As someone who just went through this process last month, I wanted to add a few more practical tips that really made a difference for my hearing: **Create a "cheat sheet" with key dates and numbers** - Write down things like your claim start date, the specific weeks in question, total number of job contacts you made, and your case number. Having these basic facts at your fingertips helps you sound confident and prepared. **Practice your opening statement multiple times** - I rehearsed a 30-second explanation of my situation until I could say it smoothly. When you're nervous, it's easy to ramble, so having a concise version memorized really helps. **Don't be afraid to pause before answering** - If the judge or EDD rep asks a complex question, it's totally fine to say "Let me think about that for a moment" rather than rushing into an answer you're not confident about. **Prepare for the "why didn't you..." questions** - They might ask things like "why didn't you apply to more jobs in your field?" Have honest but positive responses ready that show you were being strategic, not lazy. The hearing was way less scary than I built it up to be in my head. The judge was professional and seemed genuinely interested in understanding my situation. I won my appeal because I could show consistent effort and good faith compliance with the requirements. You're already doing great by preparing this thoroughly - that puts you ahead of most people going into these hearings!

I went through an EDD appeal hearing about 3 months ago for a work search issue and wanted to share something that really helped me that I haven't seen mentioned yet - **prepare for technical difficulties**. During my hearing, the conference line had some issues and we had to restart the call about 15 minutes in. Having the judge's direct number (which they provide in your notice) and staying calm when things go wrong really helped. Also, make sure you have a backup phone option just in case. One more tip - when the judge asks if you understand the process at the beginning, don't just say "yes." I said something like "Yes, I understand this is a formal hearing where I can present evidence to show I complied with work search requirements." It showed I took it seriously and understood what was at stake. The judge was actually very patient with the technical issues and gave me plenty of time to present my case once we got reconnected. I won my appeal because I had solid documentation and stayed professional throughout the process, even when things got a bit chaotic with the phone problems. You're getting amazing advice in this thread - between all the preparation tips everyone has shared, you're going to be incredibly well-prepared. The fact that you're taking this seriously and preparing thoroughly already puts you in a great position to succeed. Good luck!

Don't forget to certify for benefits as soon as they tell you to, even while waiting for the new award letter! I made that mistake and it delayed everything by another 2 weeks. The system is frustrating but at least you're making progress!

Congratulations on getting through to EDD and getting this resolved! Your experience is going to be really helpful for other seasonal workers who run into the same issue. It's frustrating that EDD doesn't automatically check for the Alternate Base Period eligibility - seems like they should at least mention it when someone gets a $0 award. Thanks for sharing the update and I hope your new award letter comes through quickly!

This exact same thing just happened to me! I got the DE 4581 form in the mail yesterday and my UI Online account no longer shows the certification option. I've been certifying online without any issues for the past 6 months, so this came completely out of nowhere. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - it sounds like this could be related to the system update on the 15th, or maybe something got flagged in my account. I did report some part-time work income on my last certification, so that might have triggered a review. I'm going to try the early morning calling strategy (8 AM sharp) that several people mentioned, and I'll also send a secure message through UI Online as backup. In the meantime, I'll fill out the paper form and mail it with tracking to make sure I don't miss my certification deadline. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and tips - it's such a relief to know this is a known issue that can be resolved, even if it's frustrating to deal with. The stress of potentially missing payments when you're depending on them is no joke!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Got my DE 4581 form in the mail yesterday and my online certification option just vanished. I've been reading through all these comments and it's such a relief to know I'm not alone - I was seriously worried I'd somehow messed up my account. Based on what everyone's sharing, it sounds like the system update on the 15th might be causing widespread issues. I also reported some freelance income on my last certification, so that could have triggered a flag too. I'm planning to try the early morning calling strategy (seems like 8 AM is the sweet spot) and will also send a secure message through UI Online as backup. Definitely going to make copies of the paper form and send it certified mail - that tracking tip is gold! Has anyone who got switched back to online noticed if there's a pattern to which accounts got flagged? Like, is it mostly people who reported income, or address changes, or just random? Trying to figure out if there's any way to avoid this happening again in the future. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community is a lifesaver when dealing with EDD chaos!

Hey Elijah! Welcome to California! I totally get the confusion coming from Oregon's super strict system. I moved here from Washington about 6 months ago and had the same "wait, that's it?" moment when I realized you just check a box during certification. Here's what I've learned: California's "reasonable effort" approach is way more chill, but you definitely want to keep good records just in case. I document 3-4 activities per week (applications, LinkedIn outreach, virtual networking events, etc.) in a simple spreadsheet with dates, companies, and contact methods. For marketing specifically, I've found that attending online industry webinars, updating your portfolio, and even informational interviews with people in your network all count as valid work search activities. Way more flexible than just cold applications! The key is being able to prove you're genuinely looking if they ever audit you. I haven't been called for an eligibility interview yet, but seeing everyone else's experiences here, it sounds totally manageable as long as you stay organized. California's job market for marketing is definitely more robust than what I experienced in Washington, so you made a good move! Just keep doing what you're doing with the job search and you'll be golden.

I moved from Michigan to California about 3 months ago and went through this exact same confusion! Michigan required 4 work search activities per week that had to be logged during each certification - super detailed with company names, contact info, dates, the whole thing. California's system is SO much more relaxed. Here's what I've figured out: **During Certification:** You literally just check "yes" that you looked for work. No entering specific job details, no company names, no contact information - just one checkbox every two weeks. **Behind the Scenes:** Keep detailed records anyway! I use a simple spreadsheet tracking date, company, position, application method, and any follow-up. I aim for 3-4 activities per week to stay safe. **For Marketing Roles:** Don't forget that networking activities count too! Attending virtual marketing meetups, LinkedIn outreach, informational interviews, even taking relevant Coursera courses can all be documented as work search activities. **The Reality Check:** EDD can randomly audit you and ask for proof of your job search efforts. A friend of mine got called for an eligibility interview after 4 months and had to provide all the details they would have entered in other states. The "reasonable effort" standard basically means they trust you're actually looking for work and not just gaming the system. Coming from Michigan's rigid requirements, it felt weird at first but is actually way less stressful once you get into a routine. Welcome to California and good luck with your marketing job search! The opportunities here are definitely better than what I had back in Michigan.

I'm in a very similar boat! Just filed for UI after my PFL ended and I'm also wondering about the card situation. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like there's a good chance they'll use the same Money Network card, but EDD seems pretty inconsistent about it. I'm definitely going to download that Money Network app for the notifications - that's a great tip! Has anyone here had experience with how long it typically takes for the first UI payment to hit after approval? I know Diego just got approved yesterday, but I'm curious about the general timeline since I'm still waiting on my approval.

Just wanted to add my experience to help out - I had a similar transition from PFL to UI about 8 months ago. EDD did use my existing Money Network card, which was a huge relief! The first UI payment took exactly 3 business days after my online status changed to "paid." One thing I learned is that you can actually call Money Network customer service (the number on the back of your card) to verify your card is still active and ready to receive deposits - they were really helpful and confirmed everything was set up correctly on their end. Also, if you're worried about timing, you can set up low balance alerts through the Money Network app so you'll know immediately when funds hit. The UI payments show up with a different transaction code than PFL but it's definitely the same account. Hope this helps ease some of the stress while you're waiting!