I've been in this exact situation so many times and it's absolutely maddening! The worst part is that awful uncertainty - you're stuck wondering if you're seconds away from finally getting help or if you've been listening to a dead line for the past however many minutes. From my experience dealing with EDD's broken phone system, when the music stops but you're still connected, it usually means one of two things: either you're being transferred to the next available rep (which can involve several minutes of complete silence), or there's been some kind of technical glitch on their end. Here's the strategy that's saved my sanity: Put your phone on speaker immediately, set a timer for 15 minutes from when the music cuts out, and press a random key (I use * or #) every 4-5 minutes to let the system know you're still there. If you don't hear a human voice by that 15-minute mark, it's probably time to hang up and start over - as crushing as it is to lose your spot. I know 15 minutes feels like forever when you're listening to static, but I've actually gotten through after 18+ minutes of silence before! The key is staying busy during the wait so you don't lose your mind. Also, try calling right at 8 AM when they first open - the system is way more stable before it gets completely overloaded later in the day. This whole situation is absolutely ridiculous and we shouldn't need survival tactics just to access unemployment benefits, but don't give up! Your persistence will eventually pay off.

I've been through this exact nightmare so many times! That moment when the music stops is like EDD Russian roulette - you never know if you're about to win the lottery and get a human or if you're just entering another circle of phone hell. Here's what I've learned after probably 50+ attempts: when the music cuts out but you're still connected, you're usually either being transferred to an agent OR there's been a system hiccup. The problem is both scenarios look identical from your end - just silence and static. My survival method now: Speaker phone immediately, set phone timer for 16 minutes, and tap the # key every 3-4 minutes to keep the connection alive (learned this trick from a rep who took pity on me). If no human voice by 16 minutes, I force myself to hang up even though it kills me to lose my spot. The hardest part is that I've gotten through after 22 minutes of pure static before, but I've also wasted 45+ minutes on completely dead lines. It's basically gambling at this point. One thing that's helped tremendously: calling at exactly 8:01 AM (not 8:00 - everyone tries then). The system is much more stable before the daily chaos begins. Also, Wednesday mornings seem to have shorter wait times in my experience. This whole system is beyond broken and we shouldn't need PhD-level strategies just to file for benefits we've earned, but don't give up! Sometimes the universe rewards patience, even with EDD's disaster of a phone system.

I'm currently experiencing this same situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My payment has been showing "outstanding" for 6 days now, which is the longest I've ever experienced. I was starting to worry that something was seriously wrong with my claim. After reading everyone's experiences, I feel so much better knowing this is actually pretty common and that "outstanding" means approved but just waiting to be processed. The explanations about how account changes, system maintenance, and random audits can cause delays really helped me understand what might be happening behind the scenes. I did recently update my phone number in my profile, so that could be the culprit based on what others have shared about account changes causing processing delays. I'm going to try the Bank of America tip to check for pending deposits and will definitely start taking screenshots for documentation. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their stories and timelines - it's made such a difference in my stress level! I'll update here once my status changes to help others who might be going through the same thing.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now - my payment has been stuck on "outstanding" for 4 days after I certified on Sunday. This thread has been such a lifesaver! I was starting to panic thinking there was something wrong with my claim, but reading everyone's experiences has really put my mind at ease. What's particularly helpful is understanding that "outstanding" actually means the payment is approved and just waiting in the processing queue, rather than indicating any kind of problem. The detailed explanations about different causes - system maintenance, account changes, random audits, high processing volumes - really help explain why these delays happen even when nothing seems different on our end. I haven't made any recent account changes, so it's probably just one of those random processing delays that seem to affect 15-20% of payments based on what others have shared. I'm definitely going to try calling Bank of America to check for pending deposits like several people suggested - that seems like a much better approach than constantly refreshing the EDD portal. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and experiences. It's frustrating that EDD doesn't explain these things clearly, but this community really helps fill those gaps. I'll make sure to update once my status changes to help others who might be going through the same worry!

I went through this exact same nightmare about 6 months ago! The key thing that saved me was sending BOTH a written appeal AND calling every single day until I got through. Here's what worked for me: 1. Send your written appeal to the Sacramento address (P.O. Box 826880, Sacramento, CA 94280-0001) via certified mail so you have proof they received it 2. In your appeal letter, be super clear that you were only notified verbally and NEVER received any written determination 3. Keep calling EDD every morning at 8:01 AM sharp - don't give up after a few tries, literally call back-to-back for hours if needed The thing is, even though you never got the notice, the 30-day appeal clock probably started when they mailed it (or tried to mail it). So time is really critical here. I also discovered that if you can get through to a Tier 2 specialist (not just the first person who answers), they can sometimes expedite getting your determination notice resent or even help process your appeal over the phone. One more tip - when you do get someone on the line, immediately ask for their name and employee ID number and write down the exact time of your call. This documentation saved my butt when there were discrepancies later. Don't let them rush you off the phone without getting concrete next steps and timeframes!

I just want to add that if you're still struggling to get through to EDD after trying all these methods, you might also consider reaching out to your local legal aid society or unemployment advocacy groups. Many areas have free legal clinics that specifically help with EDD appeals, and they often know the ins and outs of the system better than most EDD reps themselves. Also, I noticed someone mentioned the 30-day deadline - just want to emphasize that this deadline can sometimes be extended if you can prove "good cause" for filing late, which absolutely includes never receiving the determination notice in the first place. Don't panic if you think you might be past the deadline - document everything about your attempts to get the proper paperwork and include that in your appeal. One last thing - make sure your address is updated with EDD both in your UI Online account AND by calling them directly. Sometimes mail gets sent to old addresses in their system even when you think everything is current. This might prevent future issues with important notices getting lost. Stay persistent and don't give up! The system is frustrating but appeals do get resolved when you follow the right steps and keep pushing.

I'm also new to the EDD Money Network system and this whole thread has been incredibly educational! Just wanted to add one more tip I discovered recently - if you're planning to do the ATM withdrawal backup, make sure to check your Money Network card's daily and monthly withdrawal limits beforehand. I found out mine was set to $400 per day by default, but you can actually call Money Network customer service to temporarily increase it if needed (up to $1,000 daily in some cases). They'll ask you a few security questions and can adjust it immediately over the phone. Might be worth doing if you need to withdraw a larger amount for rent. Also, for anyone else reading this who might be in a similar situation - I've noticed that Money Network ATMs (you can find them using their ATM locator on the website) don't charge the $3 fee that other ATMs do. There aren't as many of them around, but if you have one nearby it's worth using to save a few bucks. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - it's made this whole process so much less stressful for those of us figuring it out for the first time!

I've been using Money Network for my EDD payments for about 4 months now and can confirm everything everyone's said here. The 2-3 business day transfer time to Chase is pretty much guaranteed in my experience - I've never had it take longer than 3 days. One thing I'd add that might help with your timing stress: Money Network actually sends you email notifications when your transfer status changes. So you'll get an email when it goes from "pending" to "processing" and another when it's "completed" and the funds are on their way to Chase. It's really helpful for tracking progress without having to constantly check the app. Also, since this is your first time doing this, just a heads up that Chase might put a brief hold on the incoming transfer (like 24 hours max) if it's a larger amount, but that's pretty rare and usually only for amounts over $1,000. Your first EDD payment probably won't trigger that. The ATM backup plan is definitely the way to go for peace of mind. I always tell people to think of the $3-6 in fees as "stress insurance" - totally worth it when rent is on the line! Sounds like you've got a solid plan figured out. The Money Network system is actually pretty reliable once you get used to it, way better than the old Bank of America setup they used to have.

Last year I had a NIGHTMARE scenario where my payments randomly changed from biweekly to these weird split payments where I'd get different amounts on different days. Called EDD and the rep had NO IDEA why it was happening. System is completely broken and nobody there knows how to fix anything!!! When you DO get paid, immediately transfer the money out of that card to your bank account!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who recently went through this process. I certified for the first time about 3 weeks ago and my payment showed up exactly 48 hours later on my Money Network card. The key thing is to make sure you certify during the certification period (usually opens Sunday morning) and don't wait until the last minute. I set up both email and text notifications through UI Online and the Money Network app, which really helped me track when the payment was processed. The biweekly schedule is definitely correct for California - you certify every two weeks for the previous two-week period. One tip: take screenshots of your certification confirmation page in case you need proof later!