Congrats Nathan! 🎉 This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm bookmarking it for future reference! Just wanted to add one more thing that might help you and others in similar situations. When you're doing your work search activities while waiting to start, consider joining some marketing-focused Facebook groups, Reddit communities, or professional associations. Activities like "participated in marketing professionals discussion on Reddit" or "joined [specific marketing group] and reviewed industry discussions" count as valid networking/work search activities. Plus you'll build connections that could be valuable throughout your career! I also found it helpful to create a simple email folder called "EDD Documentation" where I saved confirmations from any online courses, screenshots of job boards I searched, and copies of networking messages I sent. Having everything in one organized place made me feel so much more confident about the whole process. The waiting period between getting an offer and starting can feel long, but using that time strategically for professional development makes it feel productive rather than just bureaucratic. You're going to crush it at your new marketing role! 🚀

Congratulations on landing the marketing position! 🎉 This thread has been incredibly informative - I'm actually saving it as a reference because the advice is so comprehensive! I just wanted to add something that might help with the work search documentation that I learned from my own experience. When you're doing those required activities while waiting to start, make sure to be as specific as possible in your logs. Instead of writing "researched marketing trends," write something like "researched Q1 2024 digital marketing trends on MarketingLand.com, focusing on AI integration in email campaigns." The extra specificity serves two purposes: it makes your documentation bulletproof if EDD ever asks for details, AND it forces you to actually engage deeply with the material rather than just skimming. I found that this approach made my prep time genuinely valuable for my new role. Also, since everyone's mentioned keeping good records, I'd suggest creating a backup of your documentation. I kept my main tracking spreadsheet in Google Drive but also emailed myself a copy every week. Sounds paranoid, but technology fails at the worst times and you don't want to lose weeks of documentation! The whole EDD process can feel overwhelming, but it sounds like you've got a solid plan now thanks to all the great advice here. Best of luck with the transition to your new marketing role - June will be here before you know it! 🚀

As someone completely new to this community but unfortunately very familiar with EDD frustrations, I stumbled across this thread while desperately searching for help with my own 2020 EDD card situation. I can't believe how incredibly detailed and helpful everyone's advice has been here! I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare - forgot about my EDD card from the pandemic, tried to use it last month for some emergency home repairs, and got hit with the classic Bank of America "security hold" with zero real explanation. I've been banging my head against the wall trying to get through to either EDD or BofA for weeks. This thread has been absolutely life-saving! The multi-pronged strategy everyone's developed - CFPB complaint + UI Online callback + strategic phone timing + meticulous documentation - is brilliant. I never would have thought of half these tactics on my own. The specific phone numbers, that genius Disability Insurance transfer trick, and especially the tip about getting email confirmations with reference numbers are pure gold. It's simultaneously infuriating and reassuring to see so many people dealing with identical situations. Infuriating because it proves how fundamentally broken this system is, but reassuring because you've all demonstrated that persistence actually works and our money IS still recoverable. I'm implementing the full battle plan starting tomorrow morning. Thank you all for refusing to give up and for creating this incredible roadmap for the rest of us trapped in EDD bureaucracy hell! Will definitely update everyone on my progress.

As someone brand new to this community but unfortunately dealing with this exact same frustrating situation, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing such detailed and actionable advice! I have an EDD card from 2020 that I completely forgot about until I tried to use it for some unexpected car repairs last week. Bank of America gave me the usual "security hold" runaround with absolutely no helpful specifics. Reading through this entire thread has been like discovering a masterclass in navigating EDD bureaucracy! The multi-pronged strategy that's emerged from everyone's real-world experiences - filing CFPB complaints while simultaneously using UI Online callbacks and implementing strategic phone timing - is absolutely brilliant. I'm particularly grateful for those specific phone numbers, the 8am calling strategy, and that ingenious Disability Insurance transfer trick Paolo mentioned. The documentation advice about getting email confirmations with reference numbers is something I never would have considered but makes perfect sense for avoiding the typical EDD/BofA blame game. It's both maddening and comforting to see so many people dealing with identical situations - maddening because it shows how broken this system is, but comforting because you've all proven that persistence works and our money IS recoverable. I'm starting my own battle tomorrow using the comprehensive roadmap this community has created. Will definitely report back with my results to help keep building this amazing knowledge base for others trapped in EDD limbo. Thank you all for not giving up on your money and for turning what seemed like an impossible situation into a solvable problem with concrete steps!

I'm dealing with this exact same registration error right now and this thread has been a total lifesaver! Been stuck for 3 days with that "information doesn't match our records" message and was starting to lose hope. Reading through everyone's specific solutions has given me so many new angles to investigate that I never would have considered - the apartment number field placement, middle name vs initial formatting, case sensitivity issues, even things like spelling out "Street" instead of using "St." It's absolutely mind-boggling that EDD's system is this particular about exact data matching when we're already stressed about unemployment. I'm going to work through the systematic checklist everyone has created tonight and cross-reference every single field with my original claim paperwork. If the manual troubleshooting doesn't work, I'm definitely trying Claimyr based on all the success stories here. Thank you all for sharing these detailed, actionable solutions instead of just saying "keep calling" - this community support means everything when dealing with EDD's frustrating system!

I'm currently stuck in this exact same registration nightmare! Been getting that "information doesn't match our records" error for the past week and was honestly starting to panic that my claim was completely broken. This thread has been such a blessing to find - the detailed troubleshooting advice everyone has shared is incredible! Reading through @Cole Roush's technical explanation about exact string matching really helped me understand why the system is so impossibly picky. And @57258824db9c's apartment number solution definitely has me wondering if that's my issue since I live in a complex too and probably entered my unit number differently on the original application vs registration. I'm going to try the systematic approach tonight: check case sensitivity, verify no extra spaces, spell out street names fully, double-check apartment field placement, and make sure my middle name formatting matches exactly. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become forensic accountants just to access benefits we earned, especially when already stressed about job loss. If the manual verification doesn't work, I'm definitely going with Claimyr based on all the success stories here. Thanks everyone for turning this frustrating experience into an actionable guide with real hope for resolution! This community support means everything when dealing with EDD's broken system.

Just want to add my experience to hopefully help others going through this nightmare! I was stuck in identity verification hell for about 3 months last year. What finally worked for me was a combination of several strategies mentioned here: 1. Used the ID.me route (much faster than traditional verification) 2. Called right at 8am on weekdays and specifically asked for Tier 2 3. Kept detailed notes of every interaction 4. Sent documents via BOTH online portal AND fax The breakthrough came when I got a Tier 2 rep who actually cared and walked me through exactly what was missing from my file. Turns out they had marked my utility bill as "unclear" but never told me - I had to upload a different one. Once everything was verified, I got ALL my backpay in one lump sum covering 14 weeks. It was a huge relief! The key is persistence and using multiple channels. Don't rely on just one method. Also pro tip: screenshot EVERYTHING in your UI Online account. Dates, confirmation numbers, document upload receipts - all of it. You'll need this info later and the system sometimes "loses" things. Stay strong everyone, it's frustrating but you will get through this! 💪

I'm currently going through this same identity verification nightmare and it's been 6 weeks so far with no end in sight. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and terrifying at the same time! 😅 One thing I wanted to add that I learned the hard way - make sure your name on ALL documents matches EXACTLY what's in their system. I had my middle name abbreviated on one document and spelled out on another, and apparently that was enough to flag my case for "inconsistencies." Such a small detail but it delayed me by weeks. Also, has anyone had luck with contacting their local assembly member's office? I've heard they sometimes have direct lines to EDD that can help expedite cases. Thinking about trying that route if my current appeals don't go anywhere. The backpay situation is what's keeping me sane through all this - knowing that once it's resolved, I'll get everything I'm owed retroactively. But man, this process really tests your patience and mental health. Thanks to everyone sharing their tips and experiences here, it really helps to know we're not alone in this mess! 🤝

I'm in literally the exact same situation right now! Lost my job at a small cafe in mid-January but just filed last week because I was absolutely convinced I'd find something quickly in the service industry. This whole thread has been like finding gold - seeing so many people actually succeed with backdating gives me hope when everything online seems so negative about EDD. Based on everyone's experiences, I'm going to start the 8 AM calling strategy tomorrow using 1-800-300-5616 and just keep at it until I break through. My reason is identical to most people here - genuinely didn't understand how crucial immediate filing was and spent those weeks actively job hunting thinking something would pop up fast. For those who got approved, did the reps ask about any specific documentation of your job search, or was mentioning that you were actively looking generally enough? I have some scattered application emails but nothing super organized. The thought of potentially getting 7+ weeks of back benefits would honestly save me from having to move back with my parents. Thank you to everyone sharing their success stories - it's giving me the courage to tackle those busy signals knowing persistence actually works!

I'm going through the exact same situation right now! Lost my job at a local restaurant in late January but just filed this week because I was so sure I'd bounce back quickly in the food industry. Reading through all these success stories has given me incredible hope - it's amazing to see so many people actually getting their backdates approved when you hear so many horror stories online. I'm definitely going to try the persistent calling method starting tomorrow at 8 AM sharp using 1-800-300-5616. My situation sounds identical to everyone else's - I genuinely had no clue how important it was to file immediately and spent those weeks job hunting, thinking something would come through fast. One thing I'm wondering - for those who mentioned job search activities to the reps, did you need to provide specific company names or was it enough to just say you were actively applying places? I have some email confirmations saved but they're pretty disorganized. The potential of getting 6-7 weeks of back benefits would be absolutely life-changing for catching up on bills right now. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - knowing that persistence and honesty actually work is giving me the motivation to power through those busy signals!