
California Unemployment
CommunityGovernment Services


Ask the community...
I've certified for unemployment benefits on time for the past two payment periods but haven't received a dime either time. My UI Online account shows 'paid' status but nothing has hit my Money Network card or bank account. This is the second payment cycle where this has happened. I'm really starting to panic because rent is due next week and I was counting on this money. I've tried calling EDD about 20 times using different numbers but always get the 'we're experiencing high call volume' message. Has anyone else experienced payment delays recently? What should I do to actually get my money? This is so frustrating!
I'm really confused and stressed about my EDD unemployment situation. I work at a small tech company in San Francisco, and my hours were recently cut from full-time to just one day per week. When I applied for unemployment benefits, I was denied! The EDD representative said that because I receive $1250 in monthly child support for my daughter, I won't qualify for benefits. They mentioned something about the threshold for a household of two being $1160, and since my income from child support exceeds this, I'm apparently not eligible. This doesn't make sense to me because my work income has dropped so dramatically - I'm barely making $450 a month now at my job. I had an interview for a new position yesterday but nothing solid yet. Does anyone know how EDD calculates eligibility when child support is involved? Is there a specific appeal process I should follow? Any insight would be so helpful - my rent is due next week and I'm getting desperate.
You need to specifically request a determination interview regarding your eligibility. This is different from just calling their general line. When you get through to EDD (which is admittedly very difficult), tell them you want to schedule an eligibility determination interview to discuss your reduced hours and the child support income issue. During that interview, make sure to emphasize that your hours were involuntarily reduced and you're actively looking for full-time work. The interview gives you a chance to explain your situation to someone who can actually make decisions about your claim, not just a general customer service rep. Also, make sure you're properly certifying every two weeks, even while waiting for this to get resolved. If you ultimately win your appeal, they'll pay you retroactively for the weeks you certified correctly.
Just FYI my sister was in a similar situation last year and she ended up qualifying for CalFresh even though she didn't get unemployment. You might want to look into that too while you're fighting the EDD decision!
This is excellent advice. Many people don't realize that CalFresh (food assistance) has different eligibility requirements than unemployment. You can be denied for UI but still qualify for CalFresh, especially with a child in the household. You can apply online at GetCalFresh.org or through your county human services office.
Y'all I just had to share this win after weeks of frustration! My husband lost his job in construction back in January (layoffs hit HARD this year), and we've been dealing with absolute CHAOS trying to access his benefits. His payments were supposedly loaded onto that Money Network card, but we couldn't access ANYTHING for almost 3 weeks. Called Money Network - they blamed EDD. Called EDD - they blamed Money Network. Round and round for days!!! After reading posts in this group about contacting your State Assembly member, I was like "why not, nothing else is working." So last Tuesday (Feb 10th) I emailed our Assembly rep's office, had the intake form back to them within hours. I was honestly shocked when an EDD rep called us THE NEXT MORNING! They actually followed up again yesterday and today. The funny part? Turns out our issue wasn't even what we thought. Our credit union apparently doesn't have the Early Warning System that EDD uses for verification! No one from EDD or Money Network ever mentioned this possibility. We're meeting with our bank on Monday to sort it out. Don't give up if you're stuck in EDD limbo! There ARE actual humans who can help cut through the bureaucracy. Our family is going to make it another month because someone finally listened. State reps for the win!!
UPDATE: Meeting with our credit union was successful! The manager helped us fill out some additional verification paperwork and said funds should be available by Wednesday. Our Assembly rep's office even called today to follow up. I'm honestly shocked at how quickly things moved once we got the right people involved!
This whole system is DESIGNED to be confusing. They WANT you to give up so they don't have to pay benefits. When I had issues last year my "dedicated phone appointment" was mysteriously cancelled TWICE. My theory is they intentionally make Money Network complicated because they know most people will just give up after weeks of trying. It's ALL about saving the state money. Glad you found someone to help but the whole system needs an overhaul.
I have my EDD appeal hearing scheduled for tomorrow morning, and I'm panicking. I got disqualified because they're saying I quit without good cause, but I was actually pushed out after my company restructured. The twist is that I had signed as guarantor on a business loan for my brother-in-law last year, and when his business failed, I had to take a second job to cover those payments. My main employer refused to accommodate my needed schedule change, essentially forcing me to quit. I've been trying to research 'equity' and 'suretyship' defenses for EDD appeals since I've read these might apply when financial obligations force you to leave employment. Has anyone successfully used these arguments in an appeal hearing? What documentation should I bring? I have the loan paperwork showing I'm the guarantor and payment records, but I'm not sure how to present this effectively to the judge. Any advice ASAP would be lifesaving!
I don't have experience with suretyship specifically BUT make sure you understand that these hearings are recorded and everything you say matters!!! My friend thought the hearing was going well but then contradicted herself on one small detail and the judge used that to deny her appeal. Be consistent!!!
Since your hearing is tomorrow, focus on these final preparations: 1. Organize your documents chronologically in a binder with tabs 2. Write a brief timeline of events (1 page max) 3. Practice explaining your situation in under 3 minutes 4. Prepare concise answers to likely questions about: - Why you became a guarantor - Why you couldn't meet both work schedule and financial obligations - What specific accommodations you requested - Why other alternatives weren't viable Regarding your question about finding another position within the company - yes, the judge may ask about this. Be prepared to explain whether internal transfers were available and if not, why not. The key is demonstrating you exhausted all reasonable options before quitting.
Just got back from my hearing and it went much better than expected! I followed your advice about organizing documents and preparing a timeline. The judge seemed sympathetic when I explained the financial obligation and my attempts to keep my job. She said I should receive a decision in 7-10 days. Fingers crossed! Thank you all for your help - it made a huge difference in my confidence level.
Hey everyone, I'm super confused about my partner's unemployment claim. He filed for UI back in March after being laid off from his construction job. His award letter arrived with a claim beginning date of 4/7/2024, but when he went to certify this morning, the system only showed weeks 5/11 and 5/18 available to certify. Shouldn't there be weeks from April showing up too? That's like a whole month of benefits he's potentially missing! We really need that backpay since we've been struggling with rent and our car payment. Has anyone dealt with this before? Do we need to call EDD to get those missing April weeks added? I'm worried they'll just disappear if we don't do something about it soon.
why dont u just certify the weeks u can see for now? those missing weeks might show up later automatically. my roomate had this happen
Update on what to do in this specific situation: 1. First, have your partner certify for the weeks currently available (5/11 and 5/18) 2. Wait 2-3 days to see if the system updates with the April weeks 3. If not, contact EDD directly - phone is fastest but hardest to get through 4. When speaking with a representative, specifically ask them to "add the missing certification weeks from the claim beginning date of 4/7/2024" 5. Be prepared to explain that the award letter shows 4/7 as the start date The representative should be able to manually add those weeks to the certification queue. Once added, your partner will need to certify for those weeks immediately. Don't worry about the payments being "lost" - as long as the claim beginning date is 4/7, he's entitled to certify for those weeks.
Mateo Perez
Based on your situation, this sounds like what we call a "phantom payment block" - where the system shows paid but the payment is held in processing. There are typically three causes: 1. A quarterly wage review flag (happens automatically every 3 months) 2. A random identity verification check 3. A system glitch requiring manual override Unfortunately, all three require speaking with an EDD representative who can see the backend of your claim. These issues won't be visible to you in UI Online. I recommend calling right at 8:00 AM when they open, or using a service to help you get through the phone lines. Once you reach a representative, specifically ask them to check for payment blocks or holds that might not be visible on your end.
0 coins
Sean Murphy
thats exactly what happend to me last year!!! stupid quarterly review thing and they never even TOLD me about it. wasted 3 weeks of my life trying to figure it out
0 coins
Anastasia Ivanova
UPDATE: I finally got through to an EDD rep! Had to use that Claimyr service someone mentioned here (worked exactly like the video showed). Turns out there was a "quarterly income review hold" on my account that triggered automatically. The rep removed it and released both payments - should have the money by tomorrow! For anyone facing similar issues, definitely try to speak with a live agent because there was absolutely NOTHING in my online account showing this problem.
0 coins
StarStrider
Great news! Those quarterly reviews can be frustrating because they often trigger automatically even when everything is in order with your claim. Glad you got it resolved and your payments released.
0 coins