As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this thread! I just got my disqualification notice yesterday and was completely panicking until I read through everyone's experiences here. @Sean O'Connor - Your update about figuring out the doctor's appointment issue gives me huge relief! Like so many others, I think I made the exact same mistake. I marked YES to being unable to accept full-time work because I had a physical therapy appointment that lasted 90 minutes on a Thursday morning. I thought ANY unavailability meant YES, but now I understand they're asking about overall weekly availability. It's really concerning how many people are getting caught by these same poorly worded questions. Reading through all the newcomer comments, it's clear this is a widespread issue - medical appointments, job interviews, family emergencies, training sessions - all legitimate activities that shouldn't disqualify anyone from benefits. The consistent advice from experienced members like @Zara Ahmed and @Mateo Lopez about filing appeals within 30 days and continuing to certify has been invaluable. I was terrified that certifying after disqualification would make things worse, but everyone's explanations about protecting backpay rights make perfect sense. I'm filing my appeal today and will document everything carefully. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space where people can get real advice from others who've actually been through this process. This community has been a lifesaver for understanding these EDD challenges!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for sharing such detailed and helpful experiences in this thread! I just received my own EDD disqualification notice last week and was feeling completely lost and overwhelmed until I found this discussion. @Sean O'Connor - Your success story and the update about getting through to EDD and figuring out the doctor's appointment question issue has given me so much hope! Like many others here, I believe I made a very similar mistake. I marked YES to being unable to accept full-time work because I had a court appearance that lasted about 4 hours on a Wednesday (it was for jury duty that I couldn't get out of). I genuinely thought that any time I couldn't be available for work meant I should answer YES, but reading through everyone's experiences, I now understand these questions are asking about overall weekly availability. What's really striking is seeing how many newcomers are commenting with almost identical situations - medical appointments, family emergencies, job interviews, legal obligations - all completely legitimate activities that shouldn't disqualify someone from unemployment benefits. It seems like EDD's certification questions are systematically confusing honest claimants who are trying to answer truthfully. The unanimous advice from experienced community members about filing appeals within 30 days and continuing to certify during the appeal process has been invaluable. I was initially terrified that certifying after getting disqualified might be considered fraudulent, but all the explanations about protecting your right to backpay make complete sense. I'm preparing my appeal letter today and will make sure to clearly explain that I misunderstood what the availability question was actually asking. Thank you all for creating such a supportive community where people can learn from real experiences and get practical guidance for navigating this incredibly confusing system. This thread has truly been a lifesaver!

I'm currently dealing with a very similar situation and this thread has been a lifesaver! Got laid off three weeks ago with a $5,200 severance that my employer structured as "pay in lieu of notice" for 3 weeks. Like many others here, I was initially confused about whether to report it as a lump sum or allocated over time. After reading everyone's experiences, I called EDD (used the callback service someone mentioned - much better than trying to get through directly) and confirmed that mine will also be allocated week by week. No benefits for those 3 weeks, but my claim stays active as long as I keep certifying. One thing I wanted to add that I haven't seen mentioned yet: if you have any pending reimbursements from your former employer (like business expenses or vacation payouts), make sure you understand how those will be reported too. My HR department told me that unused vacation time gets reported separately from severance and might affect different weeks depending on when it's processed. Just another wrinkle to keep track of! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's made this whole process so much less stressful knowing what to expect.

I'm going through something very similar right now - got laid off last month and received a severance that's being allocated over several weeks. This entire thread has been incredibly educational! One thing I learned that might help others: if you're planning to file your taxes during your unemployment period, make sure you understand how both the severance and unemployment benefits will be reported. My tax preparer mentioned that severance is reported on a W-2 like regular wages, but unemployment benefits come on a separate 1099-G form. If you're doing your own taxes, it's easy to miss one or the other. Also, I discovered that some local workforce development centers offer free resume workshops and job search resources specifically for people receiving unemployment benefits. Mine even had networking events for professionals in similar situations. It's worth checking what's available in your area - sometimes these local resources are more accessible than trying to navigate everything through EDD directly. The community support in this thread has been amazing. It's so helpful to hear from people who've actually been through this process rather than trying to decipher the official EDD documentation on your own!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Certified on Sunday, UI Online has shown "paid" since Tuesday morning, but my bank account is still empty. This is my first time experiencing a delay like this and I was starting to worry something was wrong with my claim. Reading through all these comments has been such a relief - at least I know it's a widespread technical issue with EDD's system and not just me. It's really frustrating that they don't communicate these delays to us directly though. We shouldn't have to piece together what's happening through community forums! I'm going to keep checking my account and hopefully it shows up in the next day or two like it did for others here. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is honestly more helpful than trying to call EDD directly!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Certified Sunday night, UI Online shows "paid" since Tuesday, but still no money in my account as of Friday morning. This thread has been incredibly helpful - it's reassuring to know this is a widespread technical issue and not something wrong with my specific claim. I was getting really stressed because I have bills due today and couldn't figure out what was happening. The fact that EDD doesn't send any notifications about these delays is absolutely maddening. We're expected to follow every rule perfectly and certify on time, but when their system has problems, we're left completely in the dark. Thank you to everyone who called and shared updates - this community provides better customer service than EDD itself! Hopefully my payment processes today like it did for others here.

I just went through this exact same situation a few months ago! The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking, especially when you have bills due. Here's what I learned: the Money Network card typically takes 7-10 business days to arrive after your first payment shows "paid" status. Once you get it and activate it, the money is available immediately. Since you're cutting it close with rent, definitely reach out to your landlord ASAP - most are understanding when you show them the EDD payment confirmation as proof. Also, as soon as you get that card, set up direct deposit through UI Online for future payments. It'll save you this stress going forward. You can also transfer the full amount from the Money Network card to your bank account online for free once it arrives. Hang in there - you're almost through the worst part!

I'm new to this community and currently dealing with my first unemployment claim. This thread has been incredibly helpful! I just had my payment status change to "paid" yesterday and was panicking about not having a debit card yet. Reading everyone's experiences here has been so reassuring - it's clear that the 7-10 business day wait for the Money Network card is normal, even though it's stressful when you have bills coming due. I had no idea about the direct deposit option or that you can transfer funds from the card to your bank account for free once it arrives. Paolo, thanks for sharing your journey and the update about getting through to EDD - knowing that Claimyr service actually works gives me hope if I need to contact them. I'm definitely going to set up direct deposit as soon as possible to avoid this waiting game in the future. This community support is amazing for those of us navigating this confusing system!

I just went through this exact process two months ago and can share some practical tips that might help! My benefit year ended in May 2025 and like many of you, my 2022 wages were much higher than recent earnings. Here's what I learned: First, don't wait until the last minute to file your new claim - I filed 3 days after my benefit year ended and it processed smoothly. Second, gather all your recent pay stubs or 1099s from any work you did during 2024, even small gig work, because those wages DO count toward your new base period and can make a difference. The determination letter took about 10 days for me, and yes, my weekly benefit did drop significantly (from $425 to $210), but I was still able to qualify. What helped was immediately asking about training programs when I got the determination. I'm now enrolled in a digital marketing certification program through the local workforce board that extends my benefits while I'm training. One thing I wish I'd known earlier - if you're currently on any federal extension program, make sure to ask specifically about continuing on that when you file your new claim. The EDD rep won't always volunteer this information, but it can be an option if your new regular claim amount is much lower than what you were receiving before. The whole process is definitely stressful, but having a plan and knowing what to expect makes it much more manageable!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation and this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! My benefit year ends in just 5 days and I had no idea that filing a new claim would completely exclude my 2022 wages. I was making $75k at a tech company back then, but after getting laid off in early 2024, I've only been able to find part-time retail work that pays a fraction of that. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like I need to brace myself for a dramatic drop in my weekly benefit amount. What's really frustrating is that EDD never explained this when I first filed - you'd think they'd warn people that benefit amounts can change so drastically at renewal time. One thing I'm still confused about: several people mentioned that if you're on a federal extension, you might be able to continue on that program even if your new regular claim amount is lower. How do you find out which program you're currently on? My UI Online account just shows my weekly payments but doesn't clearly indicate whether I'm on regular state benefits or some kind of federal extension. Also, for those who successfully contacted EDD through Claimyr - was it worth the cost? I've been trying to call EDD for weeks with no luck, and I'm starting to think paying for a callback service might be my only option to get clear answers before I file my new claim. Thanks to everyone sharing their real experiences here - it's so much more helpful than EDD's confusing website!