Multiple EDD eligibility interviews but still stuck on pending since January - will I ever get paid?
I'm at my wit's end with this EDD claim nightmare. Filed back in January and it's been sitting in pending status for almost 2 months now. I've already gone through TWO eligibility interviews - first one was on Feb 12 and they scheduled me for another one yesterday. The agent seemed pretty understanding of my situation (laid off from construction job when project funding dried up) and promised she would 'update my claim right after we hang up.' She even said something like 'everything looks good on my end.' But I've heard that before and STILL nothing has changed. My UI Online account just shows the same pending status for 6 weeks of certifications. I've got rent due next week and less than $200 in my checking account. Has anyone actually had their claim status change after an interview? How long did it take? I'm starting to think these interviews are just stalling tactics.
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CosmicCruiser
This happened to me too! Had two interviews about 3 weeks apart and remained pending for another week after the second one. The key is checking your UI Online account every few hours after the interview. What worked for me was calling again the day AFTER the interview and specifically asking if there were any 'holds' still on my account. Turns out they had all the info but nobody actually removed the stop payment flag. Once I got someone to look at it, money hit my account within 48 hours.
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Diego Vargas
•Really?? That's super helpful. Did you just call the regular 1-800 number? I've tried calling like 30 times today and either get the 'we're experiencing high call volume' message or it just disconnects me.
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Anastasia Fedorov
they told me the EXACT same thing back in december!!! said it would update after the call and NOTHING happened for 3 more weeks!! edd is full of it sometimes. keep certifying tho, when it finally processes youll get all the back weeks at once
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Sean Doyle
•This is actually not always true. If there's an issue with your claim that needs to be resolved, simply continuing to certify doesn't guarantee retroactive payment. You need to address whatever is causing the pending status. In my experience working with claimants, multiple interviews often indicate there's a discrepancy between your separation reason and what your employer reported, or potential unreported wages. The second interviewer saying "everything looks good" is promising, but the system update can take 24-72 hours to process through their antiquated systems. If nothing changes by Monday, you should definitely contact them again.
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Zara Rashid
I'm going through almost the EXACT same thing!!! Had my 2nd interview last week and they told me I was approved but Im still pending for 8 weeks of payments. The stress is killing me. I had to borrow money from my sister to pay my car note. This system is broken!!
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Luca Romano
After your second interview, there's usually a final review process that happens in the background. The interview specialist has to write up their determination, then it gets reviewed by a supervisor in some cases, especially if there were any issues with your previous employment or potential eligibility questions. This can take anywhere from 24 hours to 5 business days. I'd recommend checking your UI Online inbox daily for any notices, and also looking under "Claim History" rather than just the homepage dashboard, as sometimes the status updates there first. If nothing changes by Tuesday (giving them 3 business days), then you should definitely call back. One thing that worked for me when I was having trouble reaching EDD was using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a system that will call EDD repeatedly for you and connect you when they get through. Saved me hours of frustration and I finally got my pending payments resolved. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km - might be worth it in your situation since you're down to your last $200.
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Diego Vargas
•Thanks for the detailed explanation. That actually makes sense about the review process. I'll check the Claim History section - didn't realize that might update first. And I'll look into that Claimyr thing if nothing changes by Tuesday. At this point I just need to talk to a human who can actually DO something.
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Nia Jackson
bro i had THREE interviews before my claim got approved lol. each time the interviewer contradicted what the previous one told me. its like they dont even talk to each other or check notes. one told me i was disqualified for quitting, next one said i was eligible but needed wage verification, third one finally fixed everything. edd is a mess right now.
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NebulaNova
•This isn't normal though. Most claims with clear separation reasons (like layoff due to lack of work) shouldn't require multiple interviews. If you're having this many interviews, it usually means either: 1. Your employer is contesting the unemployment claim 2. There were discrepancies in your work history information 3. There might be wages from another state that need to be verified 4. You reported something during certification that flagged the system To the OP - since you mentioned being laid off from a construction job, they might be verifying if you qualify for regular UI vs. the special provisions for seasonal workers. That sometimes requires additional review. The fact that the second interviewer said everything looks good is promising.
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CosmicCruiser
Just wondering - did you certify correctly for all those weeks? Sometimes people answer the certification questions wrong (like saying they refused work or weren't available) and that can cause pending status even after interviews.
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Diego Vargas
•Yeah, I've been super careful with certifications. Answering yes to looking for work, no to refusing any jobs, yes to being available, and reporting the $0 income each time. I even keep a list of my job search activities like they recommend.
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Zara Rashid
Has your claim status changed yet? I'm still waiting on mine after a similar situation and getting desperate...
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Diego Vargas
•GOOD NEWS!! I just checked my account again this morning and all my pending weeks switched to PAID!! No notification or anything, just suddenly changed. The money isn't in my account yet but at least the status updated. Hang in there - maybe yours will change soon too!
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Luca Romano
Great to hear your payments switched to paid status! The funds should hit your account within 24-48 hours if you're using the EDD debit card, or might take an extra day if you're using direct deposit. This is pretty typical timing after that second interview - they often do resolve things but their systems take time to update. For future reference, if you do ever get stuck again, make sure you check your EDD inbox regularly and respond to any requests for additional documentation immediately. Delays in providing requested info is one of the biggest reasons claims stay pending.
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Nia Jackson
•and make sure to keep certifying on time every two weeks!! i missed one certification and it messed up my whole claim for like a month
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