One more important tip for your interview: frame your decision to quit in terms of having "no reasonable alternative." EDD looks for whether you exhausted all options before quitting. Mention if you tried to: 1. Request formal accommodations for your diabetes 2. Report the break violations to HR or upper management 3. Request transfer to another department/location 4. Report drug use concerns to someone above your supervisor If your company was small with no HR department, explain that too. The key is showing you didn't quit at the first sign of trouble but tried your best to make the situation work while protecting your health and sobriety.

You definitely have a strong case here! The combination of medical discrimination (refusing diabetes accommodations), illegal workplace drug activity, and timecard manipulation gives you multiple grounds for good cause. A few practical tips for your interview: 1. Lead with your medical condition - emphasize that Type 2 diabetes requires regular meal timing to prevent dangerous blood sugar fluctuations 2. Explain your 4-year sobriety and how the workplace drug use created a genuine threat to your recovery 3. Present your documentation chronologically - show the pattern of you trying to resolve issues before quitting I had a similar situation with my anxiety disorder where my employer wouldn't provide reasonable accommodations. The key was demonstrating I made good faith efforts to work with them first. Since you emailed the owner and have texts with your supervisor, plus medical documentation, you're in a much better position than many claimants. The timecard falsification is particularly damning - that shows willful labor law violations by your employer. Don't downplay that aspect during your interview. Good luck on Tuesday!

Dont forget to check if ur eligible for any other benefits too! Food stamps, rental assistance, etc. Every little bit helps when ur out of work.

Just went through the backdating process myself a few months ago! One thing that really helped me was calling first thing in the morning right when they open (8am). The wait times are usually shorter then. Also, when you do get through, be super polite and patient with the rep - they deal with frustrated people all day and being nice can really make a difference in how helpful they are. Good luck with your claim!

Ugh, I feel your pain. I was locked out for weeks! Have you tried using the ID.me verification process? It's a pain, but it worked for me eventually.

I went through the exact same nightmare last month! Here's what finally worked for me: I had to completely start fresh with ID.me verification. Delete any existing ID.me account you might have created, then start the process over from scratch. Make sure you have your Social Security card, driver's license, and a recent utility bill ready. The video call took about 45 minutes to connect, but the actual verification was only 5 minutes. Also, try using Chrome browser in incognito mode - seemed to work better than regular browsing. Don't give up, you'll get through this! 💪

Oof, dropped calls are the WORST. Sending good vibes your way, OP! Hope you get through soon. ❤️

This is SO frustrating! I've been dealing with EDD for months and the dropped calls are just part of their broken system unfortunately. Here's what's worked for me: 1. Call exactly at 8:00 AM when they open - set multiple alarms 2. Use the "comma trick" when dialing: dial the main number, then add commas and the extension to auto-navigate the menu 3. If you get through to someone, immediately ask for a callback number in case you get disconnected again Also, document EVERYTHING - dates, times, reference numbers, what was discussed. I started doing this after my third dropped call and it saved me when I finally got a competent rep. Don't give up! The system is designed to wear you down, but your benefits are worth fighting for. You got this! 💪

Just went through this exact same nightmare last month! The "preparing to send" status is basically meaningless - it's what their system defaults to when there's ANY kind of hold or verification issue. In my case, it turned out to be because my apartment number was formatted differently on my driver's license vs my EDD application (I had "Apt 2B" on one and "Apartment 2B" on the other). The Money Network automated system will never tell you the real reason for the delay, you absolutely need to get through to an actual EDD representative who can see the backend verification flags. Once they cleared the address formatting issue, my card was expedited and arrived in 6 days. Don't waste any more time calling Money Network directly - they can't fix verification holds, only EDD can. The Claimyr service mentioned above really does work if you can't get through the regular phone lines.

I'm going through this exact same issue right now - been waiting 3 weeks for my Money Network card and the automated system keeps saying "preparing to send." Reading through all these responses is both reassuring and frustrating - reassuring because I'm not alone and there are actual solutions, but frustrating because these verification holds seem to happen so frequently over tiny details that should be easy to catch upfront. I had no idea that something as small as formatting differences between "Street" vs "St" or including/excluding middle initials could hold up the entire process for weeks. Definitely going to try calling the EDD disability line tomorrow morning since that seems like a much better option than dealing with the Money Network runaround. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - this thread is a goldmine of practical advice that you'd never get from the official websites!