WHATEVER YOU DO, don't spend that money!!!! When they finally do their investigation, they WILL make you pay back every penny if your pension disqualifies you. My neighbor went through this and ended up with a $12,000 overpayment that he couldn't afford to pay back. They can garnish your wages and tax returns if you don't pay it back!!!

After reading through the comments, I think you should take two immediate actions: 1. Try to reach a Tier 2 specialist who can check on your specific investigation 2. Start preparing financially for a likely overpayment notice based on the pension offset rules For what it's worth, you can request a waiver of overpayment if repayment would cause extraordinary hardship AND you reported everything truthfully from the beginning (which it sounds like you did). The form is called DE 1446W. It's not guaranteed to be approved, but it's an option if you truly can't afford to repay.

I've been on unemployment three times in the past five years and let me tell you, the whole system is designed to be frustrating. My brother works for the state (not EDD) and says they're chronically understaffed. Like 50% of the people they need. So everything takes forever. And their computer system was built in the stone age. Last time my payment was pending, I just waited it out and it switched to paid after 4 days with no explanation. But I get being nervous about rent - my landlord doesn't exactly accept "EDD is slow" as an excuse lol

UPDATE: Good news! I called first thing this morning (took about 15 attempts to get through) and spoke with a rep. She said there was indeed a random quarterly review flag on my account that was holding up payment. She was able to clear it while I was on the phone, and my status just changed from pending to paid! She said I should receive the deposit by tomorrow. Thanks everyone for your advice and support!

Trying to reach EDD can be incredibly frustrating. I struggled with the same issue until I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me get through to an EDD representative in about 10 minutes when I'd been trying unsuccessfully for weeks. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km But to answer your question directly: Yes, you should activate your Money Network card immediately and certify for all available weeks before your interview. The interview determines your ongoing eligibility, but having weeks already certified means you'll get paid faster if approved.

To answer your follow-up question about direct deposit - yes, you can switch to direct deposit instead of using the Money Network card. After you've activated your account, log into UI Online, go to "Profile" and then "Payment Preference" to set up direct deposit with your bank account information. However, any payments that have already been issued to the card will remain there, so you'll need to withdraw those funds separately.

To answer your earlier question - you should file for UI as soon as you start the reduced-hour position. Don't wait. You can even apply a few days before if you know your exact schedule. On the application, you'll enter your current employer, indicate you're still working but at reduced hours, and explain the situation. When certifying each week, you'll report your exact earnings for that week. Be very precise with the amounts - if your gross pay (before taxes) for the week is $320.45, enter exactly $320.45, not rounded to $320. EDD cross-references with employer reporting, and discrepancies can cause delays. You may have a phone interview scheduled to verify details, which is normal for reduced-hours claims. Just explain exactly what happened: you returned from PFL and your full-time position was no longer available, so you were placed in a part-time position instead.

For partial unemployment with an existing employer, the work search requirements are different. On your certification, you'll answer "Yes" to being ready and available for work, but EDD typically waives active job search requirements when you have a part-time job and are collecting partial benefits. However, you should still select "Yes" for looking for work, and document that you've informed your current employer you're available for additional hours if they become available. That counts as a work search activity. The certification portal will explain this when you get there.

One more thing to consider - make sure your mailing address in UI Online is correct and up to date. If there's any discrepancy, your card could be sent to the wrong address. I've seen cases where people moved recently and the card was sent to their old address, causing significant delays. Also, if you've had a previous EDD claim in the past three years, they might not send a new card. They'll just reload funds onto your existing card. Did you have an unemployment claim before?

Glad you figured it out! For future reference (and for others reading this thread), I recommend setting up direct deposit through UI Online. It's much faster than waiting for funds to be loaded onto the Money Network card. The direct deposit option became available in late 2024 and it typically gets you your benefits 2-3 days faster than the debit card method.