Shortest of short success

Last week I *finally* got a UI check. It was down to the wire - seriously. I had $28 left in the bank and about $400 of pending bills. I paid what I had to, but was leering of getting even groceries until I got more checks. A second check came and I started to relax a little. I got groceries, dog food, even treated myself to a 2 buck chuck bottle of wine, and then ...DISASTER. 

The EDD now claims that I was never entitled to benefits because I quit my job. 

They want me to pay back $4k - 

Um what now? 

Here's what happened (I think!): 

I had the crappiest job in crapville. Like seriously. My boss was just a nightmare on so many levels looking back I have to laugh about it. I mean, he ran the gamut of bad boss behavior: from harassment and assault, my boss was a winner. Then just for giggles, he was also incompetent (cousin hire), and liked to do fun things like dismantling safety equipment and not telling anyone (that got me a trip to the emergency room) and then NOT FIXING the equipment even after someone was injured. So, like the worlds worst boss, and a creepy boob-talker to boot. 

HR was basically useless, and I felt like a lawsuit would drag on forever and compound my misery. I just wanted out. So I found another job. I told an upper manager I quit, started a new job the next day, it was great. My Crap boss called - I missed a meeting where I was going to formally quit. I asked for my last check to be mailed, he told me I would have to come in and return my parking pass first (!) and I basically forgot about him. I was happy, I loved my new job it was awesome. 

After 2 months I was laid off. Ain't that just the way it goes :/

I applied for UI. I got a few checks and then the trouble started. 

So now, this new letter saying I quit is apparently referring to the first job. Why, you ask. Because my utterly crap boss decided to put me on a Leave of Absence. Without asking me, or telling me or HELL even checking if I was eligible (I wasn't) for a LOA. Who on earth does that? Then a friend told me about waiting day periods and it started to click. As far as I can tell, crap boss violated the law in refusing to give me my final check. So he put me on a "LOA" so he could claim I still worked there IF the late check thing ever came up. I think. I actually have no idea why they would do that. It's just SO weird. 

So NOW the way nasty EDD rep who interviewed me kept insisting that I stopped working a month before I did makes sense. She was trying to prove crap job was my last job, even though the evidence she has at her disposal (like OH, PAY RECORDS) don't bear that out.  I didn't feel like she was listening to me, now I know. Do they have a quota, you think? Do they have to deny X amount of claims per day or they get pulled into a managers office for a talking to?  

I am so freaked out now. It will be another 8 - 10 weeks of the shit I just went through. The stress and depression and everything is about to start again. I'll probably stock up on essentials like dog food. Luckily my landlord was understanding before, hopefully he still will be. 

Maybe I'll get a job. But first I have to appeal this lunacy.