issues to document EVERYTHING and never give up on getting through to a representative! Your case is a perfect example of how employers will straight up lie about termination reasons to avoid paying higher unemployment insurance premiums. The fact that they claimed "excessive absences" when you have documented proof of 15 people being laid off simultaneously due to client loss is just blatant fraud on their part. But you handled this perfectly - you kept calling until you got answers, gathered all your documentation, and now you're going into that interview fully prepared. Your evidence package sounds bulletproof. That termination letter mentioning downsizing combined with the HR emails about department-wide layoffs should make their attendance excuse fall apart immediately. EDD interviewers see these employer tactics all the time and know exactly what red flags to look for. Just stay calm during your phone interview, present your timeline clearly, and let those facts speak for themselves. With this level of documentation proving it was a legitimate mass layoff, you should get those disqualified weeks reversed quickly. Thanks for sharing your journey - it's going to help so many people who face similar employer pushback!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! My interview is scheduled for March 22nd but I'm facing some serious financial deadlines before then. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences has given me so much hope and practical strategies to try. The consensus seems clear: call 833-978-2511 right at 8:00 AM, ask specifically for an "eligibility determination specialist" or "claims resolution specialist," be very concrete about your hardship timeline with specific dates and dollar amounts, and have all your documentation organized and ready to reference immediately. What's really encouraging is seeing how many people got preliminary reviews, expedited interviews, or even early payment releases by being proactive and professional. Even those who didn't get full early resolution seem to have benefited from having detailed notes added to their accounts that made their actual interviews go much faster. I'm planning to try calling tomorrow morning with everything organized - claim number, separation details, specific hardship timeline ("$1,350 rent due March 8th"), and all my documents ready. Based on what I've read here, even if I can't get my interview moved up, getting a preliminary review documented could make a huge difference when my scheduled date arrives. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and specific wording to use - this community is incredible for helping navigate such a stressful and confusing system!

I've been through this exact situation and want to share what worked for me. I called the 833-978-2511 number at 8:00 AM sharp and got through to what they called an "eligibility review specialist" after explaining I was facing immediate hardship with specific deadlines. The key was being incredibly organized - I had my claim number memorized, all separation documents in front of me, and was very specific about my timeline ("$1,200 rent due March 6th, facing 3-day notice"). The specialist couldn't cancel my interview but did a "preliminary documentation review" over the phone and flagged my account for priority processing. When my actual interview happened, it was only 7 minutes because everything had been pre-verified. My payments switched to paid status within 48 hours after that. One tip that really helped: I asked the specialist to email me a summary of what documents they had on file and what we discussed during the call. Having that documentation helped tremendously during my actual interview. Even if you can't get early resolution, that preliminary review process can save you so much stress and time later. The worst they can say is no, but you might be surprised at what they can do when you present a well-organized hardship case. Stay persistent but professional - it really can make a difference!

I'm in the exact same situation! Been locked out for 3 days now and this thread has been incredibly helpful. @AstroAce @Amelia Cartwright - thank you for sharing your detailed success stories with the early morning call strategy. I had no idea that calling at 6:30 AM would make such a difference with wait times! @Mei Zhang - really appreciate all the IT advice you've provided throughout this thread. I'm going to check my email settings tonight and try the off-peak hours approach first before calling. It's frustrating that EDD's "upgrade" has caused so many issues, but seeing how this community has come together to share actual working solutions gives me hope. I'm planning to try the phone call route tomorrow morning if the email settings don't work tonight. Will definitely update with my results - hoping to add another success story here! Thanks everyone for creating such a helpful resource when EDD's official support has been useless.

I'm dealing with this same verification code nightmare and have been following this thread closely! Been locked out for 4 days now and was honestly starting to panic about missing my claim deadline until I found all these helpful solutions here. @AstroAce @Amelia Cartwright - thank you both for sharing such detailed success stories with the 6:30 AM call strategy! The fact that you both got through with relatively short wait times by specifically mentioning "multi-factor authentication failure" is exactly the roadmap I needed. I've been dreading calling EDD because I thought it meant being on hold all day. @Mei Zhang - your IT expertise throughout this thread has been amazing! I'm definitely going to check my email provider settings tonight and add edd.ca.gov to my safe senders list before attempting the call tomorrow. It's both impressive and frustrating that this community has essentially become EDD's unofficial tech support department, but I'm so grateful everyone has shared what actually works instead of just venting. You've created the step-by-step troubleshooting guide that EDD should have provided from day one! I've got all my verification documents organized and I'm planning to call right at 6:30 AM tomorrow morning. Really hoping I can add another success story to this incredible thread! Will definitely report back with how it goes. Thanks for giving me hope that this is actually solvable! 🙏

I was in a very similar situation last year - scheduled interview for eligibility determination after a hours reduction at my retail job. The waiting was absolutely brutal, especially when you're already struggling financially. From my experience and what I've learned from this community, calling early unfortunately won't help and could potentially create confusion in their system. However, here's what I wish someone had told me during that awful waiting period: apply for emergency food assistance immediately (CalFresh can be approved within days), contact your utility companies about hardship programs, and start documenting EVERYTHING about your job situation now. For your specific case with the restaurant hours cut from 40 to 10, that's typically considered "constructive dismissal" or reduction in work that constitutes good cause for leaving. Make sure you have any texts, emails, or schedules showing the dramatic hour reduction. The interview itself was much shorter and less intimidating than I expected. Hang in there - this community has been a lifesaver for navigating this process!

I went through this exact same anxiety last summer when I had my eligibility interview scheduled. The wait feels endless when you're stressed about money, but unfortunately calling early really won't help - those interviews are specifically scheduled and the rep needs time to review your file beforehand. What DID help me was using that waiting time productively: I gathered every piece of documentation I could find (old schedules, any messages about hour changes, pay stubs showing the reduction), wrote out a clear timeline of events, and practiced explaining my situation out loud. Since your hours dropped from 40 to 10 per week, that's actually a pretty strong case - that level of reduction often qualifies as good cause for leaving. The actual interview was way less stressful than I built up in my head, and having all my info organized made me feel much more confident. Also definitely look into CalFresh and local food banks while you wait - there's no shame in getting help during this gap period!

I'm in this exact situation right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! Just graduated last month and my campus job at the financial aid office ended because it was restricted to currently enrolled students. I was completely lost about whether I'd even qualify for EDD benefits, but reading through all these detailed experiences has given me so much clarity and confidence. My situation: worked there for 18 months, consistently 20 hours/week during school and full-time during winter/summer breaks. About 80% university-funded, 20% work-study. I have CA SDI deductions on every pay stub and my HR separation letter says "position discontinued due to completion of degree program." The success stories from @Emma Wilson, @Noah Lee, @Alejandro Castro and others are incredibly encouraging - it's clear that many students in our situation do qualify for benefits on the university-funded portions of their employment. The advice about framing it as "position ended" rather than "I quit because I graduated" seems absolutely critical based on everyone's experiences. I was initially hesitant because I thought student jobs automatically disqualified you, but the consistent message here is clear: apply anyway! The worst they can say is no, and there's real evidence from this community that approvals (and successful appeals) happen regularly for situations like ours. Planning to apply online tomorrow morning and will definitely keep detailed records of my job search activities. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread should be required reading for any graduating student with campus employment! I'll update with my results to hopefully help the next person in this situation.

I'm in almost the exact same situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Just graduated two weeks ago and my campus job at the student research center ended because it was only for enrolled students. I've been so worried about covering expenses during my job search, but reading all these success stories has given me hope. My situation: worked there for 2.5 years, about 22 hours/week during school and full-time during breaks. It was 100% university-funded (no work-study component) and I have CA SDI deductions on all my pay stubs. My termination letter says "employment concluded upon completion of academic requirements" - which seems like the perfect language based on everyone's advice here. The consistent theme from all the successful cases - @Emma Wilson, @Noah Lee, @Alejandro Castro, and others - is really encouraging. It's clear that framing this as "position ended" rather than "I had to leave because I graduated" is crucial, and the fact that multiple people got benefits for their university-funded portions gives me confidence this isn't impossible. I'm planning to apply online tomorrow after reading all this advice. Even if I get initially denied, knowing that appeals can be successful makes it worth trying. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this community support makes navigating EDD so much less intimidating! I'll definitely update with my results to help other students in similar situations.