Hey Katherine! I've been following this thread and wanted to add a few thoughts since I work in workforce development and see situations like yours fairly often. The advice about focusing on contracts that are naturally ending is spot-on. What matters to EDD is the reason for separation from your most recent work, so if you have legitimate contract endings (where renewal wasn't offered or available), that's your strongest foundation for a claim. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is that you should also look into your county's job training programs. Many counties have their own funding streams separate from state programs that can provide support during career transitions. They often move faster than EDD programs too. Also, since your apprenticeship is starting in just 3 weeks, you might want to have a backup plan ready. Even if everything goes perfectly with EDD, there could be delays. Consider reaching out to local food banks, community assistance programs, or even seeing if you can pick up some short-term gig work that won't interfere with your training schedule. The electrical apprenticeship through IBEW is an excellent choice - those programs usually have strong job placement rates and good wages once you complete them. It's worth the temporary financial stress to get into that field. Best of luck navigating all the bureaucracy!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who successfully navigated a similar situation last year. I was doing freelance graphic design work and got accepted into a coding bootcamp. Here's what worked for me: First, I documented EVERYTHING about my contract endings - emails, project completion dates, whether clients offered renewals or not. This was crucial when EDD asked for details during my phone interview. Second, I applied for UI as soon as my legitimate contracts ended, BEFORE starting my training program. Got approved first, then applied for California Training Benefits. The key was establishing that valid UI claim first based on actual job loss, not voluntary departure. The CTB application was intense - they wanted detailed career plans, labor market research showing demand for my new field, and proof the training would lead to "suitable employment." But it was worth it because once approved, I could focus on learning without the weekly job search requirements. One tip: when you talk to EDD, emphasize how the electrical field has strong job prospects and how this apprenticeship will make you more employable. They like seeing that you're training for in-demand work, not just any random program. Also, definitely reach out to your local Building Trades Council if there is one. They sometimes have emergency funds specifically for people entering electrical apprenticeships. The financial stress was real, but getting through that unpaid period was so worth it. You're making a smart investment in your future!

I'm dealing with something very similar right now! I was a full-time teacher for 2 years and also tutored students on weekends (1099 income). Got laid off in February and EDD immediately flagged me as "self-employed" even though tutoring was maybe 15% of my total income. What's really helped me so far is being super organized with my documentation. I created a simple spreadsheet showing month-by-month income from my teaching job vs tutoring, and it makes the income disparity really obvious. Also, if you still have access to your work email or any HR communications about your layoff, save those - they help prove you were a legitimate employee who got terminated. The frustrating part is that this seems to be happening to a lot of people with any side income at all. It's like their system automatically assumes any 1099 makes you self-employed. Definitely file that appeal ASAP and don't let them discourage you - your income numbers clearly show you were primarily an employee!

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! Was a full-time software engineer making $72K and did some freelance web development on weekends that brought in maybe $8K total. EDD immediately denied me saying I'm "self-employed" which is absolutely ridiculous given the income split. What's really helped me so far is gathering EVERYTHING that proves my employee status - not just W-2s and paystubs, but also my employee handbook, company org chart showing my position, even Slack screenshots showing I was part of the engineering team. I also wrote a detailed letter explaining that the freelance work was clearly supplemental income that I only did 5-10 hours per week max. The thing that's driving me crazy is how their system seems designed to automatically flag ANYONE with mixed income as self-employed without actually looking at the numbers. Like, how is $8K out of $80K total income considered "primary self-employment"?? I filed my DE 1000M appeal last week and I'm keeping copies of literally everything. Stay strong and definitely appeal this - your case is even stronger than mine with that income breakdown!

Hey everyone! I went through this exact same process about 6 months ago when I moved from Stockton to Modesto. The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking, especially when rent is due! From my experience, the key things that helped were: 1) Making sure both documents clearly showed my full name and new address, 2) Double-checking that I updated my contact info in the UI Online portal (not just uploading docs), and 3) Being persistent with calling. It took about 10 business days for mine to process, but like others mentioned, they do backpay everything once it's resolved. @Mateo Rodriguez so happy to see your update that it got fixed! For anyone still waiting, don't lose hope - the system is slow but it does work eventually.

I'm going through something similar right now - submitted my address verification docs to EDD about 5 days ago after moving from San Francisco to Berkeley. Reading through all these experiences is both reassuring and nerve-wracking! It's good to know that @Mateo Rodriguez got it resolved by calling, but also concerning that @Yuki Tanaka had to wait a whole month. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service that was mentioned - has anyone else here used it successfully? Also want to double-check that I updated my contact info properly in the portal after reading @GalaxyGuardian's tip about those being separate steps. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, this community is so helpful for navigating EDD's confusing processes!

Just wanted to add something about the certification process - even if your dad starts with paper, once he creates a UI Online account, he can immediately switch to online certification. He doesn't need to continue with paper forms. The system links to his existing claim automatically using his SSN and EDD Customer Account Number during registration.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that if your dad does decide to file online, make sure you help him create a strong password and write it down somewhere safe. A lot of older folks struggle with password requirements (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols) and end up getting locked out of their accounts. Also, have him bookmark the official EDD login page (edd.ca.gov) on his computer or phone if he has one. There are a lot of scam sites that look similar to the real EDD website, and they prey on people who are desperate for unemployment benefits. The online system really is worth the initial learning curve though. My dad was in a similar situation last year and once we got him set up, he was amazed at how much faster everything was compared to his friends who were still doing paper forms.

I'm dealing with this EXACT same issue right now! Been stuck in this registration loop for over a week and it's driving me absolutely insane. The "information doesn't match our records" error is like a broken record at this point. What's really getting to me is that I've triple-checked everything against my award letter - SSN, DOB, EDDCAN, name spelling, everything matches perfectly. I've tried different browsers, cleared cookies, even tried from my phone and a friend's computer. Nothing works! The calling situation is just as bad. I've probably called 50+ times and either get disconnected immediately or the "maximum capacity" message. When I did get through to technical support once, they basically said "not our problem, call the regular line" which was super unhelpful. Reading through all these responses is both comforting (I'm not alone in this nightmare!) and scary (some people took WEEKS to resolve this). I'm definitely going to try that 8:01am calling strategy and the "payment issue" trick when prompted. Also looking up that DE 4581 extension form right now because my certification deadline is coming up fast. Has anyone tried contacting their local assemblyperson's office? I've heard they sometimes have special EDD contact numbers for constituent services. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get out of this registration hell!

I'm going through this EXACT same nightmare right now! Been trying to register for 8 days and getting that same "information doesn't match our records" error every single time. It's honestly making me feel like I'm losing my mind because I KNOW everything is correct from my award letter. What's really frustrating is seeing how many other people are dealing with this exact issue - it's clearly a massive problem with EDD's system but they act like it's our fault for "entering wrong information." The phone situation is just as bad - I've called probably 60+ times and either get immediately disconnected or the capacity message. I'm going to try all the strategies mentioned here: calling at 8:01am sharp, saying "payment issue" instead of "registration problem," trying the 2511 number, and definitely submitting that DE 4581 extension form today since my certification is due soon. @Ethan Taylor - your suggestion about contacting assemblyperson offices is brilliant! I had no idea they had special EDD contacts. Going to look up my local office right after I submit the extension form. This whole thread is like a support group for EDD's broken system. At least we're all suffering together! 😤 Will update if I finally break through this registration hell.