This thread is gold! I'm starting my SDI claim next week after a back injury and was totally confused about the whole process. Reading through everyone's experiences really helped me understand what to expect. Quick question - does anyone know if there's a grace period if you're late submitting your certification? Like with UI you have a few days, but wasn't sure if SDI has the same flexibility. Don't want to mess up my first certification!

Just wanted to add something that might help others - if you're switching from UI to SDI (like if you were unemployed and then got injured), make sure to close your UI claim properly before starting SDI. I made the mistake of having both claims open at the same time and it created a huge mess with overpayments that took months to sort out. EDD doesn't automatically coordinate between the two programs even though they're the same agency. Also, keep all your medical documentation organized because SDI requires periodic medical reviews to continue benefits, unlike UI where you just need to show you're looking for work. The income replacement is definitely better with SDI but the medical requirements are much stricter.

I just wanted to add my experience since I went through this exact situation about a year ago. I quit my job due to sexual harassment and had the same confusion about being able to certify while having an eligibility interview scheduled. Here's what I learned: EDD's system is actually designed really well for this scenario, even though it seems confusing at first. You certify to "claim" those weeks, but the money stays in pending status until they determine if your quit was justified. If approved, you get all that backpay immediately. If denied, those weeks just get removed from your claim. For your hostile work environment case, focus on these key points during your interview: - Specific dates and incidents (keep a written timeline in front of you) - What you did to try to fix the situation before quitting - Why continuing to work there would have been unreasonable for anyone I had documented incidents over 3 months, showed I reported to HR twice, and explained how the harassment escalated after my complaints. Got approved the day after my interview and received 5 weeks of backpay. The most important thing: keep certifying every single time, even if your interview gets rescheduled. I almost stopped certifying when my interview was delayed and that would have been a huge mistake. You sound well-prepared with your documentation. The fact that they scheduled an interview instead of just denying you outright is actually a good sign - it means they think your case has merit and deserves review.

I'm currently dealing with almost the exact same situation! Filed my claim last week after quitting due to a toxic supervisor who was creating an impossible work environment, and I just got my interview scheduled for August 22nd. Like everyone else here, I was really confused when I could certify but still had the pending interview. This entire thread has been so incredibly helpful - I had no idea that certifying while waiting for the interview was not only okay but actually the smart thing to do. I was worried I might be doing something wrong by certifying before they determined my eligibility. Based on all the great advice here, I've started organizing my documentation chronologically. I have: - Screenshots of inappropriate texts from my supervisor - Email showing I tried to discuss the issues with them directly - Formal complaint I submitted to HR - HR's inadequate response that basically ignored my concerns - Documentation showing the behavior continued and got worse - My resignation letter explaining the hostile environment It's so encouraging to read about people getting approved after their interviews, especially the ones who got all their backpay right away. I was starting to think I made a mistake quitting without having another job lined up first, but it sounds like EDD does recognize when work environments become truly unbearable. I'm definitely going to keep certifying every two weeks leading up to my interview. This community support is amazing - thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and advice!

I just filed my claim this morning and ran into the EXACT same issue! My main job where I earned $51K over the past year isn't showing up at all - only some tiny freelance projects that barely paid anything. I was literally about to close my browser and spend the entire day trying to call EDD because I was convinced something was seriously wrong with their system. But reading through all these responses has been such a massive relief! It's incredible how universal this problem seems to be with their interface. The fact that so many people have had identical experiences and their benefits were calculated correctly in the end gives me so much confidence. I'm definitely going to submit my application today instead of wasting time trying to navigate their impossible phone system. EDD really needs to add some kind of disclaimer on that page explaining that what you see isn't the complete picture - it would save so many people from this unnecessary panic! Will definitely update everyone when I get my award notice. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences here - this thread is literally saving people's sanity!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Just started filling out my EDD application and was completely panicked when I saw that my primary employer where I made about $42K last year isn't showing up at all - only some small side jobs that barely paid anything. I was about to abandon the whole application thinking their system was broken, but reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief! It's amazing how many people have gone through this identical situation and had their benefits calculated correctly in the end. The EDD interface is really confusing and misleading - they should definitely add some kind of notice explaining that what you see during the application process isn't the complete picture of what they're actually using for calculations. I feel so much better now knowing that the system pulls from quarterly wage reports behind the scenes. Going to submit my application today instead of wasting hours trying to get through on their phone line. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - this thread has saved me from so much unnecessary stress!

I was in a very similar situation about 8 months ago when I lost my job at a tech startup. The anxiety about potentially messing up your benefits is totally understandable, but everyone here has given you accurate information. To put it simply: EBT/CalFresh benefits are NOT income that you report to EDD during certification. They're food assistance, which is completely different from income in the government's eyes. When EDD asks about income during your biweekly certification, they want to know about actual earnings - wages from part-time work, freelance gigs, disability payments, etc. - things that would potentially reduce your unemployment benefits. I collected both unemployment and EBT for about 6 months with zero issues. Never reported my food benefits to EDD, and it was never a problem. The key is understanding that these are separate programs with different purposes and requirements. Just make sure you DO report your unemployment income to the CalFresh office when you apply or recertify for food benefits, since that counts as household income for determining your EBT amount. But the reverse isn't true - EDD doesn't need to know about your food assistance. You're asking all the right questions and clearly want to do everything correctly. That's the right approach, but you can stop worrying about this particular issue. Good luck with your job search!

I just went through this same situation about 3 months ago after getting laid off from my job at a local clinic. The stress and confusion around these different programs is so real! Reading through all these responses brings back memories of how anxious I was about potentially messing something up. Everyone here has given you spot-on advice - you absolutely do NOT need to report EBT/CalFresh benefits when certifying for unemployment with EDD. I was terrified about this too and spent way too many sleepless nights worrying about it. But after months of collecting both benefits with zero issues, I can confirm that food assistance and unemployment are treated as completely separate things. The way I think about it now is: EDD wants to know about money you EARNED (like from work) that might reduce your unemployment benefits. EBT is assistance you RECEIVED to help with food costs - totally different category. When you're doing your biweekly certifications, just focus on reporting any actual work income, and don't stress about the food benefits. One tip that helped me stay organized was keeping a simple calendar where I marked my certification dates and noted if I had any work income to report. Made the whole process feel less overwhelming when everything was written down clearly. You're going to get through this! The fact that you're asking these questions shows you want to do everything right, which is exactly the attitude that will help you navigate this whole process successfully.

For technical issues specifically, make sure to tell the agent exactly what error messages you're seeing. They have different procedures for different types of lockouts.

I've been dealing with this exact same issue for the past 10 days! My account got locked after I accidentally used an old password a few times, and I've been calling the 800-300-5616 number constantly with no luck. Reading through all these comments, it sounds like Claimyr might be my best bet at this point. Has anyone had any luck with the early morning calling strategy, or is the auto-dialer service really the only reliable way to get through? I'm getting desperate since I'm already behind on my certifications.