EDD misclassified husband's claim as interstate - now stuck in appeal limbo with no income

UGH thats TYPICAL edd bureaucracy!!! they make a mistake and make YOU suffer the consequences. i had something similar (not interstate but they mis-categorized my separation reason) and my appeal took 12 WEEKS before i even got a hearing date!! we had to borrow money from family just to make rent. the whole system is designed to make people give up i swear.

12 WEEKS?? Oh god, we'll be homeless by then. Did you find any way to expedite it or just had to wait it out? This is seriously keeping me up at night.

I'm sorry you're going through this. For EDD appeals, there's unfortunately no formal expedite process that I'm aware of. However, there are a few things that might help:\n\n1. Contact your state assembly member's office. They have constituent services specifically for EDD issues and can sometimes get movement on stalled claims.\n\n2. While waiting, make sure your husband continues certifying for weeks even though payments aren't coming through. When the appeal resolves (if in your favor), they'll release all back payments.\n\n3. For temp work, check with local universities - they often need administrative support with flexible hours, especially as fall term approaches.\n\n4. Local school districts also hire substitutes for administrative positions which can be day-by-day work.\n\nWishing you the best during this difficult time.

Thank you so much for these suggestions. I didn't even think about contacting our assembly member - will do that first thing tomorrow. And good reminder about continuing to certify. He's been doing that religiously every two weeks even though it feels pointless right now. I'll check with the community college nearby for admin work. Appreciate the thoughtful response!

have u tried calling EDD again? sometimes u get a different person who can actually fix things the first person couldn't?? worth a shot

We've tried calling at least 10 times. Either can't get through at all or we get someone who says they can't override the interstate classification once an appeal is filed. It's beyond frustrating.

For getting through to EDD more effectively, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). It's a service that helps you bypass the phone queue and actually get connected to an EDD rep. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km\n\nI was in a similar situation with a misclassified claim and was able to get through to a higher-level specialist who resolved my issue before having to go through the full appeal process. Sometimes getting the right person can make all the difference, especially with technical issues like incorrect claim classification.

does that actually work? seems sketchy tbh

It worked for me and several people I know. It's just a way to get through the phone system - you still talk directly to actual EDD representatives. In cases like this where there's a clear error, sometimes getting to the right person can resolve things much faster than waiting for an appeal hearing.

Have you tried filing a 2nd claim instead of waiting for the appeal? Sometimes thats faster. Also for temp work check Upwork or Fiverr with your education background - you could do curriculum design or editing papers for decent money and totally flexible schedule. That helped me stay afloat when my benefits were delayed for 2 months last year.

filing a second claim usually gets auto-rejected if theres already an open claim in the system!! they see it as attempting to double-dip or something. happened to my cousin and just complicated things more!!

Thanks for the freelance suggestions! I'm going to set up profiles tonight. I hadn't considered curriculum design but that actually fits my background perfectly. As for a second claim, I'm worried about making things even more complicated as the other commenter mentioned.

I work for a nonprofit that assists with unemployment issues, and interstate classification errors are actually fairly common. While appeals typically take 8-12 weeks (unfortunately), there is a specific EDD department that handles interstate claim corrections. You need to specifically request to speak with the \

This is incredibly helpful! I've never heard of the Interstate Claims Unit before. We'll specifically ask for them next time we call. I've already sent an email to our assembly member's office and will follow up with a call tomorrow. The healthcare admin suggestion is brilliant - I hadn't considered that industry at all. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this expertise.

my friend had somethin similar happen and he got the EDD ombudsperson involved? i think thats what its called? like a special dept that handles complaints when EDD messes up. might be worth looking into

You're thinking of the EDD Ombudsperson Office. They can be reached at 1-866-401-2849 or by email at EDD.Ombudsperson@edd.ca.gov. They specifically handle cases where there appear to be administrative errors or breakdowns in regular processes. Definitely worth contacting in this situation.

Thank you both! Just sent an email to the Ombudsperson with all our claim details. Fingers crossed this helps move things along.

whats RIF mean? never heard that term before

It means Reduction In Force - corporate speak for layoffs basically

oh ok thanks! learning new corporate jargon everyday lol

Quick update question - has your husband been able to access his UI Online account during all this? Sometimes with interstate claim issues, the system can restrict account access, which further complicates things. If he can still log in, make sure he's checking for any new notices or requests for information, as these can sometimes be easy to miss but have tight deadlines.\n\nAlso, when you contact the Interstate Claims Unit as another commenter suggested, have all documentation ready showing California employment history and residence. This can speed up the correction process significantly.

Yes, he can still log in to UI Online thankfully. We check it obsessively. There was one notification about the appeal being received, but nothing since then. No interview scheduled, no requests for documents, nothing. We have his W-2s, pay stubs, and California tax returns all ready to go for whenever someone actually looks at our case. The silence is honestly the worst part - just being in limbo with no timeline or next steps.

I don't have advice for speeding up EDD (good luck with that!) but for temp work - have you tried substitute teaching? With your master's degree you'd qualify in most districts. Pay is usually $150-200/day and you can pick and choose which days you work around your main job. The platform

That's a great suggestion! I actually did some substitute teaching years ago before moving into administration. I forgot about Swing Education - will definitely check that out. The flexibility would work well with my current schedule. Thank you!