California Unemployment

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EDD appeal hearing next week - listed wrong employer as IHSS caregiver

Stressing about my upcoming EDD appeal hearing on Thursday! Here's my situation - I've been an IHSS caregiver for my disabled father for over 5 years. When I reapplied for unemployment benefits in March 2025, I accidentally listed my father as my employer instead of the county IHSS program. EDD disqualified me saying I provided 'false information' and now I'm fighting this through appeal. I've never changed jobs during the entire period - same IHSS position, same hours, same everything. It was just an honest paperwork mistake! The hearing is in 6 days and I'm freaking out. Dad lives with me and my entire IHSS paycheck goes toward our household expenses and his medical needs. Anyone gone through something similar? Will the judge understand it was just an error on the application? I have all my paystubs showing consistent IHSS employment.

UPDATE: Had my hearing today! It went way better than expected. The judge was actually really understanding about the IHSS employer confusion. She looked at my W-2s and the letter from my caseworker and said this type of misunderstanding happens regularly with IHSS providers. The whole thing took about 25 minutes, and she said I should receive a written decision within 7-10 days, but she indicated she'll be ruling in my favor! So relieved right now. Thanks again for all your help and advice everyone!

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Congratulations! Exactly the outcome I expected based on your situation. When you get the official ruling, make sure to call EDD to confirm when your payments will resume - sometimes there's an additional delay even after a favorable decision.

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Woohoo! Told ya the judges usually get it right even if the hearing itself feels stressful!

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Congratulations on the positive outcome! Your story is a perfect example of why preparation and honesty matter so much in these hearings. The fact that you took everyone's advice - getting the caseworker letter, organizing your W-2s, practicing your explanation - clearly made a huge difference. For anyone else reading this who might face a similar situation: this is exactly how these cases should go when it's genuinely just a paperwork error. The system works when you come prepared with documentation and can clearly explain the mistake. Thanks for sharing your experience - it'll definitely help other IHSS caregivers who run into this same confusion!

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EDD claim reopening about to expire mid-week - what happens to my benefits?

I'm in a weird situation with my EDD claim and really confused about what's going to happen. I was laid off last year and collected unemployment for a few months, then found a seasonal job that just ended last week. I reopened my claim online on Monday, but I realized my benefit year actually expires next Wednesday (right in the middle of my second certification week). Does anyone know what happens in this case? Will I only get paid for half the week? Do I need to file a new claim instead of reopening? The EDD website doesn't explain this scenario at all and I've been trying to call with no luck for days.

UPDATE: I managed to get through to EDD this morning after calling repeatedly since 8:01am. The representative confirmed what @helpful_expert said - my current claim will process payments until Wednesday, then I need to file a new claim that same day. She also put a note on my account about the situation to help avoid delays. Thanks everyone for your advice!

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That's great news! Glad you were able to get confirmation directly from EDD. Make sure to certify for the current weeks as normal, and remember to file that new claim on Wednesday. Good luck with everything!

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Wow, what a relief that you got through to EDD and got confirmation! It's so frustrating how these edge cases aren't clearly explained anywhere on their website. Your situation is probably way more common than they realize, especially with all the seasonal workers who cycle through the system. Thanks for updating us with what the rep told you - this thread is going to be super helpful for anyone else who finds themselves in the same boat with a mid-week benefit year expiration!

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EDD put security lock on my Bank of America card - can't get through to remove it

So frustrated right now! I just received my new Bank of America EDD debit card in the mail yesterday and tried to activate it, but there's apparently a security lock on it that was placed by EDD themselves. The automated system specifically said 'security lock placed by the government agency.' I've been trying to call EDD for the past 2 days straight - probably dialed the number 50+ times - and either get the 'we're experiencing high call volume' message or it just disconnects me. I need this money for rent that's due in 4 days! Has anyone dealt with this security lock issue before? Is there a specific department I should be asking for when/if I finally get through? Or a way to remove it through the BoA app or website? Seriously at my wit's end here.

Just checking back - any luck getting through to EDD? Did you try Claimyr or the bank visit approach? I'm invested in your story now and hoping you got it resolved before rent was due!

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So glad to hear you got it resolved! This is exactly why I always recommend Claimyr to people dealing with EDD phone issues. It's such a relief when you finally get through and they can fix these problems quickly. Hope your rent situation is all sorted now and you don't have to deal with any more EDD headaches!

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That's awesome news! So glad you got it sorted out in time for rent. Claimyr really is a lifesaver for getting through to EDD - saved me so much frustration when I was dealing with my own claim issues. Hope everything stays smooth for you going forward!

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So happy to hear you got it resolved! This thread is going to be super helpful for anyone else dealing with the same security lock issue. It's crazy how common this problem seems to be with new EDD cards, but at least now there's a clear roadmap: try Claimyr to get through faster, have your ID docs ready, ask for identity verification department, and don't hang up once you're in the queue. Thanks for updating us - I was worried you wouldn't make rent on time!

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@Sophia Miller I just went through this exact same thing last month! Definitely try Claimyr - it s'worth the small fee to avoid the endless redial nightmare. One tip: when you do get through to EDD, make sure to ask them to notate your account that the security lock has been removed. Sometimes there can be delays in the system updating, and having that note helps if you need to call back. Also, once your card is working, I d'recommend transferring your funds to your regular bank account right away just to avoid any future card issues. Good luck - you ve'got this!

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@Sophia Miller I hope the Claimyr service works for you too! Just wanted to add that when you do get through, make sure to emphasize if you have any urgent payments coming up - the EDD rep seemed more willing to expedite my case when I mentioned my rent deadline. Also, don t'be discouraged if the first rep you talk to can t'help immediately - sometimes you need to ask to be transferred to the identity verification department specifically. Good luck and keep us posted on how it goes!

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EDD payments stuck in pending after serving waiting period - normal timeframe?

Just certified for my second time on UI Online and both weeks are still showing as

Just checked the History tab and everything looks normal. No special notes or anything flagged. I'm on regular UI, not PUA. I double-checked all my certification answers and I said yes to being available for work and looking for work, and I didn't have any earnings to report. Guess I'll just have to wait a bit longer. Thanks for all the help everyone!

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I'm in the exact same boat! This is my first time on unemployment and I certified for my second time yesterday. Both weeks are still showing as pending and I'm getting really anxious about it. Reading through all these comments is actually making me feel a lot better though - sounds like this is pretty normal for first payments. I'm going to try to be patient and wait the full 5 business days like Dylan suggested before I start calling. It's just so stressful when you're depending on this money to pay bills! Fingers crossed both our payments go through soon ๐Ÿคž

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EDD eligibility interview asked why I didn't report stopping work - but I did! Will this affect my claim?

Had my EDD phone interview yesterday and I'm totally freaking out! The interviewer asked why I hadn't notified them when I completely stopped working as a dental hygienist (was working 15-20 hrs/week). Thing is, I DID notify them! Back in March when my kid's school closed due to that plumbing disaster, I called EDD right away and explained I couldn't work anymore because of childcare issues. The rep I spoke with told me to just keep certifying normally and indicate my reason for not working. Now I'm worried they have no record of that call and I'll be disqualified or something? The interviewer seemed really skeptical when I explained this. It's been 3 days since the interview and I'm checking UI Online obsessively. Anyone know how long it takes to get a decision after these interviews? I've got bills coming due next week and my savings are almost gone ๐Ÿ˜ฐ

Quick update - how did things turn out? Were you approved?

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Yes!! Just got approved yesterday! All my pending payments just switched to paid. Such a relief. Thanks everyone for the help and encouragement!

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Congrats on getting approved! This is exactly what I needed to hear since I'm going through a similar situation right now. Just had my eligibility interview last week after reporting reduced hours at my retail job due to school schedule conflicts. The interviewer asked the same questions about why I didn't report changes, even though I've been properly certifying with the correct reason codes. It's so frustrating how they make it sound like you did something wrong when you followed their own instructions! Thanks for sharing the positive outcome - gives me hope that mine will work out too.

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