This is absolutely incredible and gives me so much hope! I've been dealing with EDD debit card fraud for 8 months now - had $1,425 stolen from my card back in July 2024. BOA keeps telling me my case is "still under review" every time I call, and honestly I was starting to lose faith that I'd ever see that money again. The fact that you not only got your full reimbursement but also received 50% compensation for the delay is mind-blowing! I genuinely had no idea BOA was even capable of doing something that reasonable. Reading through all the advice in this thread about CFPB complaints and Regulation E has been such an eye-opener - I had no idea these consumer protections existed. Your success story is giving me the motivation to stop being so passive about this. I've just been calling once a month to "check status" and accepting their vague responses, but clearly I need to be more aggressive. I'm definitely filing a CFPB complaint this week and demanding more specific timelines from BOA when I call. Thank you so much for sharing this victory - after months of reading nothing but horror stories in this community, it's amazing to finally see that persistence can actually pay off! This gives me hope that my 8 months of waiting might not be for nothing. 🙏

This is absolutely incredible news and honestly the first time I've seen someone actually get compensated for BOA's ridiculous delays! I've been following this community for a while now and it's usually just horror story after horror story, so reading about your success literally made my day. I'm currently 6 months into fighting BOA over $1,150 in fraudulent charges on my EDD card. They initially denied my claim saying the PIN was used (even though I never gave it to anyone), but I appealed and now I'm stuck in the endless "under investigation" loop that everyone here knows so well. What really gives me hope is that you didn't even have to file CFPB complaints or escalate aggressively - they eventually came through on their own. The 50% compensation is amazing and makes me wonder if they're finally feeling enough legal pressure to start doing the right thing proactively. Reading through all the advice in these comments about Regulation E and CFPB complaints has been so educational. I had no idea these protections existed! I've clearly been too passive in my approach, just calling monthly to "check status" and accepting their vague responses. Your story is giving me the motivation to keep fighting instead of just accepting the loss. I'm definitely filing a CFPB complaint this week and being more persistent with my follow-ups. Thank you so much for sharing this victory - this community desperately needs more success stories like yours to keep people from giving up entirely! 🙌

Good luck with your certification! I hope you don't experience any delays. For future reference, I've found that keeping detailed records of sick days (including doctor's notes and pay stubs) really helps if EDD ever needs additional documentation. It's frustrating that the system isn't more straightforward about these common situations, but you made the right choice being honest about it. Please do update us on how it goes - your experience could help other people in similar situations!

I've been through this exact situation multiple times over the past year. Here's what I've learned from experience: if you mark "Yes" on the sick question, there's about a 50/50 chance your payment will be delayed for review, even with proper documentation. The EDD system flags ANY "Yes" answer for manual review, regardless of whether it's one day or the whole week. My personal approach now is to only mark "Yes" if I was sick for 3+ days during the certification period. For single sick days where I have proper documentation and got paid sick leave, I just report the hours/income and leave the sick question as "No." I've never had an issue with this approach, and my payments always come through on schedule. The key is being consistent with your reporting and keeping all your documentation (doctor's notes, pay stubs) just in case. EDD's system unfortunately isn't nuanced enough to handle these common workplace scenarios smoothly, so sometimes you have to work within its limitations to avoid unnecessary delays.

I went through a CA/NC interstate claim just last year and wanted to share some practical tips that might help with your timeline concerns! Since your rent is due in 3 weeks, here's what you can do to potentially speed things up: 1. Call EDD first thing Monday morning at 8:00 AM sharp - the phone lines open then and you have the best chance of getting through before they hit capacity. 2. When you do get through, specifically ask to speak with an Interstate Claims specialist. Regular EDD reps often don't know the nuances of interstate processing and might give you generic timelines. 3. Have your Social Security number, the exact dates of employment in NC (start and end), and your employer's full business name and address ready when you call. For the NC side, their unemployment office (DES) actually has better phone wait times than EDD in my experience. Their number is 888-737-0259, and they can give you updates on where your claim stands once EDD transfers it over. One thing that really helped me was being proactive about the wage verification. I called my former HR department in NC and asked them to confirm they had received any wage verification requests. Sometimes there are delays on the employer side that you can help push along. Also, look into California's Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) - many counties still have funds available and they can process applications pretty quickly while you're waiting for unemployment. Better to apply now just in case! The whole process took me about 4 weeks total, but I got lucky with no complications. Hoping yours goes smoothly!

Hey Keisha! I just completed a CA/NC interstate claim about 2 months ago, so your timing is perfect for getting current info! Here's what actually worked for me: The key thing that saved me time was setting up alerts in both the California UI Online system AND North Carolina's DES online portal (des.nc.gov). You can create accounts in both systems to track your claim status, which gives you way more visibility than just waiting for phone calls or mail. For the NC phone interview that others mentioned - they actually sent me a text message the day before with a 4-hour window when they'd call. So it's not completely random anymore! Make sure your phone number is updated in both systems. One specific tip for NC: they're really particular about your "reason for separation" matching exactly what your employer reports. I'd recommend reaching out to your former company's HR and asking them what reason they plan to report to unemployment. If there's any mismatch, it can delay things by weeks. Also, since you're worried about the 3-week timeline - check if your county has CalFresh (food stamps) emergency processing. In some counties, you can get approved in 3 days if you show proof of unemployment filing. It won't help with rent, but at least takes food costs off your plate while waiting for benefits. The whole process took me 3 weeks and 2 days from filing to first payment, which was way better than I expected based on all the horror stories online. Stay organized, be proactive, and you should be okay! Feel free to ask if you have specific questions about the process.

@profile6 I only had to upload documents. No video call needed. Everything went through the automated system.

Just wanted to add for anyone else reading this - if you're a renter and don't have utilities in your name, you can also use a renters insurance policy or even a medical bill as proof of address. I had to use my Kaiser medical statement when I first applied because my roommate had all the utilities under their name. Also, if you have a PO Box, make sure you're using your physical address, not the PO Box address - ID.me requires your residential address specifically.

Been following this thread and it's honestly the most helpful EDD discussion I've seen anywhere! I'm about 2 months into my claim and have been stressing every single week about payment timing. The Money Network card seems to be the clear winner based on everyone's experiences here. Quick question for those who've made the switch - when you change from direct deposit to the card in your UI Online account, do you get any confirmation email or notification that the change went through? I'm paranoid about making the switch and then having my payment get lost in limbo because the system didn't process the change properly. Also, has anyone had experience with what happens if you certify during the week you're switching payment methods? Do you end up with delays while the system figures out where to send your money, or does it default to the old method until the next certification cycle? Really appreciate everyone sharing their real experiences - this thread should honestly be required reading for anyone starting an EDD claim!

This thread has been absolutely amazing! I'm only 3 weeks into my EDD claim and was completely lost about payment timing until I found this discussion. The collective wisdom here is incredible - way better than anything on EDD's official site. I've been using direct deposit and getting stressed every week not knowing when my payment will actually hit. Based on all the experiences shared here, I'm definitely making the switch to Money Network card. The consistent 12-24 hour faster processing and text alerts sound like exactly what I need for my peace of mind and budget planning. One thing I'm curious about - for those tracking their payment patterns, do you find the timing is consistent year-round, or does it change during certain seasons? Like around tax season, end of fiscal year, etc.? I'm wondering if I should expect any variation in the patterns you've all identified as I get deeper into my claim. Also planning to start that certification timing hack @Dmitry Ivanov mentioned - certifying between 6-8am Sunday to see if it gives more predictable Monday afternoon payments. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their real-world data and strategies. This community knowledge is invaluable!