EDD claim approved but no Money Network card yet - should I be worried?
Hey everyone, I just got approved for UI benefits (filed on April 29) and my EDD account is showing all the right info - claim year established, weekly benefit amount of $450, and total benefit balance. My first certification is scheduled for May 12th, so I'm getting everything ready to make sure I don't mess that up. My concern is that I haven't received my Money Network debit card in the mail yet. Actually, I haven't received ANY physical mail from EDD since applying. I thought the card would come before my first payment, so I called Money Network customer service yesterday to check on status. The rep told me there's no account with my SSN or DOB in their system at all! She claimed this was normal and said my account won't be created until after my first payment is processed (around May 13th-ish). Does this sound right to you all? I was expecting to at least have the card in hand before my first payment hits. I don't want to be waiting extra weeks for money I really need right now. Did anyone else have a similar experience with Money Network?
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Max Knight
That's exactly how it worked for me in March. Money Network doesn't set up your account until EDD actually sends them money. The first payment triggers the card issuance. After certification on Sunday, my payment showed as paid in the EDD system on Tuesday, and my card arrived about 7-10 days later. You can also set up direct deposit through UI Online if you want to avoid the card altogether - look under "Payment Methods" in your account settings.
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Madeline Blaze
•Thanks for confirming! That makes me feel better. Do you remember if you got any other paperwork before your first payment? I was just surprised I haven't gotten anything in the mail yet.
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Emma Swift
mine took 3 weeks to come after my first payment went through and i was STRESSIN. call money network again in a week if nothing shows up on your account by then
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Madeline Blaze
•3 weeks?! That's so long to wait when you need the money. Did they give you any explanation for why it took so long?
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Isabella Tucker
The EDD system is SO FRUSTRATING!! I've been on UI twice and both times it was different. First time (2021) I got the Money Network card BEFORE my first payment. This time (January 2025) I didn't get the card until 2 weeks AFTER my first payment! The worst part is NOBODY TELLS YOU what to expect or when!! They just expect us to magically know how their broken system works!!! 😡😡😡 Don't even get me started on how hard it is to reach an actual human at EDD... I wasted HOURS redialing that stupid number.
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Jayden Hill
•Have you guys tried Claimyr? After spending 3 days trying to get through to EDD about my missing card, I found this service that gets you through to an EDD rep. Worked for me after just one try - saved me hours of redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. The website is claimyr.com if you're interested. Definitely worth checking out if you're stuck waiting.
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LordCommander
my brother had this same problem last month!!! he was so worried but then the card just showed up one day after his first payment went through. EDD never sends anything on time lol
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Lucy Lam
The Money Network rep gave you accurate information. Here's the standard timeline for new UI claims: 1. File claim (your date: April 29) 2. Claim processing (typically 7-10 business days) 3. First certification period (your date: May 12) 4. Payment processing (1-2 days after certification) 5. Money Network account creation (happens when EDD transfers funds) 6. Card issuance and mailing (7-10 business days after account creation) If you want to receive your funds faster, I highly recommend setting up direct deposit through your UI Online account as soon as possible. This will bypass the Money Network card entirely for future payments. You can do this under Payment Preferences in your UI Online dashboard. As for paperwork, most EDD communications are now electronic through UI Online. You should receive an electronic Notice of Award in your UI Online inbox within 10-14 days of filing.
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Madeline Blaze
•This is super helpful - thank you! I'll check my UI Online inbox for the Notice of Award. I completely missed that there might be messages there instead of physical mail. I'll also set up direct deposit right away.
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Aidan Hudson
Wait I'm confused... are you talking about unemployment or state disability? Because I think SDI uses a different card system than regular unemployment. I got my EDD card for disability in like 3 days after approval but my cousin had to wait like 2 weeks for his unemployment one.
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Max Knight
•OP is talking about regular UI (unemployment insurance), not SDI. Both use Money Network now for debit cards, but you're right that processing times can differ. SDI claims and payments are processed through a completely different system than UI claims.
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LordCommander
did u check ur spam folder?? sometimes edd emails go there
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Madeline Blaze
Update: Thanks everyone for your help! I checked my UI Online inbox and found the Notice of Award letter that I didn't know to look for. I also set up direct deposit so I won't have to wait for the card after my first payment. I feel much better knowing this is normal and not something wrong with my claim. I'll post again if I run into any issues with my first certification on Sunday!
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Emma Swift
•direct deposit is def the way to go!! so much faster
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