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I'm totally freaking out right now. I applied for unemployment benefits about 3 weeks ago and just realized I completely forgot to do the ID.me verification that was requested. But here's the weird thing - I had my eligibility phone interview on March 11th with an EDD representative, and she never mentioned anything about missing identity verification during our 20-minute call. She just asked questions about my previous employment and why I left. The interview seemed to go well, but now I'm worried this forgotten verification will mess everything up. My claim is still showing as 'pending' in the system. Has anyone had this happen? Will they automatically deny me or will they just send another verification request? Should I call EDD and tell them I missed it or just wait to see what happens?
I just got denied unemployment and I'm not sure what to do next. Has anyone else dealt with this? What are my options for appealing or getting help? I really need this money to make ends meet.
I went through the exact same thing with CA EDD last year. My denial was also for "insufficient earnings" even though I had worked consistently. Here's what worked for me: 1) Request your wage records from EDD to see what they have on file - sometimes employers don't report correctly, 2) Get copies of all your pay stubs and tax documents, 3) File the appeal online through your EDD portal within 30 days, and 4) In your appeal letter, be very specific about your work history and attach all proof. The hearing was done over the phone and took about 45 minutes. The judge was actually pretty fair and I won my case. Don't let them intimidate you - you have rights! Also check out the CA unemployment advocates group on Facebook for more support.
I received an EDD notice claiming I was overpaid $6,800 back in October 2024. I immediately filed an appeal because they miscalculated my earnings from my part-time job. Got a letter in December confirming they received my appeal paperwork, but it's now March 2025 and complete silence since then. No court date, no follow-up letters, nothing on my UI Online account. This is getting really stressful since they're threatening to garnish my wages if I don't pay. Has anyone gone through the appeal process recently? Is a 3+ month wait normal or should I be doing something else to move this along? My rent just went up and I'm panicking about having to come up with nearly $7k if my appeal doesn't work out.
One more thing I forgot to mention - the hearing process itself is actually pretty straightforward once you finally get a date. The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will review your case first, then ask questions about your specific situation. They're generally fair and will listen to your explanation about the miscalculated earnings. Make sure you can clearly explain: 1. Why you believe the calculation is wrong 2. What evidence you have to prove your actual earnings 3. How you reported your income during certifications The hearings typically last 30-45 minutes. You'll receive the judge's decision by mail within 2-3 weeks after the hearing. Hang in there - the waiting is definitely the hardest part of the whole process.
This is really helpful to know what to expect. I've been stressing about the hearing itself. Sounds less intimidating than I imagined. I can definitely explain the calculation error - they counted the same earnings twice for two different weeks. I have pay stubs showing exactly when I was paid and for which work periods.
I'm going through something similar right now - been waiting since January for my appeal hearing date on a $4,200 overpayment. The stress is real! Reading through all these responses is actually making me feel better knowing I'm not alone in this nightmare. One thing that helped me cope with the waiting is setting up a separate savings account specifically for this potential debt. Even if I can only put $50-100 a month in there, it makes me feel like I'm doing something proactive instead of just panicking. If I win the appeal, great - I have extra savings. If I lose, at least I have something to work with. Also, document EVERYTHING during this process - every phone call, every letter, every attempt to contact them. If this drags on much longer, you might need that paper trail. The whole system is designed to be overwhelming, but you've got this! Your evidence sounds solid with the pay stubs showing the double-counting error.
Hey everyone, I'm in a bit of a pickle here. I've certified for unemployment for the past 4 weeks and even faxed over all the documents they asked for. But guess what? Still no payment! Anyone else dealing with this? It's getting frustrating and I could really use some advice or at least know I'm not alone in this.
Is it just me, or does anyone else miss the good old days when we could actually walk into an office and talk to a real person? #bringbackhumaninteraction
I'm going through the exact same thing! 4 weeks certified, documents sent, and radio silence from EDD. What's really frustrating is that there's no clear timeline or status updates. I've been checking my UI Online account obsessively but it just shows "pending" with no explanation. The worst part is not knowing if it's a system glitch, missing paperwork, or just the usual EDD backlog. Hang in there - at least we know we're not alone in this nightmare! ๐ค
Hey everyone, I'm really frustrated right now. I've been certifying for unemployment but my payments are showing up as $0.00. Has anyone else experienced this? I don't understand why this is happening when I'm following all the steps correctly. Any advice would be appreciated!
Pro tip: document EVERYTHING. Every call, every letter, every email. If you need to escalate, having a paper trail is crucial.
I went through this exact same thing last month! Turned out there was a "work search requirement" flag on my account that I didn't know about. Even though I was doing everything right during certification, the system automatically flagged me because I hadn't logged enough job search activities in their CalJOBS system. Once I went back and entered my job searches for the previous weeks, my payments processed within 3 days. Check your UI Online account for any alerts or messages - sometimes they're buried in weird places. Also worth checking if you accidentally answered "yes" to any of the questions about working or refusing work during certification. Hope this helps!
Malik Thompson
Three days is still within normal processing time. ID.me sends the verification to EDD, but EDD still needs to process it on their end. If nothing changes after 7-10 business days, that's when you should follow up. In the meantime, make sure you continue to certify for benefits every two weeks even if your claim is still pending. Once your claim is approved, you'll receive all eligible back payments for the weeks you've certified.
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Oliver Weber
AuthorThat's a relief! I'll keep certifying and give them the full 10 business days before I start worrying again. Thanks for all the help everyone!
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Oscar O'Neil
I'm in almost the exact same situation! Filed 3 weeks ago, missed the ID.me verification initially, and had my phone interview on March 15th. The rep didn't mention the missing verification either during our call. I completed the ID.me verification yesterday after reading through all these comments and got the confirmation email. My claim is still pending too. It's such a relief to know I'm not the only one who missed this step initially. Hopefully we'll both see our claims move forward soon! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and advice here.
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