EDD claim stuck on 'review required' after reporting severance pay twice - what to do?

CALL THEM!!!! don't wait!!!!! I thought mine would 'resolve itself' and ended up waiting 6 weeks with NOTHING. The system is broken and claims get stuck all the time. They won't contact you, you have to contact them.

The 'review required' status typically means there's something in your claim that's triggered a manual review. This could be related to your separation reason, income reporting, identity verification, or several other factors. Unfortunately, these reviews can take 2-4 weeks if you don't intervene. In my experience, calling is your best option. Try calling right when they open at 8:00 AM. Have your claim information ready, and be prepared to explain your situation clearly and concisely. Ask specifically what's causing the review requirement and what you need to do to resolve it.

Use the main number (1-800-300-5616) and be persistent. It might take several attempts. If you get a message saying they're at maximum capacity, hang up and try again immediately. Sometimes it takes 20+ calls to get in the queue. Alternatively, check out Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it's a service that helps you get through to EDD faster. They have a video demo here: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. I used it when my claim was stuck and got through in about 30 minutes instead of spending days trying to call myself.

sometimes the reveiw required means they just need to verify your identity or something simple. my claim was stuck for 3 weeks with that message and it ended up being because they needed to confirm my last day of work. super dumb because i already put that info on my application but whatever. EDD is broken

had to call. they NEVER contacted me, just left me hanging. took 14 tries to get through but once i did the lady fixed it in like 5 minutes

While you're waiting to get through on the phone, double-check your UI Online account to make sure all your information is accurate. Sometimes the 'review required' status appears because of inconsistencies in your application or certification. Common triggers include: - Reporting severance pay - Reporting sick/vacation pay - Answering 'yes' to questions about being available for work - Income reporting discrepancies - School/training participation If you received severance or other final pay from your employer, make sure you reported it consistently. A common mistake is reporting it multiple times (on initial application AND during certification).

Yes, that's very likely the cause of your 'review required' status! When you report severance on your initial application, you shouldn't report it again during certification - even if you physically received the money during the certification period. The system sees this as a potential duplicate report or discrepancy, which triggers a manual review. You'll definitely need to call EDD to get this cleared up. A representative can remove the duplicate entry and release your payment. When you call, specifically mention that you may have double-reported your severance pay.

just a suggestion but maybe try calling the 833 number instead? sometimes its easier to get thru on that one. i think its 833-978-2511. good luck!

This happened to me back in January. I waited for 2 weeks thinking they'd just fix it themselves but nope! Had to call and sit on hold forever. When I finally got through they said I had a "potential issue" that needed to be cleared. The guy fixed it in 2 minutes and my payment was processed that night. So annoying that they can't just say whats wrong in the first place!

UPDATE: I called today and finally got through after multiple attempts. The first representative wasn't helpful at all and just transferred me to another number that I couldn't even get through to. Complete waste of time. Called the main line again, waited 30 minutes but they offered a callback option. The second representative was SUPER helpful! Pro tip: always be respectful and polite (I made sure to say good morning and thank her for her help). She put me on hold for about 15 minutes to investigate and confirmed exactly what some of you suggested - when I was laid off, I received severance pay which I correctly reported on my initial claim with the dates. But then when I certified for my first weeks, I reported that severance amount AGAIN since that's when I actually received the payment. This created a flag in their system. She explained that information reported on the initial claim should NOT be repeated during certification. She lifted the flag since that week was going to be a waiting week anyway, and said my payment for the second week should arrive in 2-3 days. Just want to warn everyone: if you report severance, sick pay, PTO, or other special payments on your initial claim, DO NOT report them again during certification, even if that's when you physically received the money. Lesson learned!

god the EDD system is so confusing!!!! why don't they make this clearer?? i bet thousands of people make this exact same mistake every year. glad you got it fixed tho!

This is excellent information - thank you for sharing your experience in detail. The double-reporting of severance pay is one of the most common issues that trigger the 'review required' status. EDD's system isn't intuitive about this at all. Just to clarify for others who might read this thread: 1. Report severance/vacation/sick pay ONLY on your initial application 2. Do NOT report these payments again during certification, even if that's when you physically received the money 3. If your claim gets stuck, call as soon as possible Glad you got this resolved! Your second week's payment should arrive on your EDD debit card or via direct deposit within the timeframe the representative mentioned.

This is such valuable information - thank you for the detailed update! I'm dealing with something similar right now and was wondering if I should wait it out or call. Your experience confirms I need to just bite the bullet and call EDD directly. Quick question: when you called, did you use the main 1-800-300-5616 number or the 833 number that Sean mentioned? And about how many times did you have to redial before getting through to someone? I'm trying to set realistic expectations for myself before I start the calling marathon tomorrow morning. Really appreciate you taking the time to share the resolution - this thread is going to help so many people who make the same severance reporting mistake!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation where my claim has been stuck on "pending" for over a week with no explanation. Reading about the severance pay double-reporting issue makes me wonder if that's what happened to me too. I received vacation payout when I was laid off and reported it on my initial application, but then when I certified for my first two weeks, I wasn't sure if I should report it again since that's when it actually hit my bank account. I ended up reporting it again just to be safe, but now I'm thinking that might have been a mistake. Based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like I need to stop waiting and just call EDD directly. The callback option that @Freya mentioned sounds like a game-changer - I had no idea that was available! I'll definitely try calling first thing tomorrow morning with the main number. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially the detailed update about the resolution. This community is so valuable for navigating the EDD nightmare!

Just wanted to add another data point - I had the exact same "review required" status for almost 3 weeks and it was also due to double-reporting severance pay. The frustrating part is that the EDD website makes it seem like you should report ALL income during certification periods, so it's a really easy mistake to make. For anyone else dealing with this: when you call, be specific about the double-reporting issue right away. Don't just say "my claim is stuck" - tell them you think you may have reported severance/vacation pay twice. It helps the rep understand the issue immediately instead of having to dig through your file. Also, if the first rep you get doesn't seem knowledgeable or helpful, don't be afraid to politely ask to speak with someone else or call back. Some reps are way more experienced with these common issues than others. The system is confusing enough without getting stuck with someone who doesn't know how to fix it!

This entire thread is incredibly helpful - thank you all for sharing your experiences! I'm currently dealing with a similar issue where my claim has been pending for almost 2 weeks with the dreaded "review required" status. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm pretty sure I made the exact same severance pay mistake. When I was laid off, I received both severance and accrued vacation pay, which I dutifully reported on my initial application. But then during my first certification, I saw those payments hit my bank account and thought "oh, I need to report this income for this period" and reported them again. It's so frustrating that EDD's system isn't more intuitive about this! The certification questions make it seem like you should report ALL income received during that period, with no mention of exceptions for payments already reported elsewhere. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm definitely calling tomorrow morning. I'll try the main number first thing at 8 AM and be specific about the potential double-reporting issue right from the start. Really hoping for that callback option - sitting on hold for hours sounds like torture. Will report back once I get it resolved to add another data point for anyone else dealing with this common issue!

This thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm currently dealing with the exact same "review required" status and had no idea about the severance pay double-reporting trap until reading everyone's experiences here. I received both severance and unused PTO when I was laid off last month, reported both on my initial application, then like an idiot reported them AGAIN during my first certification because that's when the money actually showed up in my account. The EDD system really makes it seem like you should report all income during the certification period - there's zero indication that payments already reported on your initial claim should be excluded. Reading through all these success stories gives me hope though! I've been dreading the thought of calling EDD because of all the horror stories about wait times, but it sounds like once you get through to the right person, they can actually fix this pretty quickly. Planning to start calling bright and early tomorrow at 8 AM with the main number. I'll be specific about the potential double-reporting issue right from the start and really hoping for that callback option everyone mentioned. Thanks to everyone who shared their detailed experiences - this thread should honestly be pinned somewhere as a resource for anyone dealing with EDD claim issues. Will definitely update once I get this sorted out!

Wow, this thread is like a goldmine of information! I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation right now - my claim has been stuck on "review required" for about 10 days and I was starting to panic. I got laid off in February and received both severance and accrued sick leave, which I carefully reported on my initial application. But then when I did my first certification, I saw those payments in my bank account and thought "well, this is income I received during this period" so I reported them again. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm now 99% sure that's what triggered my review flag. It's honestly infuriating that EDD's system is set up this way! The certification form literally asks about "all income received" during the period with no mention of exceptions for payments already reported elsewhere. How are people supposed to know not to report income twice when the system makes it seem like you should report everything? But I'm so grateful for all the detailed advice here. I was hesitant to call because I've heard such horror stories about EDD phone wait times, but seeing how quickly everyone got their issues resolved once they reached the right person gives me hope. Planning to start calling tomorrow morning at 8 AM sharp with the main number and will be very specific about the potential double-reporting issue from the get-go. This community is amazing - thank you all for sharing your experiences so thoroughly! I'll definitely come back and update once I get this mess sorted out.