EDD unfroze my claim but BofA card still locked after appeal win - anyone know wait time?
So I'm stuck in this weird limbo with EDD and Bank of America. My claim was disqualified in February, but I appealed with all my documentation and actually won (shocked me too!). The appeal was approved about 10 days ago, and I've started getting payments by paper check which is fine - they've been arriving pretty quickly, usually 2-3 days after showing 'paid' in the system. The problem is that when my claim was initially disqualified, BofA froze my EDD debit card account. I still have about $1,200 sitting in there that I can't access! I submitted the request to reopen my account over two weeks ago and absolutely nothing has happened. I've been bounced back and forth between EDD and BofA like a ping pong ball. BofA told me my account would definitely be reopened by last Friday (the 15th), but here we are and still nothing. I called EDD yesterday and the rep basically just said 'wait longer' with zero timeline or explanation. If anyone's been through this card unfreezing process after winning an appeal, I'd really appreciate knowing how long it took. I need that money for rent next month and I'm starting to panic a little. Is there any specific department I should ask for when calling? Thanks in advance!
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Sara Unger
omg i had almost the same thing happened!! my card was frozen after my claim got flagged for some id verification thing. it took them 23 days to unfreeze my account after i won my appeal. nobody could tell me anything either, just "wait" over and over. so frustraating!!!
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Tyler Murphy
•23 days?? That's insane! Did you have to do anything special to get it unfrozen or did it just happen automatically? I'm on day 16 of waiting and every day that passes makes me more anxious.
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Butch Sledgehammer
In my experience, there are actually two separate processes happening. EDD has to notify BofA that your claim is valid again, then BofA has its own internal review before unfreezing your card. The BofA portion typically takes 7-10 business days AFTER they receive notification from EDD. The EDD notification can take anywhere from 3-15 business days after your appeal is approved. The most effective approach is to: 1. Call EDD and specifically ask if they've sent the "account reinstatement notification" to BofA 2. Get a confirmation number for that notification 3. Call BofA with that confirmation number Without the confirmation number, BofA representatives often can't see that EDD has approved the unfreezing.
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Tyler Murphy
•This is incredibly helpful, thank you! No one at either place mentioned a confirmation number to me. I'll definitely call EDD tomorrow morning and ask specifically about the "account reinstatement notification" and get that confirmation number. Fingers crossed!
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Freya Ross
Just went through this last month. Had to wait almost 3 weeks total but eventually got my card unfrozen. BofA is HORRIBLE with these EDD accounts, they treated me like a criminal when I called them even though EDD had already told them my appeal was successful! The worst part was one rep told me it would be fixed "in 24 hours" and then nothing happened. Calling them is just a waste of time.
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Leslie Parker
•Same experience here! They kept telling me different timelines every time I called. One rep said 3-5 days, another said 7-10 business days, and a third said up to 30 days. The inconsistency is maddening. I think they just make up answers to get you off the phone.
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Sergio Neal
Have you tried reaching an EDD tier 2 specialist? They're the ones who can actually push through the BofA notification. Regular reps often don't have access to the system that handles bank card status changes. I dealt with this exact situation in January. Regular EDD reps couldn't help, but when I finally got to a tier 2 specialist, they resolved it within 48 hours. The problem is actually getting through to EDD and then getting escalated to a tier 2 rep. I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with EDD after wasting days trying to get through myself. They have a system that calls EDD for you and connects you once they reach a representative. Saved me hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km Once connected, immediately ask for a tier 2 specialist and explain that you need an account reinstatement notification sent to BofA. That's the key step most people miss.
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Tyler Murphy
•I've never heard of tier 2 specialists! The regular reps definitely haven't been helpful. I'll check out that Claimyr service because I'm honestly tired of hearing busy signals and getting disconnected. Thank you for the specific advice about asking for tier 2 - that sounds like exactly what I need.
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Sara Unger
•i tried calling edd like 50 times last week and couldnt get thru AT ALL so claimyr might be worth it just to save the headache!!
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Savanna Franklin
wait why are you still dealing with BofA? didnt EDD switch to the Money Network cards last year?? i thought all the BofA cards were supposed to be closed by now.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•The Money Network transition began in July 2024, but many claimants who had existing BofA cards with balances were told to keep using them until the balance was zero. If their account was frozen during this transition period (like OP's was), they got caught in this weird limbo state between the two systems. EDD is now issuing paper checks for new payments but they still need to resolve the frozen funds on the old BofA cards.
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Tyler Murphy
•Exactly what @profile1 said - I had funds on my BofA card when my account got frozen during the disqualification. Now my new payments are coming via check, but I still need access to that money that's locked in the old card account.
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Juan Moreno
I've had success writing a formal complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about BofA freezing my EDD card. Filed online, took maybe 15 minutes, and suddenly BofA was VERY responsive. My account was unfrozen within 3 days after weeks of getting nowhere with phone calls. Worth a try if you're still stuck after trying the other suggestions here. I think they have regulatory pressure to respond quickly to CFPB complaints.
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Tyler Murphy
•That's a great idea! I hadn't thought about going the CFPB route. If I don't get anywhere with the tier 2 specialist within the next few days, I'll definitely try filing a complaint. I appreciate everyone's suggestions so much!
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Leslie Parker
Update us when you get this resolved! I'm dealing with something similar (though my appeal is still pending) and I'm trying to prepare for what comes next. This system is so broken - why can't the left hand talk to the right hand? It's ridiculous that EDD approves your appeal but doesn't automatically notify BofA to unfreeze your account. Just another example of how they make everything as difficult as possible for people who are already struggling.
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Tyler Murphy
•I definitely will update! And I agree completely - the lack of communication between these agencies is mind-boggling. They freeze everything immediately when there's a question, but take forever to unfreeze even after the issue is resolved. Good luck with your appeal!
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