I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! My benefits just exhausted last week and I was totally panicking about having to wait until my benefit year ends in September. Reading through all these responses has been such a huge relief - I had no idea there was potentially an exception for people who worked during their benefit year. I did some tutoring work and odd jobs during my claim period and earned about $3,400 total. Based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like if I earned over that $1,300 threshold in any single quarter, I might be able to file a new claim right away instead of waiting 6+ months. That would be life-changing! The consistent advice about using Claimyr to actually get through to EDD and asking specifically about "lag quarter" wages seems like the key strategy that actually works. I've been avoiding calling EDD because their phone system is notoriously impossible, but seeing all these success stories gives me hope it's worth trying. This thread has honestly been such a lifesaver for understanding rules that should be straightforward but EDD makes so confusing! It's amazing how much insider knowledge you need just to access basic information about your own benefits. Going to organize all my earnings by quarter this weekend and call first thing Monday using Claimyr. Really hoping my tutoring payments were timed in a way that hits that threshold. Thanks to everyone who's shared their real experiences - you've given those of us just starting this stressful process so much hope and practical guidance! 🙏

Just wanted to add my experience to this incredibly helpful thread! I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago - benefits exhausted in July but my benefit year didn't end until December. I was absolutely panicking about the 5-month gap with no income. I had worked part-time at a local coffee shop during my benefit year and earned about $4,100 total over roughly 3 months. Like many of you, I had no idea about the exception rules until I found discussions like this one online. The EDD website is completely useless for explaining when you might actually qualify! Here's what happened when I called: I used a service similar to Claimyr to get through (took about 20 minutes instead of hours of busy signals), had all my quarterly earnings organized, and specifically asked about "lag quarter" wages like others mentioned. The rep confirmed that since I had earned over $2,000 in one quarter, I qualified for a new claim immediately. The process was actually pretty straightforward once I reached someone who knew the rules. Filed the new claim that same day and started receiving benefits again within 2 weeks. My weekly amount was lower than my original claim (based on the coffee shop wages), but getting $180/week was way better than waiting until December with nothing! For everyone calling this week - you're on the right track! Having your quarterly breakdown ready and asking about "lag quarter" wages specifically seems to make all the difference. Don't let them brush you off if the first rep doesn't seem familiar with the exception rules. Good luck! 🙏

Just a tip for anyone using Claimyr or finally getting through to EDD some other way - make sure you have all your claim info ready! Nothing worse than finally getting an agent and then scrambling for your paperwork or not being able to answer their security questions. Have your claim number, last employer info, and dates of employment handy.

As someone who's been through the EDD nightmare multiple times, I can confirm Claimyr is legit and works exactly as advertised. Used it twice last year when my claim got stuck in "pending" limbo. The first time I was hesitant about paying, but after wasting literally 40+ hours over two weeks trying to get through on my own, I realized my time was worth way more than their fee. Both times I got connected to actual EDD reps within a few hours, and they were able to resolve issues that had been dragging on for weeks. Pro tip: have your SSN, claim confirmation number, and employer info ready when they call you back. The reps can usually handle multiple issues in one call if you come prepared!

I just went through this exact same process about 3 weeks ago and wanted to share my experience to hopefully ease some of your anxiety! I had my phone interview on a Wednesday afternoon and got my determination the following Monday - so 4 business days total. Like you, I was laid off due to budget cuts from my retail management position and had been certifying while waiting for the interview decision. The interviewer seemed fairly positive during our call, similar to what you described, and I had my termination letter ready when they asked for verification. Once I got approved, all my pending certifications (I had 5 weeks worth at that point) switched to "paid" status within about 10 hours, which was much faster than I expected! The money hit my EDD debit card 2 days later. Since your interviewer seemed positive and you have clear documentation of a legitimate layoff due to budget cuts, I'd say you're in an excellent position. The fact that you've been diligent about certifying every two weeks is really going to work in your favor - when your approval comes through, you should get a nice lump sum that will definitely help with your rent situation. Based on all the experiences shared here, most people with straightforward layoff cases like yours hear back within 3-7 business days. I know the waiting is absolutely brutal especially when bills are due, but it really sounds like everything is working in your favor. Keep checking your UI Online account daily and try to stay positive - you should hopefully have good news soon!

I went through this exact same process about 3 months ago and completely understand the anxiety you're feeling! I had my phone interview on a Tuesday and got approved that Friday - so 3 business days total. Like you, I was laid off due to budget cuts (from my marketing coordinator position) and the interviewer seemed positive but didn't give me a specific timeline either. What really helped in my case was having my termination letter ready when they asked for documentation during the call. Once I got approved, all my pending certifications (I had 4 weeks worth) switched to "paid" status within about 8 hours, which was such a relief! The money hit my EDD debit card the next business day. Since your interviewer seemed positive and you have clear documentation of the budget cuts layoff, that's definitely working in your favor. Most people with straightforward cases like ours seem to hear back within 3-7 business days based on what I've seen in this community. The fact that you've been keeping up with your certifications is smart - you'll get all that back pay in one lump sum when approved, which should definitely help with your rent situation. The waiting is absolutely brutal when bills are due, but it sounds like you're doing everything right and are in a really good position. Keep checking your UI Online account daily and try to stay positive!

I just wanted to add something that might help speed up your resolution tomorrow - when you call Money Network at 8am, if you get stuck in their automated phone menu again, try pressing # followed by 0 repeatedly. This sometimes bypasses their voice recognition system and gets you straight to a human operator. Also, I noticed from reading through all the great advice here that you might want to have a backup plan ready just in case. If for some reason the verification process takes longer than expected, you could try going to a Bank of America ATM (Money Network cards are issued through BofA) and see if you can at least withdraw some cash for immediate expenses while waiting for the transfer issue to be resolved. The identity verification hold you found on the website is definitely the main culprit, but having multiple options gives you the best chance of accessing at least some of your money quickly. With all the detailed steps everyone has shared, I'm confident you'll get this sorted before your rent is due! One last tip - after you get everything working, consider keeping a small emergency fund in a regular savings account so you're never completely dependent on EDD payment timing again. These kinds of banking hiccups are unfortunately pretty common with government benefit cards. Good luck tomorrow morning! This community really pulled together to help you - definitely pay it forward when you can!

I just went through this exact same issue about 3 weeks ago and wanted to share what finally worked for me! The identity verification hold you found on the website is definitely the main problem, and you're so close to getting it resolved. Here's what worked best for me: I uploaded my documents through the Money Network website portal (ID, Social Security card, utility bill) and then called at exactly 8:00 AM the next morning. The key was asking immediately to be transferred to the "Account Verification Department" - don't waste time with general customer service. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet that really helped speed up my case: when you call tomorrow, also have your EDD Customer Account Number ready (not just your claim number). The verification rep needed this to confirm the payment source, and having it handy saved me from being put on hold while they looked it up. My verification was completed in about 15 minutes once I reached the right department, and my card was working within 3 hours. I immediately transferred everything to my regular bank account and switched to direct deposit that same day - no more Money Network headaches! With rent due in 4 days and all the amazing advice everyone has shared here, you should definitely have this resolved in time. This community is incredible - so many people willing to help with detailed solutions. You've got this! Looking forward to your success update tomorrow.

I'm in a very similar situation and this thread has been a goldmine of information! I was just offered a 8-week contract in graphic design while on unemployment and was terrified about messing up my benefits. Reading everyone's experiences has given me so much confidence to accept the position. One question though - has anyone dealt with a contract that might require occasional work on weekends? I'm wondering how to handle the certification if my work schedule isn't strictly Monday-Friday. Do I still report earnings for the full week regardless of which specific days I worked, or does the day-of-week matter for reporting purposes? Thanks in advance - this community has been incredibly helpful!

This thread has been absolutely amazing - thank you all for sharing your experiences and advice! I was in the exact same boat a few weeks ago and was so worried about taking a short-term contract while on unemployment. Reading through everyone's real-world experiences has been incredibly reassuring. I ended up taking a 4-week project management contract and everything went smoothly just like many of you described. The key things that helped me were: keeping detailed records of all earnings, setting phone reminders for certification dates, and taking screenshots of my account before starting work (thanks Oliver for that tip!). One small thing I'd add - I found it helpful to write down the exact dollar amounts I earned each day during the contract, because when you're certifying two weeks later it's easy to forget the exact figures. EDD definitely appreciates accuracy over estimates. For anyone still on the fence about taking temporary work - do it! The system really is designed to support this kind of flexibility, and the work experience plus income during those weeks made such a difference for me.