One more thing - continue certifying for benefits while your appeal is pending, even if your payments show as "disqualified" or stop coming. If you win your appeal, they'll release all those held payments at once. If you stop certifying, you won't be able to claim those weeks later, even if you win.

This is such a frustrating situation, but you're absolutely doing the right thing by appealing! I went through something similar last year where my employer changed their story after I filed for benefits. A few additional tips that helped me: Document the missed interview thoroughly - write down the exact date, time window, and that you received no call. This shows EDD failed to follow their own procedures. If possible, get a letter from your cell phone provider showing your call log for that day to prove you didn't miss any calls during the interview window. When you're at the hearing, stay calm and stick to facts. Let your employer dig their own hole if they try to fabricate a performance issue that contradicts 15 years of employment and positive reviews. The fact that your boss mentioned calling you back when work picked up is huge - that clearly indicates a layoff, not a firing. Do you have any text messages or emails where he mentioned this? You've got this! The appeal process exists exactly for situations like this where employers try to game the system.

I went through something very similar about 6 months ago. My employer also lied and said I quit when I was clearly laid off due to "company restructuring." The most important thing right now is to start certifying for benefits IMMEDIATELY - even though you're disqualified, you need to keep certifying every two weeks or you'll lose out on backpay when you win your appeal. Here's what worked for me: I called the EDD Appeals Board directly at 1-800-300-5616 (not the regular EDD number) and was able to get through after about 45 minutes on hold. They confirmed my appeal was in the system and gave me a case number. If you can't get through by phone, definitely visit your local EDD office in person with all your documentation. Also, don't panic about the 8 weeks - mine took almost 12 weeks but I did eventually get my hearing and won. The text messages from your boss are excellent evidence. Make sure you have multiple copies printed out and organized chronologically. The judge will want to see exactly what was said and when. Hang in there - employers lie to EDD all the time to avoid paying higher unemployment taxes, but when you have clear documentation like you do, the appeals judges usually rule in favor of the employee.

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation right now! My employer told EDD I resigned when I was actually laid off due to budget cuts. It's been 6 weeks since I filed my appeal and I'm getting really worried about the silence. Reading through all these responses is both helpful and terrifying - it sounds like this happens way more often than it should. I had no idea I was supposed to keep certifying during the appeal process, so thank you everyone for mentioning that repeatedly. I'm going to start doing that immediately. One question for those who have been through this - when you finally got your hearing, did your employer actually show up to defend their false claim? I'm wondering if some employers just lie initially hoping you won't appeal, but then don't bother showing up to the hearing when they know they'll lose. Also, has anyone had success getting legal help for these cases? I'm wondering if having an attorney would speed things up or make the outcome more certain, especially since my financial situation is getting desperate.

I just went through this exact same frustrating experience a few weeks ago! It's so stressful when you can see your payments are "paid" but can't actually access the money. Here's what finally worked for me: Call Money Network at 1-866-692-9374 at exactly 8:00 AM when they open - this is crucial! The wait times are SO much shorter in the morning. I got through in about 8 minutes versus being on hold for hours when I called later in the day. When you reach them, ask them to: 1. Confirm your card was actually mailed and when 2. Double-check your address is correct in their system 3. Request a replacement with expedited shipping if it's been over 10 business days The expedited shipping costs around $15 but it's absolutely worth it when you have bills due. You'll get it in 2-3 business days instead of potentially waiting weeks more. Also definitely check with your apartment complex's leasing office or mail room - my card was actually sitting there for several days before I thought to ask! Once you get your card, you can immediately transfer the funds to your bank account through the Money Network app, then set up direct deposit for future payments so you never have to deal with this mail delay again. Your money is definitely safe and this will get resolved soon. The system is broken but you're not alone in dealing with this! Hang in there.

I'm going through this exact same frustrating situation right now! It's been 12 days since my first payment showed as "paid" and still no card in sight. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with this nightmare. Based on all the advice shared, I'm definitely going to call Money Network at 1-866-692-9374 tomorrow morning at exactly 8:00 AM. It sounds like the early morning timing is absolutely crucial for shorter wait times. I've been making the mistake of calling in the afternoon and getting nowhere. I'm also planning to check with my apartment complex's leasing office to see if they're holding any mail - several people mentioned this and it's such a smart idea since mail delivery can be unpredictable in large complexes. At this point I'm ready to pay the $15 for expedited shipping on a replacement card rather than continue stressing about when it might randomly appear. When you have bills due, that fee is nothing compared to the peace of mind. Thanks to everyone who shared their detailed experiences and advice - it gives me a clear action plan and hope that this will be resolved soon! Sarah, I hope you get through to Money Network and get your card situation sorted out quickly too.

This whole thread is exactly what I needed to see right now! I'm dealing with the same frustrating situation - certified for two weeks last Sunday and only one week paid while the other sits on pending with zero explanation from EDD. I was starting to panic thinking I'd made some error, but seeing how common this issue is makes me feel so much better. The information about quarterly reviews and SDI cross-checks is completely new to me - I had no idea EDD had all these background processes running that could randomly flag payments. I'm definitely going to try the 8:01 AM calling strategy tomorrow and make sure to ask specifically about "stop payment alerts" when I get through. It's incredibly frustrating that EDD's system provides no transparency about these holds, but this community sharing real solutions and successful outcomes is invaluable. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences - you're helping so many of us who are just trying to navigate this confusing system and pay our bills on time!

This thread is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with something very similar right now - certified for two weeks on Sunday and only got paid for one, with the other sitting on pending since Monday. I was honestly starting to stress that I had made some mistake on my certification, but reading through everyone's experiences here shows this is way more common than I thought! The explanations about quarterly reviews and SDI cross-checks are eye-opening - I had absolutely no idea these background processes could randomly flag payments. I'm definitely going to try the 8:01 AM calling strategy tomorrow and make sure to ask about "stop payment alerts" specifically. It's so frustrating that EDD provides zero transparency about why these holds happen, but seeing that so many people have successfully gotten this resolved gives me hope. Thank you to everyone for sharing your real experiences and solutions - this community is a lifesaver when EDD's own system leaves us completely in the dark!

Hi everyone, just made a video about how to call the EDD and reach a live human agent: https://youtu.be/-R4SqP7_JUA

I'm dealing with a similar false statement penalty situation and it's been incredibly frustrating. From what I've researched, the key is to gather all your documentation and be prepared to explain exactly what happened when you do get through to EDD. Make sure you have your original claim information, any correspondence from EDD, and documentation that supports your case. The penalty weeks can feel endless, but staying organized and persistent with appeals or explanations seems to be the most effective approach. Has anyone had success with the appeal process for false statement penalties?