I'm new to this community and just starting to deal with this exact same situation! I turned 62 last month and began collecting Social Security retirement benefits while still on unemployment. I've been so anxious about whether I need to report this when certifying for EDD benefits - I actually skipped certifying last week because I was paralyzed by the fear of making a mistake. This entire discussion has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! I had no idea there was such an important distinction between Social Security retirement benefits and employer pensions. I just assumed all retirement income would affect unemployment benefits the same way. Reading everyone's experiences about successfully certifying without reporting SS retirement has given me so much peace of mind. I tried calling EDD multiple times but could never get through (seems like a common theme here!). This community sharing real experiences is honestly more valuable than anything I could find on the official EDD website. Thank you all for taking the time to explain this so clearly - you've saved me from weeks of sleepless nights worrying about accidentally committing fraud or getting hit with an overpayment. I can finally move forward with confidence!

I'm brand new to this community and this thread has been such a lifesaver! I just turned 62 and started collecting Social Security retirement benefits about a month ago while still unemployed. I've been absolutely terrified about whether I need to report this on my EDD certifications - I even called in sick to my job search activities this week because I was so stressed about potentially making a costly mistake. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring! I had no clue that Social Security retirement benefits are treated differently from employer pensions or work income by EDD. I just assumed any retirement money would reduce my unemployment benefits. The way you all explained the distinction finally makes it click for me. I attempted to call EDD about 8 times over the past three weeks but never got through to a human - just endless hold music and disconnections. This community providing real experiences from people who've actually dealt with this situation is worth its weight in gold. Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge and helping anxious newcomers like me navigate this confusing system. I can finally stop losing sleep over this and move forward with my certifications confidently, knowing I don't need to report my Social Security retirement benefits!

I'm also new to this community but wanted to share my experience since I literally just finished my verification interview this morning! Like everyone else here, I was initially panicked when I saw it scheduled after filing my new claim, but this thread really helped calm my nerves. The interview was exactly like everyone described - routine, professional, and much shorter than I expected. The rep called right at my scheduled time (9:30 AM) and was super friendly. They explained upfront that these interviews are now standard for about 40% of new claims as part of their updated verification process for 2025. The questions were basic: confirmed my identity, verified my last employer and job title, asked why I'm no longer working there, confirmed I'm actively seeking work, and checked if I had any employment between my last claim ending and filing this new one. The whole thing took about 9 minutes. Having all my employment dates and employer info written down beforehand was a lifesaver - I would have definitely been scrambling to remember specifics without that prep. Also made sure to be in a quiet room with strong cell reception like others suggested. My payments have been processing normally throughout this whole process, and the rep confirmed my claim looks good to continue. She even mentioned that these interviews actually help speed things up by catching any potential issues early rather than having them cause delays later. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - it made such a difference knowing what to expect! This community is awesome for helping each other navigate the EDD process.

I'm new to this community but wanted to add my voice to this incredibly helpful thread! I'm actually scheduled for one of these verification interviews tomorrow morning and was having major anxiety about it until I found this discussion. Reading through everyone's real experiences has been such a relief - it's clear this really is just standard procedure now in 2025 and not a red flag. All the practical advice here is gold - I've already written down all my employment dates, employer contact info, and separation details on a notepad. Also double-checked that my phone number and address are current in my UI Online account like someone mentioned. Planning to find a quiet spot with good cell reception about 15 minutes before my scheduled time. It's so reassuring to hear how professional and friendly the EDD reps have been for everyone, and that most interviews are wrapping up in under 15 minutes with straightforward questions. The fact that payments typically continue processing normally throughout the process is a huge weight off my shoulders. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences - this thread is going to help so many people navigate this process with way less stress. I'll definitely try to update after my interview tomorrow in case it helps others! This community is amazing for supporting each other through the EDD maze.

This entire thread has been absolutely incredible - thank you to everyone who shared their experiences! As someone who's been lurking in this community for a while but never posted, I finally felt compelled to jump in because this topic is so relevant to my situation. I'm 28 and just got laid off from my office job last week. I've been thinking about going back to school for ages but never had the financial cushion to do it. Now with unemployment benefits and potential financial aid, it finally seems possible - but I was terrified about screwing up the reporting requirements. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences has been like getting a PhD in "How to Navigate EDD and School Simultaneously." The consensus is crystal clear: Pell Grants and student loans = not reportable income. But what's been even more valuable are all the practical strategies people have shared: - Creating visual charts of what to report vs not report - Weekly certification journals - Screenshot documentation of EDD policies - Building relationships with financial aid offices - Utilizing workforce development resources - Library workshops (who knew?!) I'm definitely going to implement the organized documentation system that Jamal suggested - having everything in one dedicated folder seems essential after reading about those overpayment horror stories. One question: has anyone dealt with reporting scholarship money? I might be eligible for a small scholarship through a professional organization, and I'm wondering if that falls under the same rules as grants. Ravi, thanks for starting this discussion - it's helped so many of us! And congrats on taking the leap at 33. This thread is proof that this community is absolutely invaluable for real-world guidance that you just can't get anywhere else!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm 31 and just got laid off from my warehouse job two weeks ago. I've been accepted to community college for the spring semester and was absolutely terrified about messing up the financial aid reporting. Reading through everyone's experiences has given me so much confidence and practical guidance. The documentation strategies everyone has shared are gold - I'm definitely setting up that organized folder system and starting a weekly certification journal right away. After seeing what happened with the overpayment situations, I want to be absolutely meticulous about record-keeping. I love how this community provides the real-world guidance that the official EDD resources completely fail to deliver. The consensus is crystal clear about Pell Grants and student loans not being reportable income, but more importantly, everyone has shared actionable strategies for protecting yourself and staying organized throughout the process. One thing I wanted to add - my local community college has a "Re-entry Students" program specifically for adults going back to school. They mentioned they have staff who are familiar with various benefit programs and can help coordinate your educational goals with maintaining eligibility for assistance programs like EDD. Might be worth checking if your schools have similar programs for non-traditional students. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences. Ravi, you started something really valuable here - this thread is going to help so many people navigate this confusing intersection of unemployment and education!

I've been on unemployment for about 8 months now and have used both methods extensively. Online certification is hands down better for speed and reliability. Here's what I learned the hard way: Paper forms are a nightmare - I had two get lost in the mail completely, which meant calling EDD for HOURS to sort it out. One time a form arrived damaged and unreadable, so they rejected it and I had to start over. With online, you get instant confirmation and can even print a receipt for your records. The only downside to online is that sometimes the website goes down for maintenance (usually announced in advance) or gets overwhelmed during peak times. But even when that happens, you can usually try again in a few hours. With mail, if something goes wrong, you're looking at weeks to fix it. For your situation with rent due soon, definitely go online. I typically get my payment deposited by Tuesday when I certify Sunday morning. With paper, it was always 7-10 days minimum, sometimes longer if there were any issues. One tip nobody mentioned - if you ever need to change your direct deposit info or update your address, do it through the online system too. Paper change requests take forever to process!

I went through this exact same dilemma when I first got approved! After reading horror stories about both methods, I decided to test them both - used paper for my first certification and online for my second. HUGE difference! Paper certification took 12 days to get my payment, and I was constantly stressed wondering if they even received it. Online certification got me paid in 48 hours with full tracking the whole way. Here's what sold me on online: you get a confirmation number immediately, you can see your payment status update in real-time, and if you make any mistakes the system catches them before you submit (instead of rejecting your whole form weeks later like with paper). The technical issues people talk about are usually just the site being slow on Sunday mornings when everyone's certifying. I switched to certifying Sunday evenings and never had a problem. Way less stressful than wondering if your paper form got lost in the mail! With your rent deadline, definitely go online. The 24-48 hour processing time could be the difference between making rent on time or not. Just make sure to screenshot your confirmation page as backup proof!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare! My name got completely scrambled in their system - they turned "Sarah Johnson" into "Srah Johnsn" which looks like someone was typing with mittens on 🤦‍♀️ I've been dreading dealing with this for weeks, but reading through all these responses has given me so much hope and a clear action plan. The technical support line at 1-800-300-5616 that @Malik Thompson shared is incredible info - I had no idea there was a separate department specifically for system issues! The tier 2 representative and case number tips are exactly what I needed to hear. I'm also definitely going to look into the assemblymember office route as a backup plan. It's honestly mind-blowing that this is such a widespread issue - you'd think basic data entry would be something a government agency could handle by now! Thanks everyone for sharing actual solutions instead of just complaining (though trust me, the complaints are totally valid 😅). Going to gather all my documents and call that technical support line first thing Monday morning. Finally feel like there's light at the end of this bureaucratic tunnel! 🙏

I'm dealing with this same issue! EDD somehow changed my name from "Jennifer Lee" to "Jenifer Le" - dropped one 'n' and an 'e'. It's so frustrating because you know this tiny error is going to cause massive headaches down the line. After reading through everyone's advice here, I'm feeling way more hopeful about getting this fixed. The technical support line at 1-800-300-5616 that @Malik Thompson mentioned sounds like a game changer - I had no idea there was a separate department specifically for system issues! The tip about asking for a tier 2 representative is exactly what I needed to know. I'm also really glad someone mentioned the assemblymember office option. It never occurred to me that local representatives would have staff to help with EDD issues, but that makes total sense. It's honestly both reassuring and infuriating to see how many people are dealing with identical problems. You'd think they'd have figured out basic data entry by now! But at least knowing there are multiple solutions gives me confidence this can actually be resolved. Planning to call that technical support line tomorrow with all my documents ready. Thanks everyone for sharing real actionable advice instead of just venting (though the venting is totally justified too 😅)!