California Unemployment
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EDD weekly certification with different phone number - Will UI Online recognize the change?
My son just lost his phone service bc he couldn't pay the bill on time. He normally does his EDD certification through UI Online mobile app with 2-step verification sent to his phone. Will EDD system recognize him if he tries to certify from my phone instead? He's worried about messing up his claim if he uses a different number. Can he just log in on my phone or does he need to update contact info first? His payment is scheduled for this Sunday and he CANNOT miss it... rent is due. Has anyone delt with this situation??
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EDD gave me new benefit year with higher weekly amount without filing a new claim - what's happening?
I'm super confused about what's happening with my EDD account. I was laid off last week when the restaurant I worked at suddenly closed down, but I haven't filed for unemployment yet. I was gathering my paperwork to apply when I logged into my UI Online account (I had unemployment back in 2023) and noticed something weird. My account shows I have a NEW benefit year that started this month, a NEW claim balance of $11,250, and my weekly benefit amount is now $450 (it was only $320 before). I literally haven't applied for anything! Has anyone ever seen this happen? Is EDD automatically refiling claims now? Should I just certify for these weeks or will that mess something up? I'm worried I'll get in trouble for fraud if I claim benefits I didn't actually apply for!
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ur actually super lucky!! most ppl have to fight with edd to get anything but ur boss did all the work 4 u! congrats on the higher benefit amount too!!
wait is this a thing employers can just do?? i got laid off 3 weeks ago and have been struggling with the application. why didnt my boss do this for me?? unfair!
It's optional for employers, not required. Usually only larger companies or businesses that have planned closures/layoffs do this as a courtesy to employees. Most small businesses don't know about this option or don't have the administrative capacity to handle it. Don't take it personally - just focus on getting your own claim processed correctly.
EDD phone line nightmares - need help filing new claim when online system blocks me
I'm at my wits' end trying to file a new unemployment claim! My situation is a bit complicated: I had an active claim throughout 2024, and while I was reporting income from part-time gigs as required when certifying, I wasn't actually collecting any benefits because I was earning too much most weeks. Now in 2025, I need to file a completely new claim since my contract work dried up, but the UI Online system is giving me an error message saying I need to speak with a representative before I can proceed with filing. I've called the main number (833-978-2511) about 20 times over the past week at different hours - either get the dreaded "we're experiencing high call volume" message or it disconnects me after being on hold for 45+ minutes. Has anyone managed to get through recently? Is there a special number or trick to actually speak with someone? This is getting desperate as I'm already 3 weeks without income.
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I want to add one more technical detail that might help when you do get through: Ask the representative to process a "UI Reapplication" for you rather than just reopening your claim. Sometimes they'll try to just reactivate your old claim (which won't work in your situation since the benefit year has ended). Also, make sure you have your employment information for the last 18 months ready when you call - they'll need employer names, addresses, dates of employment and wages. Having this information organized will make the call go much faster once you get through.
Thank you - I'll definitely use that specific terminology. I've got all my employment info ready to go - just need to actually reach a human being who can help!
just wanted to chime in - i solved this by using the "ask EDD" feature on the website instead of calling. took 4 days to get a response but then they fixed it on their end and emailed me saying i could file a new claim online. might be worth trying that route too while ur trying to get thru on phone
I submitted an Ask EDD question 5 days ago and haven't heard anything back yet. But good to know it eventually worked for you - I'll keep waiting for that response while also trying the phone.
EDD payment shows paid then went back to pending after midnight certification - normal?
Ok so im really confused right now. I certified exactly at 12:10am Sunday morning (yeah I know, desperate times lol). Right after I certified, my UI Online account briefly showed 'paid' status for both weeks. I even took a screenshot because I was so relieved! But when I checked again this morning around 8am, both weeks are back to 'pending' status. Has this happened to anyone else? Is this some kind of glitch in the EDD system during late-night certifications? I've never certified right after midnight before. Usually my payments process within 24hrs but now I'm worried something went wrong. I really need this money to hit my Money Network card by Tuesday for rent. Should I panic or is this just part of their normal processing??
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anyone else notice that money hits account faster if u have direct deposit instead of the money network card? switched to direct deposit and now my funds are available like 24hrs sooner
This is an excellent point. Direct deposit typically processes 1-2 days faster than Money Network card transfers. The Money Network system requires an additional processing step as funds have to transfer from EDD to Money Network before becoming available on your card. With direct deposit, once EDD releases the payment, it goes straight to your bank account, often within 24-48 hours after showing "paid" status. I always recommend direct deposit for faster access to benefits when possible.
UPDATE: You guys were right! Just checked and my status changed back to PAID about an hour ago. Thank you all for talking me off the ledge. Next time I won't panic over status changes (or maybe I'll just certify at a normal hour like a regular person 😅). For anyone finding this thread later with the same issue - just wait it out, the system does weird things overnight but it sorts itself out!
Glad to hear it resolved as expected! This is why understanding the EDD processing cycles can help reduce stress during the unemployment process. For future reference, the optimal time to certify is actually Sunday morning between 6am-10am. The system tends to have fewer glitches during those hours, and your certification still gets processed in the Sunday batch.
EDD UI Online site freezing and timing out - can't certify for benefits
I've been trying to certify for my weekly unemployment benefits since Sunday but UI Online is completely broken! The page just keeps spinning and eventually times out. I've tried everything - cleared cache, used incognito mode, and even borrowed my girlfriend's laptop. No matter what I do, the certification page either freezes or crashes. I've tried Brave, Chrome, Firefox and even Safari (ugh). Nothing works! Has anyone else had this problem this week? My rent is due in 5 days and I NEED this payment. Is EDD having some kind of system outage? The status page says everything's normal but that's obviously not true. Any ideas on how to get through? Should I try calling or is there another way to certify when the website won't work?
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UPDATE: I finally got through! I tried the Tele-Cert system like @profile2 suggested but it kept saying my information wasn't in the system (??). Then I tried logging in to UI Online at 5:30am this morning and it worked! The site was super slow but I managed to complete my certification before it crashed again. Thanks everyone for your help. For anyone else having this problem, definitely try early morning hours when traffic is lower. Now fingers crossed the payment comes through before my rent is due...
Connor Murphy
my cousin had this same problem he just went to the library and used the computer there to login and update his phone number then he could use any phone after that
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Miguel Ortiz
AuthorThat's a smart idea I didn't think of! The library has computers he could use. Thanks!
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Zainab Omar
Just checking back - was your son able to update his phone number and complete his certification? If he's having trouble accessing his account to make the update, he should try these steps: 1. Use a computer at a library or friend's house 2. Select "Forgot Password" if needed 3. Verify identity using his email if he has that as a backup 4. Update phone number in Contact Information 5. Log out and then log back in using the updated phone number Remember that while phone devices can change freely, the actual contact phone number must be updated if he has two-factor authentication enabled and needs to receive verification codes.
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Miguel Ortiz
AuthorUpdate: We got it working! He went to the library like someone suggested and was able to login using email verification instead of the phone. He updated his number to mine, then certified from my phone later. His payment is pending now. Thanks everyone for the help!!!
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