I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! My Money Network card was suddenly deactivated three days ago and I have about $1,600 stuck on it. The customer service rep gave me the same "email override" explanation and promised a check in 7-10 business days, but reading everyone's experiences here, it sounds like I should expect 3+ weeks realistically. This is so frustrating - I had no idea this was such a common problem with Money Network cards! Based on all the helpful advice in this thread, I'm planning to call EDD's payment services line (1-866-401-2849) tomorrow morning around 7:30am to switch to direct deposit and request a payment hold until it's set up. Quick question for those who've been through this - when Money Network sends the check, do they mail it to the address on file with EDD, or do I need to update my address with Money Network directly? I recently moved and want to make sure it goes to the right place. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's such a relief to know there's actually a way out of this nightmare loop between EDD and Money Network!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - I went through the exact same nightmare about 4 months ago! Money Network suddenly locked my card claiming there was "suspicious activity" and I had $2,800 stuck on it. The customer service reps kept giving me different stories and timelines. Here's what actually happened in my case: The check from Money Network took 22 business days to arrive (despite them promising 7-10 days multiple times). I called EDD's payment services line at 1-866-401-2849 and it took me 6 attempts over 3 days to get through, but once I did, they were incredibly helpful. The EDD payment services rep switched me to direct deposit during that same call and put a hold on my account so no new payments would go to the defunct Money Network card. She also gave me a confirmation number and sent an email confirming the change. I know it feels hopeless when you're stuck in that loop, but you WILL get your money - it just takes way longer than it should. Keep calling that EDD payment services number early in the morning (around 7:30am worked best for me) and don't give up. Once you're on direct deposit, all these headaches disappear. Hang in there!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Just filed my claim about 2 weeks ago and got my first certification results yesterday - both weeks showing "disqualified" with no clear explanation anywhere in the system. Like everyone else here, I can see my weekly benefit amount ($278) in the claim summary, so I know my claim was approved, but those disqualifications had me completely freaking out until I found this thread. After reading through all these experiences, I'm 100% certain I made the same work search documentation mistake. I've been actively job hunting every day (easily 4-5 applications per week through Indeed, LinkedIn, and directly on company websites) but when I certified, I just answered "yes" to the work search question without filling in those detailed employer fields because they totally looked optional to me. The new UI interface is such a disaster - whoever redesigned it clearly never considered how confusing it would be for actual users! I'm planning to call EDD first thing tomorrow morning with my job search log ready. I've been keeping track of everything in a Google Sheet because I'm really serious about finding work, so I have company names, job titles, application dates, and contact methods all documented for those weeks. It's so encouraging to read that multiple people have gotten this resolved over the phone by providing those specific details to a rep. This thread has been absolutely invaluable - you've all probably saved me days of panic and confusion trying to figure out what went wrong. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories and solutions. I'll definitely come back and update on how my call goes to help anyone else dealing with this same documentation nightmare!

I'm new to this community and currently going through my first unemployment experience. After reading through this entire thread, I'm both grateful and shocked by how many people are dealing with the exact same work search documentation issue with EDD's new system. I just filed my claim last week and haven't gotten my first certification results yet, but this thread has been incredibly eye-opening. It's clear that the new interface is systematically causing the same mistake for tons of people by making required work search documentation fields appear optional. That's a massive design flaw that's creating unnecessary stress and delays for people already dealing with job loss. Based on everyone's experiences, I'm going to make absolutely sure to document every single job search activity in detail during certification - company names, specific job titles, application dates, contact methods, and any follow-up actions. I've already been keeping a spreadsheet for my own tracking, but now I know how crucial it is to enter all that information into EDD's system, even if those fields look optional. For everyone dealing with disqualified weeks, it's so encouraging to see that multiple people have successfully gotten it resolved by calling EDD with their detailed job search information ready. The fact that you can all see your weekly benefit amounts means your claims are approved - that's the hardest part! This really does seem to be a fixable certification documentation issue. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories and solutions. This thread is going to help so many people avoid these problems or know exactly how to fix them. This is what community support should look like!

I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare - I know exactly how terrifying and overwhelming it feels to receive one of those overpayment letters. I just want to add my voice to all the incredible support and success stories you're seeing here. I went through almost the identical situation 5 months ago when I received an overpayment notice for $29K in PUA benefits from 2021. Like you, I had to leave my job at a retail store because my son's daycare kept shutting down due to COVID outbreaks. I was completely honest during my phone interview and provided every detail they asked for about my childcare situation. The panic and sleepless nights are so real - I completely understand that feeling of dread wondering if they might pursue criminal charges or garnish your wages. But reading through all these amazing success stories from @AstroAlpha, @Madison Allen, @Maya Jackson, @Emily Sanjay, @Pedro Sawyer and others gave me the courage to fight instead of giving up. I successfully appealed and WON my case! The entire overpayment was reversed. The key was following the same approach everyone here has outlined - gathering every piece of documentation about childcare closures, creating a chronological timeline, and emphasizing that I had been completely transparent from day one. My hearing was over the phone, lasted about 40 minutes, and the judge was actually very understanding. When I presented my organized evidence showing the pattern of daycare closures and how they made steady work impossible, they ruled completely in my favor. You absolutely have a strong case here. Childcare disruption due to COVID was explicitly covered under PUA guidelines, you were honest throughout the process, and you deserve to fight this unfair determination. Start gathering your documentation ASAP and get that appeal filed before the deadline. Stay strong - you've got this, and we're all here supporting you!

I'm so sorry you're going through this terrifying situation - I completely understand the panic and sleepless nights you're experiencing right now. I just received a very similar overpayment notice last week for $20K in PUA benefits from 2021, also due to childcare disruptions when my toddler's daycare kept closing for COVID exposures. Reading through all these incredible success stories has given me so much hope! It's amazing to see people like @AstroAlpha, @Madison Allen, @Maya Jackson, @Emily Sanjay, @Pedro Sawyer, @Ryan Kim and others who have successfully appealed and completely reversed their overpayments. Your situation sounds exactly like what PUA was designed to cover - you were honest, transparent, and dealing with legitimate COVID-related childcare disruptions. I'm already starting to gather my documentation following everyone's advice - emails from the daycare about closures, texts with my supervisor, and I'm going to create that chronological timeline approach that seems to work so well in these appeals. The fact that you explained everything clearly during your phone interview and wrote it on your application shows you acted in complete good faith. Criminal charges are extremely rare for honest cases like ours - they focus on clear fraud, not legitimate parents who needed help during impossible circumstances. You followed the rules and qualified under the guidelines. File that appeal ASAP and don't let them intimidate you! Based on all these success stories, you have a really strong case. We're all in this together and rooting for you to win this fight!

Just wanted to add another success story to encourage others! I tried Emily's 240+1 method this morning at 8:15am for my pregnancy disability claim that's been stuck for 5 weeks. Got through on my second attempt after waiting about 28 minutes on hold. The rep was incredibly helpful - turns out my OB's office had submitted the wrong form initially (they used an old version from 2019), which is why my claim was stuck in "pending medical certification" status. She was able to see exactly what form was needed and even emailed the correct version directly to my doctor's office while I was on the call. For anyone still struggling: definitely call early morning, have your SSN and claim number ready, and don't be discouraged if you get the "too many callers" message a few times. This method really does work, you just need to be persistent. My payments should start processing within 48 hours according to the rep. Thanks again Emily for sharing this lifesaver! This community is amazing for helping each other navigate this broken system.

This is incredibly helpful, thank you so much for sharing! I've been dealing with a frustrating situation where my SDI claim has been stuck in "pending" status for over a month after a knee surgery. My orthopedic surgeon submitted all the paperwork weeks ago, but I keep getting the runaround when I try to call the main number. Reading through all these success stories gives me hope that this 240+1 method might actually work. I'm planning to try first thing Monday morning around 8am based on the timing recommendations here. Quick question - when you dial the 240+1 sequence, do you need to wait for any specific prompts or just enter it immediately after putting in your verification info? I want to make sure I'm doing it exactly right since this seems like my best shot at actually reaching a human being. Really appreciate you taking the time to share this hack with the community. The stress of not receiving disability payments when you literally cannot work is overwhelming, and EDD's phone system just makes everything worse. Fingers crossed this works for me too!

I've been through this exact situation twice - once for a missed RESEA and once for a missed eligibility review call. Both times it was due to phone issues (first time my phone was completely dead, second time I was in a dead zone with no signal). The UI Center Pacific address (PO Box 1041, Atwood CA 92811) is definitely correct for certain counties. Here's what I learned from both experiences: **For the questionnaire:** - Keep your explanation brief but specific about the technical issue - Include dates: when the problem started, when the appointment was, when you're mailing the response - Attach any documentation you have (repair receipts, screenshots, etc.) - Write your claim number on every single page **For mailing:** - Send it both regular mail AND certified mail (I do this every time now) - Write "RESEA QUESTIONNAIRE - TIME SENSITIVE" on the envelope - Take photos of everything before you send it **Most importantly:** Keep certifying for benefits! This is crucial. Both times my benefits continued normally as long as I kept certifying on schedule while they processed my explanation. Phone malfunctions absolutely qualify as good cause. The first time took about 3 weeks to resolve, the second time was only about 2 weeks. EDD sees these technical issues all the time and as long as you document it properly and show you're making good faith efforts to comply, you'll be fine. Don't stress too much - you're handling this exactly right by being proactive about getting the questionnaire back to them quickly.

I've been lurking on this thread because I'm dealing with a very similar situation - missed my RESEA appointment last week due to phone issues (battery kept dying randomly even when plugged in). Haven't received the questionnaire yet but I'm preparing for when it arrives. This whole thread has been incredibly valuable! The consistent advice about the UI Center Pacific address (PO Box 1041, Atwood CA 92811), keeping explanations brief but specific, and sending both regular + certified mail seems like the winning formula. I'm definitely going to follow the timeline approach and include my repair shop receipt as documentation. Quick question for anyone who's been through this - when you called EDD to let them know you mailed the questionnaire, did you have to go through the main 1-800-300-5616 number or were you able to find a more direct line? The 8:01 AM calling strategy that @Diego Flores mentioned is brilliant and I'm going to try that, but I'm wondering if there are any other phone number options that might have shorter wait times. Also super grateful for everyone emphasizing to keep certifying - I was honestly wondering if I should pause that while this gets sorted out, but it's clear that would be a mistake. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences, it's making this whole situation feel much less overwhelming!