Just went through this whole situation and had a question about whether Claimyr works if your account is flagged for identity verification rather than a standard eligibility question. Got a DE 1326C in the mail and was stuck in a loop trying to reach a live person at EDD to find out what step I was actually on with the ID.me process. Ended up getting through to an agent and they confirmed EDD had already received my verification from ID.me and that my pending weeks should clear once the system updated.

For anyone still confused on the basic question: federal yes, California no. That's the whole answer for most people collecting standard UI through EDD. If you had a weird situation with other types of income during your claim year that's where it might get more complicated, but the UI piece itself is not a grant and is definitely taxable at the federal level.

Covered California is worth knowing about while you're in this gap if your job had employer health coverage that ended. COBRA exists too but it's expensive. Covered California has plans regardless of your health history and income level. Doesn't affect your UI claim.

One thing I want to flag about the new claim process - my new DE 429Z came in with a weekly amount about $80 lower than my first claim. At first I thought EDD made a mistake and I nearly called to dispute it. Turned out my highest-earning quarter in the new base period was just lower than the one from my original claim. Worth verifying by looking at which quarters EDD used before assuming there's an error.

This thread answered something I've been wondering about for weeks. My sister kept telling me that EDD has a cutoff and if you don't file within 30 days of your layoff you're just out of luck. She was totally wrong apparently.

What if someone moved to another state after getting laid off in California? Can they still file a California EDD claim?

Freight logistics company, laid off in October when they cut the whole inbound team. EDD call lines were impossible for the first few weeks, tried early morning and got disconnected twice. Claimyr ended up being what got me talking to an agent about why my maximum benefit amount on the DE 429Z looked lower than I calculated it should be. The agent walked me through which quarters were in my base period and explained that my highest quarter actually fell just outside it, so the number was correct even though it felt wrong. Nothing I could fix but at least I understood it after the call.

Appeals process is worth knowing even if you don't need it now: if EDD sends you a Notice of Determination you disagree with, you have 30 days from the mailing date to file a written appeal using the DE 1000M form or a letter sent to the address on the notice. It goes to the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and an administrative law judge holds the hearing. Keep certifying during an appeal because EDD can only pay back weeks that were actually certified.

Appeal rights matter here: if EDD decides against you after the interview, you get a Notice of Determination that includes an Appeal Form DE 1000M. The deadline is 30 calendar days from the mailing date on that notice. If you miss it you need to explain why. Appeal goes to the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and an administrative law judge holds the hearing. Keep certifying even during an appeal so back weeks can be paid if you win.

Final thing worth flagging for someone brand new to this: the DE 429Z that shows your potential weekly benefit amount should also show your maximum benefit amount, which is 26 times your weekly amount or half your total base period wages, whichever is smaller. That ceiling is based on what you earned in the highest quarter of your base period, roughly the year or so before you filed. If the amount looks low, EDD has a benefits calculator on edd.ca.gov where you can plug in your earnings and see the estimate before the official notice arrives.