I want to highlight something important that hasn't been mentioned yet: When you reopen your claim, make sure you're prepared to meet the current work search requirements. Unlike during the pandemic when these were relaxed, you now need to document at least 3 work search activities per week. These can include applying for jobs, networking, updating your resume, attending job fairs, etc. EDD has been conducting more eligibility interviews lately, especially for reopened claims, so keep good records of your work search efforts.

Update: I was finally able to reopen my claim! For anyone else dealing with this, I found the "Reopen Claim" button exactly where everyone said it would be - it really is small and easy to miss on the UI Online homepage. The process was pretty straightforward once I found it. I had to answer questions about my work during the period when I wasn't claiming benefits, verify my contact info, and confirm I was still able and available for work. The whole thing took maybe 10 minutes. One thing I wasn't expecting: they asked for detailed information about each freelance contract I had, including start/end dates and total earnings. Luckily I kept good records of all my gig work. After submitting everything, I was able to certify for the past two weeks within about 24 hours, and my payment showed up 2 days later. My remaining balance was exactly what I thought it was - $3,847. Thanks everyone for the help! This community is amazing. For anyone still struggling with this, definitely try during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) as the system seems to work better then.

My claim took exactly 17 days from application to approval back in January. Be patient but definitely call if it goes past 3 weeks with no updates.

I'm going through the same anxiety right now! Filed my application about 2 weeks ago after getting laid off from my retail job and still waiting to hear back. From what I'm seeing in these responses, it sounds like the timeframe really varies - some people get approved in under 2 weeks while others wait over a month. I've been checking my UI Online account obsessively every day but so far just shows "Pending." At least we're not alone in this stressful waiting period! Fingers crossed we both hear back soon.

Congratulations on the new job! This thread is incredibly thorough and helpful. I just wanted to add one small thing that might ease your mind - I've been through this process twice (unfortunately had two different jobs that didn't work out during my benefit year) and both times the transition was seamless. The first time I was super anxious about it like you are, but the second time I knew exactly what to expect. Just do that final certification with your work info reported accurately, then stop certifying. Your claim will show as inactive after a few weeks but everything remains in the system properly documented. One tip: when you calculate your earnings for that Monday, use your gross hourly rate (before taxes) times the hours worked. Don't try to estimate what your take-home will be - EDD wants the gross amount. You're handling this exactly right by asking questions upfront. Enjoy the new job and the peace of mind that comes with being back to work!

Congratulations on your new job! This is exactly the situation I was in a few months ago and I can definitely confirm what everyone else is saying - you just need to complete that final certification accurately and then stop certifying. There's no formal cancellation process. The most important thing is making sure you report that Monday work day correctly on your certification this Sunday. Calculate your earnings as hourly rate × 8 hours (or however many hours you worked) even though you haven't received a paycheck yet. Also make sure to answer "No" to being available for work on Monday since you were employed that day. After you submit that certification, you're done! Your claim will go inactive but stays open for the full benefit year just in case. I was worried I was missing some official step too, but it really is that simple. The EDD system is designed for people to return to work, so they make this part pretty straightforward. Don't stress about it - you're doing everything right by asking these questions upfront. Enjoy your new job and congratulations on making it through the job search process!

I went through something very similar when I was laid off from my marketing job in 2022. I enrolled in a single evening Excel certification course while collecting unemployment benefits. Like you, I was really nervous about how to handle the school question on my certification. I ended up calling EDD directly (took forever to get through) and they told me that since it was just one class that didn't interfere with my ability to work during normal business hours, I should still mark "yes" to the school question but that it likely wouldn't affect my benefits. They were right - I marked yes, never got called for an interview, and my payments continued without any interruption. The key things that worked in my favor were: 1) It was only one evening per week, 2) I could still accept full-time work during business hours, 3) I would have dropped the class immediately if I got a job offer that conflicted with it. Your programming class sounds very similar to my situation. Just be honest on your certification and you should be fine. The fact that you're taking it to improve your job prospects actually looks good to EDD. Good luck with both the class and your job search!

I'm in a very similar situation right now! Just got laid off from my customer service job and was thinking about taking a basic coding bootcamp prep course at the local library while job hunting. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been super helpful - it sounds like the consensus is definitely to be honest on the certification even if it might trigger an interview. One thing I'm curious about though - has anyone here taken classes that were completely free (like library workshops or free online courses) and if EDD treats those any differently? I'm wondering if they care more about formal enrollment vs. just attending free educational sessions. Either way, I'm planning to report it accurately, but just curious about others' experiences with informal learning while on unemployment. Thanks for starting this thread @CosmicVoyager - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that's hard to find on the official EDD website!

I'm really glad I found this thread! I'm in a similar situation - got laid off from my job three weeks ago with severance running through September, but my actual last work day was May 1st. Reading through everyone's experiences has been so helpful. I was also confused about whether to file now or wait until my severance ends, but it's clear from all your stories that filing immediately is the way to go. I've been putting it off because the whole process seemed overwhelming, but seeing how many of you successfully navigated this exact scenario gives me confidence. One question - for those who filed while on severance, did you have any issues with the initial eligibility determination, or did EDD pretty smoothly recognize that you were unemployed even though you were receiving severance payments? I'm worried they might initially deny my claim and I'll have to go through an appeals process. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing!

I'm in almost the exact same boat - got laid off from my marketing agency job two weeks ago with severance running through the end of August, but my last actual work day was May 15th. I've been hesitating to file because I wasn't sure about the timing, but after reading through all these responses, I'm convinced I need to get my claim started immediately. It's so helpful to see that this is actually a really common scenario and that EDD is used to handling it. I've been keeping detailed records of my job search already, but I'll make sure to be even more thorough going forward. One thing that's giving me confidence is seeing how many people here successfully navigated this process - it seems like the key is just being completely honest about your severance when you certify each week. I'm definitely going to file today using May 15th as my last work day. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been incredibly valuable for those of us dealing with the severance/unemployment timing confusion!