EDD ID.me verification issue with hyphenated name preventing online registration
I'm at my wit's end with this ID.me verification nightmare! My husband's legal name has a hyphen in it (like 'Jean-Paul'), and we completed the ID.me verification with a live agent last week. She specifically mentioned the hyphen was causing the system to reject his documents, but told us she had 'manually pushed it through' on her end. Fast forward to today - I'm trying to register for his UI Online account and keep getting the error message 'information doesn't match our records.' I've literally only entered his name, DOB and SSN exactly as they appear on his Social Security card. I've tried with AND without the hyphen and nothing works! Has anyone dealt with this before? If we can't get through on the phone (we've been trying for DAYS), can we just use telecert instead of UI Online? I'm seriously worried we won't be able to certify when it's time, and we've already gone almost 8 weeks with zero income. Our savings is completely drained at this point.
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Danielle Mays
This exact issue happened to me in January. The hyphen in my last name caused all sorts of problems with ID.me and EDD's systems. After the ID.me verification, you need to wait 48-72 business hours for EDD to process it before you can register for UI Online. If you're still having issues after that timeframe, call EDD's technical support line at 833-978-2511 (not the regular claims line). They can fix the name mismatch in their database. And yes, you can use telecert at 1-866-333-4606 until you get the online account working, but I found UI Online much easier for certifying.
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Derek Olson
•It's already been 5 business days since the ID.me verification, so I think we're past the waiting period. Will try the tech support number - didn't even know they had a separate line for that! Do you happen to know if they're easier to get through to than the regular claims number? We'll definitely use telecert this Sunday if we can't get this fixed by then.
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Roger Romero
u can try clearing ur browser cache and cookies. sometimes that fixs the login issues with edd. also try using a different browser like firefox if ur using chrome or vice versa
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Derek Olson
•Thanks for the suggestion. I tried both Chrome and Edge, and also tried incognito mode, but still hitting the same error. I'll try completely clearing the cache though - maybe that'll help.
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Anna Kerber
The ID.me and EDD systems are COMPLETE GARBAGE when it comes to special characters in names!! I spent TWO WEEKS fighting with them over my name that has an apostrophe. The ID.me people kept telling me it was "fixed" but then EDD's system would reject it anyway. And good luck getting through to anyone on the phone - I called 172 TIMES before getting through!!! This is why thousands of people aren't getting benefits they deserve! The whole system is designed to make you give up!!!!
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Niko Ramsey
•Same! My husband has a hyphenated last name and we had SUCH a headache. The systems just aren't designed to handle anything but the most basic names.
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Seraphina Delan
I strongly recommend using Claimyr to get through to an EDD representative. After struggling for weeks with a similar name issue (my name has a space in it), I tried Claimyr and got connected to an EDD rep within 25 minutes. They have a service that basically calls EDD for you and then connects you when they get through. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. Their website is claimyr.com. The EDD rep I spoke with was able to fix the name mismatch in their system immediately, and I was able to register for UI Online that same day.
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Derek Olson
•This sounds promising - I've never heard of this service before. Did they need a lot of personal information to use it? I'm desperate at this point but also cautious about sharing too much info with third-party services.
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Seraphina Delan
They just need your phone number so they can call you back when they get through to EDD. You don't share any of your EDD account details or SSN with Claimyr - you'll give that information directly to the EDD representative when they connect you. It saved me days of frustration.
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Anna Kerber
•I tried them too when I was dealing with my name issue. Wish I'd known about it sooner instead of making 172 calls myself! The EDD phone system is DELIBERATELY BROKEN to discourage people from getting benefits!!!
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Jabari-Jo
To answer your specific question about telecert: Yes, you can absolutely use the telecert system (1-866-333-4606) to certify even without an online account. Many people still use this method. However, I'd recommend still trying to get the UI Online issue fixed because: 1. UI Online gives you much more visibility into your claim status 2. You can view payment history and resolve issues faster 3. You can update contact information and work search records more easily 4. The telecert system can time out during busy certification periods Regarding the hyphen issue: EDD's database and ID.me don't always communicate perfectly with special characters. Sometimes the EDD's internal system converts hyphens to spaces or removes them entirely. When you call (using whatever method works to get through), specifically ask the representative to check how your husband's name appears in their database and have them read it back to you character by character. Then use exactly that format when registering.
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Derek Olson
•Thank you for the detailed explanation! This is super helpful. I'll definitely still try to get the online account working while using telecert as a backup. Good point about asking them to read back the exact name format in their system - I hadn't thought of that, but it makes perfect sense that the hyphen might be stored differently in their database.
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Kristin Frank
guys my husbands name dosent have a hyphen but we had similar issue. the ID.me lady said everything was fine but then we couldnt register for UI. we finally got through on phone after calling right when they open at 8am and the lady said the problem was the SPACE between his first and middle name on his drivers license! she fixed it in 2 mins once we got through. So frustrating but maybe theres a space issue with yours too?
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Danielle Mays
•Great point about spaces! The EDD system is notorious for having issues with spaces, hyphens, apostrophes, and other special characters. Their database was built on old technology that sometimes can't properly store these characters. When the ID.me verification passes this information to EDD, it often gets corrupted in the transfer.
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Derek Olson
UPDATE: We finally got this resolved! Used Claimyr this morning and got through to EDD in about 30 minutes. The rep checked their system and it turns out the ID.me verification HAD gone through, but there was a mismatch between how my husband's name was entered in different EDD systems. In the claims database, his name had the hyphen, but in the UI registration database, it didn't! The rep fixed it on the spot and we were able to register for UI Online immediately after hanging up. Thanks everyone for your help - especially the Claimyr recommendation. Such a relief to finally have this fixed!
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Jabari-Jo
•Great news! This is exactly why it's so important to speak with an actual representative for these special character issues. The different EDD databases don't always sync correctly with special characters. Glad you got it resolved before certification time!
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