try calling at exactly 8:03am. not 8 sharp when everyone else is calling. worked for me twice

Update: Finally got through this morning! Called the 1-800-300-5616 number at 8:05am and used the prompts someone suggested (1, 1, 2, 1, 4). Was on hold for about 35 minutes but finally spoke to a real person who resolved my payment issue. Thanks everyone for your help!

I'm in the exact same boat and this thread has been such a lifesaver! Got terminated during what was obviously departmental restructuring but they marked it as "misconduct" on all the paperwork. My hearing is scheduled for next week and I've been absolutely terrified about potentially having to face my former supervisor. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring though. It sounds like the main things to focus on are: 1) The burden of proof is actually on THEM to show willful misconduct with real documentation, 2) Judges focus on the legal definition rather than just employer accusations, and 3) Many employers either don't show up or can't provide solid evidence when questioned. I've been gathering everything I can - emails about the restructuring, my performance reviews (which were always good), and evidence that several other people were let go around the same time. It's so encouraging to hear all these success stories from people who were in similar situations. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who had their hearings over the phone, was there any technical issues or difficulties with the format? I'm worried about connection problems or not being able to present my documents effectively during a phone call. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - you've all made this process feel so much less scary!

I had my EDD appeal hearing about 4 months ago and wanted to address your question about technical issues with phone hearings! I was worried about the same thing, but it actually went very smoothly from a technical standpoint. The Administrative Law Judge called me at the scheduled time, and we had a brief tech check at the beginning to make sure everyone could hear clearly. For documents, I had everything organized in front of me and would reference them by saying things like "According to the email I received on March 15th..." or "My performance review from last year shows..." The judge was very patient and would ask me to read relevant portions aloud when needed. One tip that really helped: I created a simple cover sheet for each document with a brief description, so I could quickly find what I needed during the hearing. The judge also asked at the beginning if I had documents to reference, which gave me a chance to mention what I had prepared. Your preparation sounds excellent - having emails about restructuring and evidence of other layoffs will be really powerful. The phone format actually worked in my favor because I could have all my notes and timeline right in front of me without feeling nervous about being "on camera." You're going to do great! The technical side is honestly the least of your worries - focus on your strong documentation and remember that they have to prove their misconduct claim with real evidence, which it sounds like they won't be able to do.

I've been through the SDI process twice and want to echo what others have said - definitely don't file for both UI and SDI. It's a recipe for delays and headaches. Since your doctor has already certified you can't work, stick with SDI. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also make sure you understand exactly what your doctor put as your disability start date on the medical certification. This matters for when your benefits will actually begin - SDI has a 7-day waiting period before benefits start, and if there are any discrepancies between when you stopped working and when your doctor says your disability began, it can cause processing delays. Also, if you're really strapped for cash while waiting, check if your county has any programs specifically for people waiting on disability benefits. Some areas have "gap funding" programs designed exactly for situations like yours where you're between employment and waiting for benefits to kick in. Keep us posted on how it goes - rooting for you to get through this rough patch!

I'm sorry you're in such a tough spot financially. As others have mentioned, filing for both UI and SDI simultaneously is really risky and will likely delay both claims rather than speed things up. Since you already have medical certification that you can't work, SDI is definitely the right choice. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if you're facing eviction, make sure you know your tenant rights in California. Even with an eviction notice, the actual eviction process takes time, and there are often legal aid organizations that can help you navigate this while you wait for benefits. Look up your local legal aid society or tenant rights organization. Also, while waiting for SDI, consider reaching out to local gig economy opportunities that might work with your medical limitations - things like online tutoring, virtual assistant work, or other remote tasks that don't conflict with your disability claim. Just make sure anything you do is reported properly if your condition allows for some limited activity. The 3-4 week processing time others mentioned is unfortunately realistic right now. Focus on getting every piece of documentation perfect the first time to avoid any delays, and definitely check that UI Online account daily. Wishing you the best - this community is here to support you through this!

I'm currently on week 9 of my UI claim (corporate marketing events and brand activations) and this entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! Like everyone else here, I had no idea about the benefit year vs 26-week distinction - that's such crucial information that could have led to expensive mistakes down the road. The corporate marketing events sector has been particularly challenging since companies are being much more conservative with their marketing budgets and experiential campaigns. Many brands have shifted to digital-only strategies or much smaller activation teams. I've been hoping the industry would return to pre-pandemic spending levels, but reading everyone's real experiences here is helping me realize I need to start preparing for a longer job search. All the pivot suggestions in this thread are eye-opening - I hadn't considered how my skills in brand experience design, vendor relationship management, and campaign execution could translate to employee engagement roles or internal corporate communications. The ideas about "Brand Experience Coordinators" and "Internal Marketing Program Managers" are particularly relevant to my background. Based on everyone's consistent advice, I'm starting my CalFresh application this week and scheduling an appointment with my local AJCC office. Getting these safety nets established early while focusing on expanding my job search makes total sense. One thing I'll add for others in marketing events/brand activations: I've seen some companies hiring "Employee Brand Ambassador Coordinators" and "Internal Communications Experience Managers" - roles that essentially involve creating engaging experiences for employees and internal stakeholders. It's the same experiential marketing skills but applied to HR and internal communications rather than external customer campaigns. Thank you all for creating such a supportive community and sharing real, actionable advice. This thread has given me more clarity and practical guidance than anything I've found through official channels. It's reassuring to know so many others are navigating similar challenges and willing to share their knowledge!

I'm currently on week 5 of my UI claim (corporate hospitality and client entertainment events) and this thread has been absolutely incredible for understanding what I'm actually facing! Like everyone else here, I had zero knowledge about the benefit year vs 26-week distinction - that's such vital information that should be clearly explained upfront but somehow gets lost in EDD's confusing documentation. The corporate hospitality sector has been really tough since companies have drastically cut client entertainment budgets and most relationship-building events have moved to simple virtual meetings or been eliminated entirely. I've been hoping corporate hospitality would bounce back as business travel resumes, but reading all these honest experiences is helping me realize I need to start planning for a much longer transition. The pivot suggestions throughout this thread are absolutely brilliant - I hadn't thought about how my skills in high-touch client relationship management, luxury vendor coordination, and seamless experience delivery could translate to customer success programs or executive services roles. The ideas about "Client Experience Managers" and "Executive Program Coordinators" are particularly relevant to my background. I'm starting my CalFresh application this week and scheduling with my local AJCC office based on everyone's unanimous advice about getting these resources in place early rather than scrambling at week 24. One thing I'll add for others in corporate hospitality: I've noticed some financial services firms and consulting companies hiring "Client Relationship Experience Coordinators" and "Executive Services Program Managers" - roles that involve managing high-level client touchpoints and executive relationship programs. It's essentially the same white-glove service coordination we do for corporate events but in a more stable client services environment. This community is amazing - thank you all for sharing such practical, real-world advice. This thread has provided more useful guidance than months of trying to figure this out alone!

Just wanted to add my experience to this incredible thread! I've been dealing with the exact same issue - claim started in December and got stuck in pending for about 3 weeks. After reading through everyone's strategies here, I tried the 833-978-2511 number yesterday at 10:25am and finally got through after waiting 38 minutes in queue. Used the script about mentioning the quarterly review flag by name and the rep cleared it immediately! My payments just hit my account this morning. One additional tip that helped me - I also mentioned that I found out about the quarterly review flag through this community since EDD doesn't explain it anywhere. The rep actually thanked me for being specific about what needed to be fixed and said it saved her a lot of troubleshooting time. She also mentioned they're seeing this issue constantly with December claimants but the system doesn't auto-notify anyone about these holds. For anyone still stuck - these strategies absolutely work! Don't lose hope and keep trying. This community support has been everything when the official system fails us completely.

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I've been lurking on this community for weeks trying to find real solutions to the EDD nightmare and finally decided to join after seeing all these amazing success stories. I'm dealing with the exact same issue - my claim started in December and I've been stuck in pending for 3 weeks now. The quarterly review flag explanation finally makes everything click! I had absolutely no idea this was even a thing and it's beyond frustrating that EDD doesn't send ANY notification about these automatic holds. I've been doing everything wrong - calling the main 800 number at 8am every day and hanging up immediately when I hear that dreaded "maximum callers" message. After reading through all these detailed strategies, I'm going to try the 833-978-2511 number tomorrow morning at 10:30am and wait through the entire high volume message no matter how long it takes. I'm also going to use that brilliant script about immediately mentioning the quarterly review flag by name instead of trying to explain symptoms. The assembly member backup plan is genius too - never would have thought of that! Thank you all for sharing strategies that actually WORK and giving each other hope when the system completely abandons us. This community support means everything when you're facing rent deadlines and feeling totally helpless. Will definitely update when I (hopefully) get through! 🤞