State Assembly rep saved us after Money Network/EDD runaround - success story!
Y'all I just had to share this win after weeks of frustration! My husband lost his job in construction back in January (layoffs hit HARD this year), and we've been dealing with absolute CHAOS trying to access his benefits. His payments were supposedly loaded onto that Money Network card, but we couldn't access ANYTHING for almost 3 weeks. Called Money Network - they blamed EDD. Called EDD - they blamed Money Network. Round and round for days!!! After reading posts in this group about contacting your State Assembly member, I was like "why not, nothing else is working." So last Tuesday (Feb 10th) I emailed our Assembly rep's office, had the intake form back to them within hours. I was honestly shocked when an EDD rep called us THE NEXT MORNING! They actually followed up again yesterday and today. The funny part? Turns out our issue wasn't even what we thought. Our credit union apparently doesn't have the Early Warning System that EDD uses for verification! No one from EDD or Money Network ever mentioned this possibility. We're meeting with our bank on Monday to sort it out. Don't give up if you're stuck in EDD limbo! There ARE actual humans who can help cut through the bureaucracy. Our family is going to make it another month because someone finally listened. State reps for the win!!
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MoonlightSonata
Thanks for sharing this!!! My payments have been on "pending" for like 25 days now and I'm at my wits end! Did you just Google your assembly person or is there a specific way to find them?? I've called EDD literally 47 times this week (I counted) and can't get through to ANYONE. Starting to feel like the whole system is designed to make people give up 😡
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Zara Khan
•Look up "find my california assembly member" and put in your address! Their websites usually have a "contact us" form specifically for constituent services. Make sure you mention it's an EDD issue in the subject line. They'll probably send you a release form to sign (privacy stuff) - sign it ASAP to speed things up! Good luck!
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Mateo Gonzalez
wow thats awesome someone acually helped u!!! i had the same runround with money network last yr they sent my card to my old adress even tho i updated everything in the system. took 6 weeks to get a new one n by then i was almost evicted
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Nia Williams
•Just an FYI for anyone dealing with Money Network card issues - you can actually switch to direct deposit now through your UI Online account. Go to "Payment Preferences" and select "Change Payment Method." The direct deposit option eliminates all the card problems. You'll need your bank account/routing numbers ready. Takes about 7-10 days to process the change.
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Luca Ricci
This is excellent advice that more people should know about. Your state representatives have dedicated staff whose job is to help constituents navigate government agencies like EDD. They can often resolve issues within 24-48 hours that would otherwise take weeks. One important tip: when you contact your Assembly member, be very specific about what's happening. Include: - Your EDD Customer Account Number - When you filed your claim - Exactly what issues you're experiencing - What steps you've already taken They can't help with eligibility decisions, but they're excellent at breaking through administrative logjams like the one you experienced with Money Network.
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Aisha Mohammed
•My assembly person did NOTHING for me last year. I waited 3 weeks and they just sent a form email saying they "forwarded my concerns to EDD" but nothing ever happened. Had to figure it out myself. Guess it depends who your rep is and if they actually care.
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Ethan Campbell
I've been dealing with the EXACT same runaround between EDD and Money Network for almost a month now! My certification shows paid but nothing on the card. I'm calling tomorrow for sure. What did you say in your email to the Assembly member? I want to make sure I don't mess this up because rent is due next week and I'm seriously panicking.
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Zara Khan
•In my email I just explained: 1) When my husband filed his claim 2) That payments were showing as "paid" in the system 3) That we couldn't access any funds on the Money Network card 4) How many times we'd called both EDD and Money Network with no resolution 5) That we were facing bills we couldn't pay if not resolved soon Keep it factual but don't be afraid to explain the real impact it's having. That's what got them moving quickly for us I think.
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Yuki Watanabe
has anyone here tried using claimyr to reach edd? my friend used it last month when she couldnt get through on the phones and said it worked. i think its claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km might try before going assembly route
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MoonlightSonata
•Is this legit? I'm desperate but scared of scams. Has anyone else used this?
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Carmen Sanchez
I called my assemblyman once about something completely different (DMV issue) and they were super helpful. Never thought about using them for EDD problems! Good thinking. Glad it worked out for you guys.
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Zara Khan
UPDATE: Meeting with our credit union was successful! The manager helped us fill out some additional verification paperwork and said funds should be available by Wednesday. Our Assembly rep's office even called today to follow up. I'm honestly shocked at how quickly things moved once we got the right people involved!
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Ethan Campbell
•That's amazing! I emailed my Assembly member this morning after seeing your post. They already sent me the release form! Fingers crossed I get the same results you did. Will update when I hear something.
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Aisha Mohammed
This whole system is DESIGNED to be confusing. They WANT you to give up so they don't have to pay benefits. When I had issues last year my "dedicated phone appointment" was mysteriously cancelled TWICE. My theory is they intentionally make Money Network complicated because they know most people will just give up after weeks of trying. It's ALL about saving the state money. Glad you found someone to help but the whole system needs an overhaul.
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Zara Khan
•Honestly felt that way too sometimes! The amount of hours we spent on hold, getting disconnected, being told different things by different reps... it DID feel intentional at times. I'm just grateful we finally found a path through the maze!
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