I went through this exact same thing back in October! Got my first payment, then the dreaded interview letter showed up. I was absolutely convinced they were going to make me pay everything back. Turns out my former employer had reported that I was "terminated" instead of "laid off" - which was technically correct since layoffs are a type of termination, but EDD needed to clarify the circumstances to make sure I didn't get fired for misconduct. The interview was honestly easier than I expected. The rep asked about my last day, why I left, and if I had any disciplinary issues. I explained the company downsizing situation and that was it - whole thing took maybe 12 minutes. My payments continued without any issues after that. My advice: Stay calm, be honest, and have any paperwork handy (layoff notice, final pay stub, etc.). The fact that they already approved and paid you once means you're likely fine - they just need to verify some details. Don't let the scary wording in the letter psych you out!

I'm a newcomer here but went through this EXACT situation just 3 months ago! Got my first payment on a Thursday, then got the interview notice the following Tuesday. I was absolutely terrified they were going to claw back the money. Turns out it was just routine verification - they wanted to confirm some dates because my employer's report had slightly different information than my application. The whole call lasted maybe 15 minutes and was way less scary than I built it up to be in my head. A few tips that helped me: 1) Write down your employment timeline before the call, 2) Have your phone charged and in a quiet spot, 3) Don't overthink it - if you were honest on your application, you'll be fine. The interviewer was actually really professional and understanding. The payments continued normally after that. Looking back, I wasted so much energy stressing about it! You're going to do great Tyler - the fact that you already got approved for one payment is actually a really good sign that your claim is solid.

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Had my interview 3 weeks ago, was told everything was approved, and still no mail whatsoever. I've been calling every single day and can never get through - it's beyond frustrating. Reading through all these responses gives me hope that there are actually solutions. I'm definitely going to try that "Register without EDD Customer Account Number" option that worked for @Ava Johnson. It's crazy how they hide these workarounds and don't tell you about them during the interview. The whole system seems designed to make it as difficult as possible to actually get your benefits. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - this thread is more helpful than anything I've gotten from EDD directly!

I'm currently going through this nightmare too! Had my interview 4 weeks ago and still haven't received anything in the mail. The stress of not knowing if my claim is processing or if I'm missing important deadlines is eating me alive. Reading through all these solutions gives me so much hope though - especially the "Register without EDD Customer Account Number" trick that saved @Ava Johnson. I had no clue that option even existed! It's honestly ridiculous that EDD doesn't mention any of these workarounds during the interview process. You'd think they'd want to make it easier for people to access their benefits, not harder. Going to try the registration workaround right now and also submit that AskEDD request as backup. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is way more helpful than EDD customer service!

I'm in the same boat as everyone here - been trying to get my EDD backpay sorted for months now! Reading through all these success stories with Claimyr is really encouraging. I've probably wasted 40+ hours over the past few months trying to get through to 800-300-5616 directly with zero success. Always busy signals or getting disconnected after waiting for hours. Based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like Claimyr is definitely the way to go. The $15-20 cost seems totally reasonable when you consider the time and frustration it saves. I'm planning to try it this week - does anyone know if there are better days/times to request the callback, or does it not really matter? Also, for those who got their backpay processed, how long did it actually take for the payments to hit your account after the call? Thanks for all the helpful info everyone - this community has been a lifesaver!

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone still struggling with this! I was in the exact same situation as Cedric - needed EDD backpay and couldn't get through to 800-300-5616 no matter how many times I tried. After reading all these success stories, I finally used Claimyr two days ago and it was honestly a game changer. Got my callback in about 90 minutes, spoke with a Tier 2 rep who was super knowledgeable, and she was able to backdate my claim for 6 weeks on the spot. The whole process took maybe 35 minutes once connected and she gave me a confirmation number to track everything. Cost me $20 but saved me probably weeks of frustration trying to get through on my own. For anyone on the fence about the cost - just do it, it's so worth it compared to the time you'll waste otherwise!

I had my CalJOBS appointment about 6 weeks ago and wanted to share what I learned! The link came through email exactly 24 hours before my scheduled time - I actually set up an email filter to make sure it went straight to my main inbox since I was so worried about missing it. My appointment lasted about 38 minutes and was honestly way more helpful than I expected. The counselor had me share my screen to go through my CalJOBS profile and we reviewed my work search activities together. I had been tracking everything in a basic Excel spreadsheet (company name, position, date applied, application source) which they seemed to appreciate. A few things that really helped: - I updated my CalJOBS resume the weekend before and made sure all sections were complete - I wrote down examples of networking activities (reaching out to former coworkers, LinkedIn connections, etc.) since they count those too - I prepared a brief explanation for a gap in my work history from earlier this year The counselor actually helped me identify some skills I wasn't highlighting enough and suggested a couple of local job search resources I didn't know about. She also reminded me that informational interviews and industry meetups count toward work search requirements. One technical note - the screen sharing worked directly through the browser, no downloads needed. Just make sure you have your CalJOBS login handy! The whole experience felt more like getting free career advice than being audited. As long as you can show you're genuinely trying to find work, you'll be totally fine. The waiting and worrying beforehand is definitely the worst part!

I just wanted to add my experience to help ease your nerves! I had my CalJOBS appointment about 10 days ago and it went really smoothly. Like others mentioned, the link came exactly 24 hours before via email (I also saw it in UI Online). My appointment was around 35 minutes. The counselor had me share my screen to review my CalJOBS profile and go through my work search activities. I kept everything in a simple Google Sheet - nothing fancy, just company names, job titles, dates applied, and where I found the posting (Indeed, LinkedIn, company website, etc.). A couple of things that really helped me prepare: - I made sure my CalJOBS profile was 100% complete a few days before - I had screenshots of a few job applications saved on my desktop just in case - I tested my internet connection and made sure my browser was updated The counselor was actually super helpful! She pointed out some keywords I should add to my resume and told me about a virtual job fair happening next month that I wouldn't have known about otherwise. She also confirmed that networking activities like LinkedIn outreach and informational interviews count toward your work search requirements. One small tip - when they ask you to share your screen, it happens right through the browser. No special software needed, but make sure you know your CalJOBS login info by heart since you'll need to log in while they're watching. Honestly, the anticipation was way worse than the actual appointment. It felt more like getting free career coaching than being interrogated. You're going to do great!

I've been through this exact process and won my second appeal after being denied at the ALJ level. Here's what I learned that might help you: The success rate for second appeals is actually higher than most people think - around 20-25% according to my attorney - but only if you focus on legal errors rather than rehashing the same arguments. In your case, you have several strong legal angles: 1. The temporal proximity between your safety report and termination (3 weeks) creates a strong inference of retaliation 2. Those emails praising your work contradict their "performance issues" claims 3. If they didn't follow progressive discipline, that's another legal error The key is being very specific about which "Findings of Fact" were wrong and why. Don't just say "the judge was unfair" - point to specific testimony or evidence that was ignored or misinterpreted. I'd also recommend getting the hearing transcript if you haven't already. Sometimes there are discrepancies between what was actually said and what the ALJ wrote in their decision. My second appeal took about 4 months but I received $16,800 in retroactive benefits. The retaliation angle seems very strong in your case given the timing and your documentation. Don't give up!

I won my second-level CUIAB appeal about 6 months ago after going through exactly what you're describing. The statistics people are throwing around here are actually pretty accurate - around 20% success rate for second appeals, but it jumps much higher when you have strong evidence of legal errors like you do. Your case has some really compelling elements: the 3-week gap between reporting safety violations and termination, emails praising your performance right before firing, and what sounds like a failure to follow progressive discipline. These aren't just "unfair treatment" - they're specific legal errors the ALJ should have considered. One thing I'd add to all the great advice here is to also look into whether your employer properly documented their alleged "performance issues." Under California law, employers generally need contemporaneous documentation of performance problems to justify termination for cause. If they're claiming ongoing issues but have no write-ups, improvement plans, or other documentation prior to your safety report, that strengthens your retaliation argument significantly. I ended up receiving about $14,200 in back benefits after my reversal. The key was staying focused on legal standards rather than just telling my story again. Your evidence sounds much stronger than what I had to work with. Don't let anyone discourage you from fighting this - you've got legitimate grounds for appeal.