This entire thread should honestly be required reading for anyone filing for unemployment in California! As someone who just started my claim process this week, I'm blown away by how much more I learned here than from EDD's actual website or representatives. @Hailey O'Leary, your journey from that initial panic to getting everything resolved is so inspiring and shows exactly why we can't just passively wait for the system to work. The employer misreporting issue is absolutely mind-blowing - I had no idea they could basically rewrite history to protect their insurance rates while leaving us hanging in limbo with no explanation. The practical advice everyone shared (8:01am calls, tier 2 specialists, documentation prep, even that Claimyr service) is gold. It's honestly sad that we have to crowdsource basic information about how to navigate a system designed to help unemployed people, but I'm so grateful this community exists. Saving this thread as my EDD bible!

This thread is absolutely incredible and should be stickied! As someone who's been helping people navigate EDD issues for years, I can confirm that @Hailey O'Leary's experience is unfortunately very typical - employers misreporting termination reasons to avoid higher UI tax rates is more common than people realize. What makes me so frustrated is that EDD has the technology to send you detailed notifications about why your payment is pending, but they choose not to. The "pending" status with zero explanation is intentionally vague to discourage people from following up. For anyone new to this: if your first payment is pending more than 5-7 days, there's almost certainly a flag that requires manual removal by a specialist. Don't wait weeks hoping it will resolve itself - it won't. The tips shared here (early morning calls, tier 2 requests, documentation ready) are spot-on. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - you're literally helping people survive during their most vulnerable times when the system is designed to make them give up.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who's been doing partial unemployment with retail work for over a year now! Your 20 hours/week situation is absolutely perfect for this program. A few things that made my life so much easier: - I use a simple calendar app where I just jot down "worked 4hrs - $58 gross" each day I work. Takes 10 seconds but saves me from scrambling during certification - Don't stress about the math! I used to sit there with a calculator trying to figure out what I'd get, but EDD's system does it automatically and shows you the breakdown - Your retail job probably has pretty predictable pay periods, which actually makes the reporting easier than jobs with weird schedules The biggest mindset shift for me was realizing that some weeks getting $0 from EDD because I worked more hours is actually a GOOD thing - it means I'm earning more that week! And like everyone said, your claim stays active for those lighter weeks. I've never had a single issue with EDD over partial benefits reporting in 14+ months of doing this. As long as you're honest about your earnings when you certify, the system works exactly as designed. You're going to do great!

Welcome to the partial unemployment club! I've been working part-time (18-24 hours/week) at a grocery store while on EDD for about 5 months now, and honestly it's been a lifesaver during my job search. Everyone here has given you excellent advice, but I wanted to add one thing that really helped me in the beginning - don't be surprised if your first few benefit payments seem lower than expected while you're adjusting to the new routine. It took me about 3-4 weeks to really understand the pattern of how my variable hours affected my weekly benefits. Also, keep in mind that working part-time while on EDD actually looks GOOD when you're applying for full-time positions. Employers see that you're actively working and staying current with your skills rather than just collecting benefits. I've had several interviewers specifically mention this as a positive during my job search. The retail experience you're getting now might even open up opportunities you hadn't considered before - I ended up getting interviews for supervisory retail positions that I wouldn't have qualified for without this part-time experience. Sometimes these transition periods lead to unexpected career paths! You're handling this exactly right by getting informed upfront. The peace of mind is worth so much more than stumbling through it confused. Good luck with your new job!

As someone who just joined this community after dealing with my own EDD nightmare, this entire thread has been a lifesaver! I have an apostrophe in my last name (O'Connor) and have been battling with both ID.me and EDD for over 6 weeks now. The ID.me verification supposedly went through, but I keep hitting the same "information doesn't match" wall when trying to register for UI Online. Reading Derek's success story and seeing how many others have dealt with similar special character issues makes me feel less alone in this mess. The technical explanation from Ryder about multiple databases not syncing properly finally makes sense of why this keeps happening. I'm definitely trying Claimyr tomorrow - the fact that so many people here have had success with it gives me real hope. It's absolutely ridiculous that in 2025 we need third-party services to access our own benefits because government systems can't handle basic punctuation, but I'm so grateful this community exists to share these solutions. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge and experiences - you're literally helping people put food on the table when the system fails them!

Just want to add my experience as another data point for people dealing with special characters - my last name has an accent (García) and I went through almost the exact same ordeal as Derek. The ID.me agent said everything was "fixed" but I still couldn't register for UI Online. What finally worked for me was calling through Claimyr (took about 20 minutes to get through) and specifically asking the EDD rep to spell out my name letter by letter from their system. Turns out the accent got stripped out entirely during the transfer from ID.me to EDD, so my name was stored as "Garcia" in their database. Once the rep updated it to match exactly what was on my documents, I was able to register immediately. The whole process took maybe 10 minutes once I got the right person on the phone. It's insane that we have to deal with this in 2025, but at least there are solutions. Thanks Derek for sharing your success story - it gave me the confidence to keep pushing for a resolution instead of just giving up!

I'm going through something similar right now - had my hearing 3 weeks ago and the waiting is absolutely brutal! From what I've gathered reading through all these responses, it sounds like 4-6 weeks is pretty typical for the decision letter. What really struck me is how many people mentioned that even after winning, you have to stay on top of EDD to actually implement the changes. I'm already preparing myself for that battle. The fraud designation is what really gets me too - like you, I reported everything accurately and they're acting like I'm some kind of criminal. Hang in there, and definitely save all those phone numbers and tips people shared here. Sounds like we're going to need them!

I'm in the exact same boat right now! Had my hearing on September 28th for a $4,200 overpayment that I absolutely do not owe - I was meticulous about reporting my part-time earnings every week. It's been almost 4 weeks now and I'm going crazy checking the mail every day. The judge seemed to understand that EDD made an error in their calculations, but you never know for sure until that letter arrives. Reading everyone's experiences here is both comforting and terrifying - sounds like even winning is just the beginning of the battle! I've already bookmarked all the phone numbers and tips people shared because I have a feeling I'm going to need them. The stress of this whole process is unreal. Hoping we both get good news soon and that EDD actually follows through on implementing whatever the judges decide!

Good luck with your class! Just wanted to add that if you do get flagged for an interview, don't stress too much about it. I went through the same thing last year with a weekend photography workshop (much shorter than your programming class) and the interview was pretty straightforward. The EDD rep basically just wanted to confirm that I understood I'd need to prioritize work over the class if a job opportunity came up. The whole call took maybe 10 minutes. Since you're being proactive about answering honestly and your class is only one evening per week, you should be fine. Programming skills will definitely help your job search too!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been through this process twice! The first time I took a Spanish class at community college while on unemployment, I panicked and marked "no" on the school question because I was terrified they'd cut my benefits. Big mistake - when they eventually found out (through some cross-referencing system), I had to pay back two months of benefits plus penalties. It was a nightmare. The second time around, I was honest from the start about taking a web design course. Yes, they scheduled an interview, but it was really just to verify that I could still work full-time if offered a job. Since it was only two evenings per week, they continued my benefits without any issues. My advice: Always be truthful on your certifications, even if it seems scary. The temporary stress of a potential interview is way better than dealing with overpayment issues later. Plus, EDD generally supports people improving their job skills as long as it doesn't interfere with work availability. One programming class in the evening should be totally fine!