To all those having trouble reaching a human at California Unemployment. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/Ize0EkN4HDI

I had the exact same issue with ID.me showing duplicate accounts! What worked for me was contacting ID.me support directly (not EDD) to merge or delete the duplicate account. You can reach them through their help center at help.id.me. They were able to clean up my account within 24-48 hours, and then I could proceed with the EDD verification. It's definitely frustrating, but don't give up on the online option just yet - the phone/mail route takes much longer. Good luck!

My cousin works for EDD and says the biggest mistakes people make are: 1) Not filing as soon as they're laid off 2) Not doing the work search requirements properly 3) Making certification mistakes So even though you're working until June, you should file your claim the SAME DAY as your last day of work. Don't wait. And make sure you understand the work search requirements - you need to be looking for work and documenting it each week.

Just wanted to add one more important point that might help you plan better - if you do decide to stay those extra few days until June 13th, it won't hurt your EDD eligibility at all since it's still a layoff situation. But consider that those 4 extra days of pay might actually push some earnings into Q2 2023, which could potentially help your benefit calculation if you end up filing a future claim down the road. The main thing is getting that layoff documentation in writing from HR, regardless of your exact end date. And remember, you can't file your claim until your last day of work, so if you stay until the 13th, that's when you'd file. Good luck with everything! Sounds like you'll qualify without any issues based on what others have explained about the base period requirements.

lmao watch them fix this right after my benefits run out 🙃

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Been locked out for 3 days and it's driving me crazy. I tried calling but kept getting the busy signal. Has anyone had any luck with the online chat feature, or is that broken too? Really hoping they get this sorted out soon because I need to certify this week 😰

Update: I GOT THE LETTER TODAY! The appeal was approved!!! The judge ruled that I had provided sufficient evidence that I reported my income correctly and the overpayment was due to an EDD processing error! I'm so relieved I could cry. Thanks everyone for your input and support during this stressful time. For anyone going through appeals - document EVERYTHING and bring all your evidence to the hearing!

Congratulations! This is such wonderful news and really gives hope to those of us who might face similar situations in the future. It's great that you kept us updated with the outcome. Your experience with the status changing from APPEAL to PAID before getting the official letter is really valuable information for this community. I'm sure many people will find your story helpful if they're going through their own appeals process. Enjoy that relief - you definitely earned it after all that stress!

UPDATE: I had a follow-up meeting with HR today. They confirmed there are absolutely no exceptions to the shift change - all overnight positions are being eliminated company-wide. They did offer me a $2/hr raise to help with childcare costs, but that's nowhere near enough to cover $1,400+ monthly for daycare. I asked about part-time or flexible scheduling and was told those options aren't available either. I've documented everything from our conversation. I'm going to submit my resignation next week and apply for unemployment immediately. Based on everyone's advice, I'm going to be very detailed about the childcare hardship in my application. Thanks again for all the guidance.

I'm really glad you documented everything with HR and tried all possible accommodations first - that's going to be crucial for your claim. The fact that they offered a $2/hr raise actually works in your favor because it shows they acknowledged the hardship but their "solution" was completely inadequate for the actual cost of childcare in your area. When you file, definitely emphasize that the $1,400+ monthly daycare cost would exceed what the raise could cover, making it financially impossible to continue working the new shift. EDD will likely calculate that a $2/hr raise (roughly $350/month full-time) against $1,400+ childcare costs clearly demonstrates the unreasonable burden. Make sure to keep copies of any written communication about the shift elimination and the inadequate accommodation offer. You've built a really strong case for "good cause" - the circumstances were beyond your control and you exhausted all reasonable options to preserve your employment.