EDD suddenly showing 'pending' status with 'problem needs to be reviewed' message - what happened?

This exact thing happened to me back in February. Turned out they were doing a random eligibility review. I had to wait for an interview but never got a call/letter about when it would happen. Your claim might be flagged for a quarterly review - they sometimes check to make sure you're still eligible. You should get a notice in the mail within 10 days explaining what the issue is.

mine went to pending too last month!!!! its probly identity verification they do it random sometimes especially if u moved or changed ur bank info recently

This is standard procedure. EDD regularly flags claims for eligibility determinations, especially around your benefit year quarter mark. When this happens, your payments go to pending until they verify your continued eligibility. There are several reasons this might happen: 1. Quarterly wage review where they check if you've had unreported earnings 2. Random verification of your work search efforts 3. Questions about availability for work 4. Identity verification check You should receive a notice in your UI Online inbox or by mail explaining what specific issue they need to review. If you don't see anything in your inbox, you really need to speak with an EDD representative to find out exactly what's happening with your claim.

They ALWAYS do this!!! The EDD system is designed to randomly flag accounts and make people wait for $$ even when nothing changed. It's their way of making sure people aren't committing fraud but it punishes everyone. I bet you'll be stuck in pending for at least 3 weeks unless you can get someone on the phone.

I had this happen to me last month and I discovered a trick to getting through to a representative! I was going crazy with bills piling up and no way to talk to anyone. After trying for days to get through, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get connected to an EDD rep. It basically holds your place in line and calls you when it's your turn. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km I was super skeptical at first but it actually worked - got through to someone who could see exactly what was flagged on my account (in my case it was a wage verification issue). The rep cleared it up and my pending payments switched to paid within 48 hours. Seriously worth it because otherwise you could be waiting weeks for them to get around to your claim.

did u say anything different on ur last certifications??? sometimes even a tiny thing can trigger a flag like if u said no to looking for work or if u reported any income at all even just a few $$$

Just a heads up - after you find out what the issue is, make sure you keep certifying for benefits every two weeks even while the review is happening. A lot of people stop certifying while pending and that creates even more problems. Keep doing your work search and documenting everything too, as they might ask for proof during the review.

good luck!!! the system is so frustrating sometimes!!! hope u get ur money soon!

UPDATE: I tried that Claimyr service and actually got through to someone! The EDD rep told me my account was flagged for a random eligibility interview (just like someone mentioned above). Apparently they're checking if I'm still actively looking for work. She scheduled me for a phone interview next Tuesday and said my payments should switch to paid soon after if everything checks out. Just wanted to update in case anyone else runs into this same issue!

This is such a relief to hear that you got through and found out what was going on! I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now - my payments just switched to pending yesterday with no explanation. I've been panicking because I have rent due next week. Going to try that Claimyr service you mentioned since I can't get through the regular phone lines either. Thanks for sharing the update and letting us know it was just a random eligibility review - at least now I know it's probably not something I did wrong!

This is so helpful to read through everyone's experiences! I'm a new member here and just started receiving unemployment benefits last month. Reading about these random eligibility reviews is both scary and reassuring - scary because it could happen to anyone at any time, but reassuring to know it's often just routine checks and not necessarily something you did wrong. I'm definitely going to keep detailed records of my job search activities and bookmark that Claimyr service just in case I ever need it. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and advice - this community is really valuable for navigating all the confusing EDD processes!

This thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm also new to the community and currently dealing with my first pending status issue that started this week. Reading through everyone's experiences has really calmed my nerves - I was convinced I had somehow messed something up. It's good to know these random eligibility reviews are just part of the process, even though the timing couldn't be worse with bills due. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service to get through to someone since I've been getting nowhere with the regular phone lines. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories and especially to @2ff2c9d98ae1 for the updates - it gives me hope that this will get resolved soon!

This is such valuable information for anyone going through this stress! I'm relatively new to unemployment benefits (started in January) and had no idea these random eligibility reviews were a thing. Reading through everyone's experiences here really shows how common this is, which is both frustrating and reassuring. What really stands out to me is how @2ff2c9d98ae1 kept us updated throughout the whole process - from the initial panic to getting through with Claimyr and finding out it was just a routine interview. That kind of transparency is so helpful for the rest of us who might face this same situation. I'm definitely taking notes on all the advice here about keeping detailed work search records and not stopping certifications during pending status. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community is a goldmine of practical knowledge for navigating EDD's maze!

I'm new to this community and currently going through my first unemployment experience. This whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening and honestly a huge relief! I had no idea that EDD does these random eligibility reviews - it's both frustrating that it can happen to anyone at any time, but also reassuring to see so many people go through it and come out fine on the other end. The way @2ff2c9d98ae1 documented their entire journey from panic to resolution really helped me understand what to expect if this happens to me. I'm definitely taking all the advice here to heart about keeping super detailed work search records, saving screenshots of job postings, and continuing to certify even if payments go pending. I'm also bookmarking that Claimyr service just in case - the regular EDD phone lines seem impossible to get through to. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences so openly - this kind of community knowledge is invaluable for navigating such a confusing system!