As someone completely new to this community and EDD issues in general, I'm honestly blown away by the incredible support and practical wisdom shared in this thread! Reading through everyone's detailed experiences has transformed what seemed like an impossible bureaucratic nightmare into a manageable problem with clear steps to solve it. The specific advice about calling at 8 AM sharp, preparing all documentation beforehand, and asking representatives to add notes to your file are exactly the kind of insider knowledge that makes all the difference. It's both comforting and eye-opening to see how common these clerical errors are, but more importantly, how many people have successfully resolved them. Ravi, you're going into tomorrow's call incredibly well-armed with strategies and confidence - I'm rooting for you! This thread is a perfect example of why community support is so valuable when navigating complex government systems. I'm definitely saving all this advice for future reference. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and help a fellow community member! 🙏✨

As someone who's also navigating EDD for the first time, this entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm amazed by how much practical, actionable advice everyone has shared. The step-by-step breakdown from people like Jasmine and the documentation tips about getting official letterhead really show how experienced this community is with these challenges. Ravi, it's clear you have a solid strategy now - calling at 8 AM sharp with all your paperwork ready, emphasizing it was a clerical error not a medical change, and asking them to put notes in your file. The fact that so many people have successfully resolved similar issues gives me confidence that yours will get sorted out too. This kind of community support makes dealing with bureaucratic nightmares so much less intimidating. Wishing you the best of luck tomorrow! 🍀

Sorry but this is why our system is so broken. People work for 5 minutes and expect full benefits???? I paid into SDI for YEARS before I ever needed to use it. Now premiums keep going up because everyone uses it like an ATM machine. Just saying. 😒

As someone who's navigated the ABP system, I want to emphasize something important that might help your employee: when they file their PFL claim, they should be prepared with documentation from ALL their previous employers in the base period, not just your company. The EDD will need wage records to calculate their benefit amount properly. Also, since they're dealing with a family emergency, remind them that they can file the claim online at edd.ca.gov, which is often faster than calling. The online system will automatically prompt them about the ABP if they don't qualify under the standard base period. One more tip: if their parent is hospitalized, they should get a letter from the hospital or doctor as soon as possible. The EDD requires medical certification for PFL claims, and having this ready will speed up the process significantly.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - it's absolutely maddening how broken EDD's system is! I just dealt with this exact same nightmare last month when I filed for temporary disability after my ankle surgery. Filed online, never got a confirmation email, couldn't find my receipt number anywhere, and spent literally 8 hours over multiple days getting transferred around their phone system. Every person I talked to acted completely clueless about this issue, which is clearly BS since it happens to literally everyone! What finally saved my sanity was using Claimyr like so many others have mentioned here. I was really hesitant to pay for something that should be free, but I was desperate after days of getting nowhere with EDD's phone maze. Got connected to an actual specialist in about 30 minutes who was able to find my receipt number and confirm my claim had been processing perfectly fine the whole time - it was just their website that couldn't display the information properly. Cost around $20 but honestly worth every penny to avoid more phone hell and get actual answers. The specialist even explained that this display issue is super common and doesn't affect claim processing at all. Don't waste more time with their broken phone system - just skip straight to a connection service and get the peace of mind you deserve!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and it's driving me absolutely insane! Filed my SDI claim online 4 days ago and the website kept glitching during the submission process. Never got a proper confirmation page, no email, and my online account shows nothing. I've already called 7 times and been transferred so many times I've lost count - each person just passes me off to someone else who can't help. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually really reassuring though, because it sounds like this is just how completely broken EDD's system is rather than something I messed up. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service that literally everyone here is recommending since their regular phone system is clearly designed to make you give up. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to pay a third party just to get basic information about our own disability benefits, but based on all the success stories in this thread, it seems like the only way to get actual answers. Thanks everyone for sharing your solutions - this community is providing the help that EDD should be giving us directly!

Hey OP, what state are you in? The process can vary a bit depending on location.

I'm going through the same thing right now! One thing that helped me was creating an account on the EDD website if you haven't already - sometimes the status updates there before they send any mail. Also, make sure you have your SDI number handy when you call. I've found that calling around 8:15 AM right after they open gives you the best shot at getting through. The wait is brutal but worth it when you finally talk to someone who can give you real answers. Stay strong! 💪

I'm new to this community but wanted to reach out because I'm dealing with an almost identical situation right now. My husband was injured in a work-related accident three weeks ago (severe knee injury requiring surgery) and we're also navigating the DE 5005 form with mixed W2/1099 income from his base period. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening and reassuring! When we first heard about this form, I felt completely overwhelmed because my husband's self-employment work was very informal - mostly small repair jobs and odd tasks he picked up through word-of-mouth after being laid off from his regular job. A few things I learned from our initial preparations that might add to this amazing collection of advice: 1. If your husband ever used apps like Thumbtack or Angie's List to find work, those platforms keep detailed records of client interactions, quotes sent, and jobs completed that can really help establish work patterns and dates. 2. We discovered that even old Craigslist posts advertising his services (if you can still access them through email confirmations) can serve as evidence of actively seeking self-employment work during the base period. 3. One thing our local disability advocate suggested - if there are any neighbors or friends who hired your husband for work, ask them to write simple one-paragraph letters confirming the work performed and approximate dates/payments. These personal testimonials can supplement other documentation. The systematic organization approach everyone has mentioned here seems crucial. We're planning to use the chronological timeline method and color-coding system that others suggested. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this community has transformed what felt like an impossible task into something manageable. Wishing your husband a smooth recovery and hoping your DE 5005 gets processed quickly!

I'm new to this community but wanted to reach out because I'm currently going through something very similar with my dad who was injured in a workplace accident last month (back injury from a fall). He also has mixed W2/1099 income - worked at a manufacturing plant until he was laid off in August, then did various handyman and maintenance work to make ends meet. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful and honestly quite emotional - it's such a relief to know we're not alone in dealing with this complex situation. When we first received information about the DE 5005 form, I felt completely lost because my dad's gig work was pretty informal and scattered. A few things I wanted to add based on our experience so far that might help others: 1. If your husband ever advertised his services through local community bulletin boards or small business directories, try to get photos or screenshots of those ads if they're still posted - they can help establish he was actively seeking self-employment work. 2. We found that checking his phone's photo gallery by date helped us reconstruct his work timeline. Even random photos of job sites or materials purchases had timestamps that helped us piece together when certain jobs happened. 3. Our local librarian actually helped us organize and scan all our documents for free, which saved us money and ensured everything was properly digitized before submission. This community has been such a lifesaver - transforming what felt like an impossible task into something manageable. The encouragement and practical advice from everyone who's successfully navigated this process gives me hope that we can do this too. Wishing your husband a speedy recovery and hoping your claim gets processed smoothly! You're doing an amazing job advocating for him during this difficult time.