I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! I received about $85 in retroactive pay from my former employer last week for work I did in early 2024. Reading through all these responses has been so helpful - I was also worried about reporting it wrong and getting in trouble. Based on everything everyone has shared here, it sounds like the key is just being transparent and providing a clear explanation. I'm planning to follow the same approach: report it as wages for the week I received it and add a note in the comments section explaining it's retroactive pay from my previous employer. It's reassuring to see so many people who have successfully handled similar situations. The advice about keeping documentation and taking screenshots of the certification is really smart too. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's made this so much less stressful!

I've been following this discussion and wanted to add something that might be helpful for future situations like this. After dealing with several unusual income reporting scenarios myself, I've learned that EDD actually has a really useful resource that not many people know about - their "DE 4581 Handbook for Unemployment Insurance Claimants" which you can find on their website. It has specific examples of how to report different types of income, including retroactive pay situations. For your $70 retroactive adjustment, you're absolutely doing the right thing by reporting it transparently. One small addition to the great advice already given: when you write your explanation in the comments, consider including the specific pay period the retroactive adjustment covers (if you know it). For example: "Retroactive wage adjustment from [Company Name] for pay period [dates] in 2023 - $70 gross." This extra detail can help prevent any follow-up questions from EDD. Also, just a heads up - sometimes these retroactive adjustments can take a few weeks to show up properly in EDD's system calculations, so don't be surprised if your benefit calculation looks a bit off initially. It usually corrects itself, but it's worth keeping an eye on. You've got this!

Another option that worked for me when I couldn't get through by phone - try using the "Ask EDD" feature on their website. I know it sounds like it would just be automated responses, but I actually got a real person to respond within 3 business days when I explained my situation there. I was dealing with a similar "pending medical certification" issue after my shoulder surgery, and the EDD rep who responded via the online system was able to see exactly what was missing from my file and told me what needed to be resubmitted. It's not as fast as getting someone on the phone, but it's way less frustrating than calling 50 times a day! Just make sure to be really specific about your claim details and what you're seeing in your online account when you submit the inquiry.

Just wanted to share another resource that might help - if you're really stuck and can't get through by phone or online, you can also try contacting your local state assembly member's office. I know someone mentioned this earlier, but I wanted to emphasize how effective it can be. I had a similar issue with my disability claim getting stuck in "pending" status for months, and within 48 hours of my assembly member's office contacting EDD on my behalf, I had a case worker assigned who called me directly. They have special contacts at EDD that bypass the regular phone system completely. You can find your assembly member on the CA legislature website just by entering your zip code. It shouldn't have to come to this, but sometimes political pressure is the only thing that gets EDD to actually do their job!

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

Ugh, that's so frustrating! I've been in the same situation before. Unfortunately, they do drop calls at closing time (8pm), so you'll likely get disconnected if you haven't already. Your best bet is to try calling again tomorrow morning right when they open. Some people have luck with the callback option if it's available, or you could try calling different EDD numbers. The wait times are brutal but don't give up - you'll eventually get through!

Romeo, I was in almost the exact same situation last month! Filed my claim, got approved with my weekly benefit amount, then waited what felt like forever to certify. In my case, it was 18 days before the certification option showed up in my UI Online account. The waiting is nerve-wracking, especially when bills are due, but it sounds like you're following the normal timeline based on what others have shared. One thing that helped me was setting up a daily reminder to check my UI Online account at the same time each day (I did it with my morning coffee) so I wouldn't obsess over it throughout the day. Since your effective date was April 12th, you're probably looking at being able to certify around April 26th. Hang in there - the backpay will cover those waiting weeks once everything kicks in!

I went through this exact same waiting period about 6 months ago after being laid off from my job. The 15-day wait feels eternal when you're stressed about money, but from what I experienced and what everyone here is saying, you're right on track. My certification didn't show up until day 17, and then I was able to certify for all the back weeks at once. One thing that really helped me during the waiting period was calling 211 to see if there were any local emergency assistance programs for utilities or food while I waited for EDD to kick in. Some counties have programs specifically for people waiting on unemployment benefits. Also, if you haven't already, make sure you're documenting any job search activities you're doing now - you'll need to report those when you do start certifying. The wait is frustrating but sounds like you're doing everything right!

I'm new to this community but dealing with the exact same ID.me nightmare! My account is showing some random @gmail.com address that I've never used, and I've been stuck on the EDD verification step for over a week now. This entire thread has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea there was actually a working phone number for ID.me support! I've been trying to get help through their useless chat system and online forms with zero success. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm definitely going to try the 8 AM sharp calling strategy tomorrow. I'm setting multiple alarms and preparing all my documents tonight (driver's license, SSN card, utility bills, birth certificate). I'm also writing down those key phrases about "duplicate accounts under SSN" and "identity resolution team" that several people mentioned. The most encouraging thing is hearing from people like @QuantumQuasar and @Oliver Weber who got their issues resolved so quickly once they reached the right rep. It's incredible how these mystery accounts can come from tax services, employers, or other government agencies without us even knowing! Really hoping @Zainab Ibrahim posts an update about her nephew's call. This community support is honestly the only thing keeping me hopeful that this mess is actually fixable. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - it makes such a stressful situation feel much less overwhelming! 🙏

I'm new here but this thread has been absolutely incredible to find! I've been struggling with this exact ID.me issue for the past two weeks - my account is showing some mysterious @outlook.com email that I've never seen before, and I can't get past the identity verification to file my unemployment claim. Reading through everyone's experiences has given me so much hope and practical advice. I had no idea there was actually a working phone number for ID.me! I've been going in circles with their chat bot and online support forms getting nowhere. I'm definitely going to try the 8 AM calling strategy that so many people have had success with. Already setting my alarm and gathering all my documents (driver's license, SSN card, recent bank statement, birth certificate). I'm also writing down those key phrases like "search for duplicate accounts under this SSN" and "identity resolution team" that multiple people mentioned. What's really eye-opening is learning how these mystery accounts can come from tax preparation services, previous employers, or other government agencies creating ID.me accounts without us knowing. I used TurboTax a few years ago and now I'm wondering if that's where this phantom account came from! Thank you everyone for sharing such detailed experiences and advice. This community support is honestly keeping me sane through this frustrating process. Really hoping to join the success stories soon! 🤞 @Zainab Ibrahim please keep us posted on how your nephew's call goes tomorrow - we're all rooting for you both!