EDD debit card finally arrived - My full April-June 2025 timeline and upcoming eligibility interview

thx for sharing! my timeline's been almost identical - applied apr 30, certified may 14, still waiting on card. makes me feel better knowing yours took 8 days after certification. did you get an email when the card shipped or it just showed up?

I'm worried about your eligibility interview. That usually means there's some issue with your claim they need to clarify. Did you have any separation issues from your employer? Were you fired or did you quit? Did you report all earnings correctly on your certification? These interviews can determine if you keep getting benefits or have to pay everything back!!

Don't panic about the eligibility interview - they're actually quite standard for many claims, especially first-time filers. The interview is to verify details about your separation from employment. Since you mentioned it was a layoff due to downsizing, you should be fine. Just have documentation ready showing the layoff wasn't your fault (termination letter, severance papers, etc.). For the interview: 1. Be ready 15 minutes before scheduled time 2. Have your employment dates and supervisor's contact info available 3. Be honest and direct with your answers 4. Take notes during the call About 80% of these interviews are just formalities when it's a standard layoff situation.

my card took 3 WHOLE WEEKS after certification!!! edd is so slow with everything these days. and im also constantly worried about random interviews and requalifying. the whole system feels designed to stress us out tbh

If you haven't already, make sure to set up your Money Network account online as soon as you get your card. You can transfer funds to your bank account instead of using the card for purchases. The transfer usually takes 1-2 business days. Also, you can check your claim payment history through your UI Online account to see when payments were issued even before your card arrives. Regarding your eligibility interview, I had one back in January. It lasted about 15 minutes, and the interviewer just verified my employment history and reason for separation. As long as you have documentation backing up your layoff, you should be fine. Your employer has already been contacted to verify the information you provided in your initial claim.

I had to call EDD like 50 times before they would even process my claim. Couldn't get through for weeks and then they scheduled my interview for the wrong day and I missed it! Then had to call another 100 times to reschedule. The whole system is broken and they don't care about us at all. Watch out - they'll probably "accidentally" miss your interview call too and then blame you for it.

A couple tips about your upcoming eligibility interview: 1. They will call from a blocked/private number, so make sure you answer ALL calls around your scheduled time, even if they don't show a caller ID. 2. If you miss the call, they typically attempt again within 15 minutes. If missed twice, you'll need to request a new interview (which can delay benefits). 3. Be in a quiet place with good reception. 4. Have your claim number and ID ready. 5. The interviewer will usually identify themselves as being from EDD at the start of the call. The interviews are generally straightforward for layoffs with documentation. They're mainly looking to verify that you didn't quit without good cause or weren't fired for misconduct, which would affect eligibility.

Wait, is the phone interview for regular UI claims or is it for the WORK SEARCH requirement??? Because if it's about work search, you need to have your list of 3 job contacts per week ready!!! They will ask for specific companies, contact names, phone numbers, and dates you applied. If you don't have this info, they can disqualify you and you'll have to pay everything back!!! Are you sure you've been doing the required work search activities??? This is super important!!

my card just came today!!! 7 days after certification just like yours. so excited i could cry lol. thanks for posting your timeline, it kept me from freaking out too much

Thanks for sharing your timeline! I'm in a similar situation - applied May 2nd and just certified last week, so this gives me hope that my card should arrive soon. The waiting is definitely the worst part! Quick question about your eligibility interview - did they give you any specific instructions when they scheduled it, or just the date and time? I'm wondering if there's anything I should be doing now to prepare in case I get scheduled for one too. Good luck with your interview on June 4th!

Congrats on getting your card! Your timeline is really helpful - I'm on day 6 after certification so hopefully mine shows up soon too. For your eligibility interview, I went through one last month and it was way less scary than I expected. The interviewer was actually pretty friendly and just asked basic questions about my last job, why I left, and when my last day was. The whole thing took maybe 10 minutes. Since you have your termination letter showing it was a layoff, you should be totally fine. One tip - they called me about 5 minutes early, so be ready a bit before your scheduled time. Good luck!

Just want to add my experience for anyone else waiting - I got my card 9 days after certification, so your 8-day timeline is pretty typical! The Money Network setup was super easy once I got the card, and being able to transfer funds directly to my bank account was a game changer. For your eligibility interview, I had one too and it was honestly no big deal. They just verified my job details and separation reason. Since you were laid off (not fired for cause or quit), you're in good shape. Just have your termination paperwork handy and you'll be fine. The interviewer was professional and the whole thing took maybe 15 minutes max. Don't stress too much about it!

Really appreciate you posting this timeline! I just applied last week and have been obsessively checking the mail every day wondering when my card might show up. Knowing that 8 days after certification is pretty normal helps me relax a bit. About the eligibility interview - I haven't gotten one scheduled yet but now I know to expect it might happen. It sounds like as long as you have your layoff documentation ready you should be good to go. The fact that multiple people here had quick, straightforward interviews for similar situations is really reassuring. One question - when you certified, did your payments show as "paid" in your UI Online account before the card arrived, or did it stay pending until you got the physical card?