One more option that saved me when I was in a time crunch - if you have a local EDD office that's still open to the public, you can sometimes walk in and request immediate documentation. I know many offices closed or went appointment-only during COVID, but some have reopened for urgent situations like housing verification. Call your local office first to see if they can help same-day. Also, try logging into your UI Online account and looking under "Inbox" - sometimes EDD sends automatic benefit statements there that you might have missed. These often have more official formatting than the basic payment history page. If all else fails and your landlord is being super picky, you could also get a notarized affidavit from a CPA or tax preparer confirming your unemployment income based on your UI Online records. It's not ideal but some property managers will accept third-party professional verification when government agencies are slow to respond. Costs about $50 but might save your apartment application!

I just want to add that if you're dealing with a large apartment complex or management company, sometimes escalating to their corporate office can help. I had a similar issue where the local leasing office was being super rigid about documentation requirements, but when I called their corporate headquarters and explained that California's EDD system doesn't work like traditional paystubs, they sent down instructions to accept the UI Online payment history plus Money Network statements. Also, don't forget that many apartments will accept a guarantor or co-signer if you're having documentation issues. Sometimes it's faster to add a family member as a guarantor than to wait weeks for EDD to process verification requests. Just another backup option if you're running out of time on your application!

I just wanted to add my experience since I went through something really similar a few months ago! I did a paid medical assistant training program that was about 40 hours over 2 weeks. Like everyone else has said, definitely report it as work income on your certification. One thing I learned that might help you - when you're filling out your certification and it asks if you were "ready, willing, and able to work," make sure you answer YES as long as the training schedule would allow you to accept a full-time job if one was offered. That's really important for maintaining your eligibility. Also, don't be surprised if your first reduced payment takes a little longer to process. Mine was delayed by about a week because their system flagged the income change, but it all worked out fine once they reviewed it. Just be patient if that happens. The medical coding field is awesome - I have friends who completed similar programs and they're all working now with really good pay. Even if this specific company doesn't hire you right away, you'll have that certification which opens up so many opportunities. You're making a smart move by taking this training!

I'm in a very similar situation right now! I just started a paid customer service training program that's 25 hours over one week at $15/hr. I was terrified about reporting it on my certification, but after reading all these responses, I feel so much better about it. I ended up calling EDD (took me 3 days of trying at exactly 8am) and the representative confirmed what everyone here is saying - report it as work income, expect a reduced payment for that week, but your claim stays active. She also mentioned that as long as the training doesn't prevent you from accepting other full-time work, you should still answer YES to being available for work. The rep actually seemed impressed that I was doing skills training and said it shows I'm actively working toward reemployment, which is exactly what they want to see. She told me to keep documentation of the training program just in case they need it later. One thing she emphasized that I don't think anyone mentioned - make sure you report the GROSS earnings before any taxes or deductions are taken out. That was something I wasn't sure about. Good luck with your medical coding training! From what I've heard, that field has amazing job prospects right now. You're definitely making a smart choice taking this opportunity!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Filed 3 weeks ago after getting laid off from my marketing agency with a 10-week severance package ($3,200 biweekly). Week 1 showed "excessive earnings" as expected, but weeks 2-3 are stuck on "under review" with zero explanation or movement. I've been certifying on time and reporting everything accurately, but it's like my claim just disappeared. After reading through all these responses, it's clear EDD's system automatically flags severance accounts for manual review but then nobody actually performs the review unless we call and push them. The 8:01 AM calling strategy sounds promising - I'm definitely trying that tomorrow morning. It's incredibly frustrating that we have to become experts at gaming their phone system just to get basic service when we're already stressed about unemployment. Thanks for posting this question - it's so helpful to know this is a widespread system problem and not something we're doing wrong! The fact that multiple people are experiencing identical issues with the "under review" status really shows how broken EDD's severance handling process is.

I'm currently experiencing this EXACT same issue! Filed my claim 6 weeks ago after getting laid off from my software company with an 11-week severance package ($3,600 biweekly). My first week showed "excessive earnings" which I expected, but weeks 2-6 have ALL been stuck on "under review" with absolutely zero movement or explanation from EDD. I've been religiously certifying every two weeks and accurately reporting my severance amounts, but it's like my claim fell into a black hole. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both frustrating and relieving - frustrating because it's clear EDD's system is fundamentally broken for severance situations, but relieving because I now know this isn't my fault or something I'm doing wrong. The pattern is so consistent: EDD automatically flags any account with severance for "manual review" but then those reviews just sit in a queue forever unless we call and specifically demand action from a tier 2 specialist. I'm definitely going to try the 8:01 AM calling strategy that several people mentioned - the logic of calling exactly one minute after they open makes perfect sense to avoid the initial rush. It's absolutely insane that we have to become experts at gaming EDD's broken phone system just to get basic customer service during an already stressful time. But thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - at least now I have a clear action plan instead of just waiting helplessly!

I went through this same exact situation last year and it was so stressful! The key thing to remember is that EDD's paper processing system is completely separate from their online system, so there's always going to be this lag time where both systems don't know what the other is doing. When I mailed my certification, I made the mistake of not keeping a detailed record, so I was constantly second-guessing myself about whether I had actually sent it. Now I always take photos of my completed forms before mailing and keep all tracking receipts. One thing that helped me was understanding that the "certify" prompt you're seeing online is basically just automated - it doesn't actually know you've already handled those weeks by mail. It's not trying to trick you into double-certifying, it's just that their systems aren't smart enough to communicate with each other in real time. Hang in there - from everything I've experienced and read, as long as you got that delivery confirmation, your certification is working its way through their system. The waiting is brutal but it's better than the alternative of dealing with duplicate certification issues that can take weeks to resolve!

I'm going through this exact same thing right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I mailed my certification last Monday and got the delivery confirmation on Wednesday, but when I logged into UI Online yesterday, it's still showing those weeks as needing certification. Reading everyone's experiences here has really put my mind at ease - I was honestly about to panic and certify online just to be safe, but now I understand that would actually make things worse. It's so frustrating that EDD's systems don't talk to each other properly, but at least knowing this is a common issue helps me feel less like I did something wrong. I'm going to follow the advice here and wait at least 10 business days from when they confirmed receipt before taking any action. In the meantime, I'm setting up that tracking system someone mentioned - writing down all the important dates so I can stay organized instead of constantly worrying. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and helping newcomers like me navigate this confusing process!

I went through this exact same thing a few months ago and it was terrifying! Turned out my benefit year had expired and I needed to file a new claim. The key things that helped me: - Don't stop certifying even with zero balance - Check your claim start date - if it's been a year, you likely need to reapply - Look for any messages in your UI Online inbox about next steps - Try calling early morning (7:30-8am) for better chances of getting through - Document everything - screenshot your account, save confirmation numbers The whole process took about 3 weeks to sort out but I did eventually get all my back payments. Stay persistent and don't give up! The system is frustrating but it does work eventually.

This just happened to my friend too! She panicked thinking her benefits were cut off, but it turned out to be a system maintenance issue that lasted about 48 hours. Her balance came back after the weekend. That said, definitely follow the advice others have given here - check for any pending issues, look at your benefit year start date, and keep trying to get through to someone. In the meantime, take screenshots of your account showing the zero balance just in case you need proof later. Also, if you haven't already, try logging out completely and logging back in. Sometimes that refreshes the data. The EDD system can be glitchy but don't lose hope - most of these zero balance scares do get resolved! 🤞