According to California's Employment Development Department, more than a million unemployed people who have been locked out of receiving benefits while the state worked to root out fraudulent claims should have received an identity verification link via email by Thursday.
Any remaining claimants who don't receive emailed guidance should get details through the U.S. mail instead. About 1.4 million people total had their accounts suspended in the "New Year's Eve freeze."
Many recipients have been frustrated the agency didn’t provide the information earlier, but EDD staggered rollout of the guidance to keep from overloading its already fragile verification platform.
To make matters worse, many people who have been locked out say they have already provided identification materials for previous claims that EDD is now asking for again.
Even if the unemployment agency does meet today’s deadline, it could still be weeks before payments come through.