I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My payment just switched to "paid" 3 days ago and I've been checking my mailbox obsessively every day. This thread has been such a relief to find - I was starting to panic that maybe something went wrong, but seeing everyone's experiences with that 7-10 business day timeline is really reassuring. Just signed up for USPS informed delivery after reading all the recommendations here (such a great tip!), and I saved the Money Network number (1-866-692-9374) in my phone for peace of mind. Also really appreciate the heads up about those maintenance fees - I definitely would have left money sitting on the card without thinking about it. The whole seeing "paid" but not being able to access the funds is so stressful when you're living paycheck to paycheck, but knowing this is just the normal process helps me stay patient. Really grateful for all the practical advice about setting up direct deposit once the card arrives too. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community has been a lifesaver for understanding how all this works!

I'm in the exact same situation right now! My payment just switched to "paid" yesterday and I'm already doing that obsessive mailbox checking thing everyone's talking about. This thread has been incredibly reassuring - I had no idea that 7-10 business days was the standard timeline and was starting to panic that something went wrong with my claim. Just signed up for USPS informed delivery after seeing everyone recommend it (why didn't I know about this service before?!), and I saved that Money Network number in my contacts for peace of mind. Also really grateful for the heads up about those maintenance fees - I absolutely would have made that mistake of leaving funds sitting on the card. The stress of seeing "paid" but knowing you can't actually access the money when bills are piling up is so real, especially when you're counting on these funds for rent next week. But reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel way less alone in this anxiety-inducing waiting game. Really appreciate all the practical tips about setting up direct deposit once the card arrives too - sounds like that will make future payments much smoother! Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines and advice - this community has been a game changer for understanding how all this EDD stuff actually works. Here's hoping my card arrives on the earlier end of that 7-10 day window!

I'm in almost the exact same situation right now! Just filed my claim 10 days ago after quitting due to workplace retaliation and my interview is scheduled for August 5th. Like you, I was totally confused when I got the certification notice but also had the pending eligibility interview showing in my account. Reading through all these responses has been such a huge relief! I had no idea that certifying while waiting for the interview was not only normal but actually the smart thing to do. I was worried I might mess something up by certifying before they determined if I was even eligible. Based on everyone's advice here, I've been working on organizing my documentation chronologically: - Initial complaints to my supervisor about policy violations - Email trail showing I tried to work through issues directly - Formal complaint filed with HR when supervisor retaliated - Documentation showing retaliation escalated after my complaint - Final resignation letter explaining why I couldn't continue working there It's so encouraging to read about people getting approved and receiving immediate backpay after their interviews. I was second-guessing my decision to quit without another job lined up, but these stories show that EDD does recognize when work situations become truly unbearable. Definitely going to keep certifying every two weeks leading up to my August 5th interview. This thread has been incredibly valuable - thank you for asking this question and thank you to everyone who shared their experiences!

I'm currently in a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly reassuring! Filed my claim about 2 weeks ago after quitting due to a hostile supervisor who was making my work environment unbearable, and my interview is scheduled for August 1st. Like everyone else here, I was totally confused when I received the certification notice while also having a pending eligibility interview. I actually called the EDD number about 20 times trying to get clarification but never got through - the busy signals were driving me crazy! Based on all the excellent advice in this thread, I've been certifying every two weeks and can confirm my payments are showing "PENDING" status, which I now understand is completely normal for voluntary quit cases. It's such a relief to know this is how the system is supposed to work. I've spent this weekend organizing my documentation using the timeline approach that so many people recommended: - Screenshots of inappropriate messages from my supervisor - Email showing I attempted to resolve issues directly with them first - Formal complaint I submitted to HR when that didn't work - HR's response that was basically useless and didn't address my concerns - Documentation showing the hostile behavior continued and actually got worse - My final resignation letter clearly stating the work environment was unbearable Reading about everyone's success stories here gives me so much hope, especially hearing about people getting approved the day after their interview and receiving all their backpay immediately. I was really worried I made the wrong decision quitting without another job lined up first. Thank you for starting this discussion - it's been a lifesaver for understanding how this whole process actually works! I'll definitely keep certifying leading up to my August 1st interview. Fingers crossed we all get positive outcomes!

To all those having trouble reaching a human at California Unemployment. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/Ize0EkN4HDI

This is really helpful advice! I've been struggling to get through to EDD for weeks. Just to clarify - when you click support and say "never received a call," do you go through the automated phone system first or is there a specific online support option you're referring to? Thanks for sharing this tip!

I'm new to this community but dealing with the same kind of EDD frustration! Reading through this thread has been so helpful - I had no idea about the hybrid appointment/walk-in system at Santa Barbara or the 8:02am calling strategy. My claim has been stuck for 3 weeks with some random flag that makes no sense. I've been putting off dealing with it because everything I read online made it sound hopeless, but seeing all these recent success stories gives me actual hope! Planning to try the early morning phone call approach first thing Monday, and if that doesn't work, I'll head to the Santa Barbara office around 12:30 for the afternoon walk-ins like several people suggested. Thanks everyone for sharing what actually works in 2025 instead of just complaining - this is exactly the kind of practical advice people need!

Just wanted to add another recent data point - I was at the Santa Barbara EDD office this past Wednesday and can confirm everything people are saying about the hybrid system. Got there at 12:45pm and was third in line for the 1pm walk-ins. The staff was actually really organized about it - they have a sign-in sheet and call people in order. Took about 2.5 hours total but got my identity verification issue resolved completely. One thing I'd add is to bring a water bottle and maybe a snack if you're doing the walk-in route - there's no vending machines and you don't want to lose your spot. The EDD mobile app tip from Grace is spot on too - having everything pulled up on your phone definitely speeds things up when you get to the window. The whole experience was way less stressful than I expected based on all the horror stories from a few years ago.

As someone who just went through this process last month, I can't stress enough how important it is to have multiple backup methods! I used certified mail with return receipt (not signature required for delivery) as my primary method, but I also faxed everything AND uploaded PDFs to the online portal where possible. One tip I haven't seen mentioned - when you organize your documents, create a simple table of contents as the very first page with document names and page numbers. During my hearing, the judge said "I'm looking at your pay stub from March" and I could immediately say "That should be on page 12 of the packet." It saved so much time and confusion. Also, definitely call 2-3 days after sending to confirm receipt. I had to call multiple times but eventually got through. If you can't reach anyone, the documents being delivered with tracking should be sufficient proof, but the peace of mind is worth the effort. The judges are generally fair in these hearings - just be honest, organized, and stick to the facts. You've got this!

I went through an overpayment hearing about 4 months ago and can definitely relate to the stress you're feeling! Based on my experience, I'd recommend using USPS Priority Mail Express with delivery confirmation - it's fast (1-2 days), includes tracking, and provides proof of delivery without requiring someone to be available to sign. One thing that really helped me was creating a detailed cover letter that not only listed all the documents I was sending, but also included a brief explanation of why each document was relevant to my case. For example: "Document #3: Pay stubs from ABC Company showing I was working part-time and correctly reported all earnings during certification periods." This helped the judge understand the significance of each piece of evidence before the hearing even started. Also, I'd strongly suggest making two complete copies of everything - one to mail and one to keep with you during the phone hearing. Having everything right in front of you during the call makes it so much easier to reference specific documents when the judge asks questions. The hearing went much smoother than I expected, and having everything organized and clearly labeled made all the difference. You're being smart by planning ahead - good luck with your hearing!