California Unemployment
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Can't reach California Unemployment? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the EDD
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the EDD drops your call
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Can I get California EDD unemployment and Social Security at the same time?
So I recently got laid off from my warehouse supervisor job after 11 years and I'm trying to figure out my options. I'm 64 years old and I've been collecting Social Security retirement benefits for about a year now. My employer eliminated my entire department and gave us all pink slips with two weeks notice. I went online to file for California EDD unemployment benefits but I got confused when it asked about other income sources. I listed my Social Security payments and now I'm not sure if that's going to mess up my claim or disqualify me entirely. Does anyone know if you can actually collect both California EDD unemployment insurance and Social Security at the same time? I don't want to get hit with an overpayment notice later for something I didn't know was wrong. I tried calling EDD to ask before submitting but couldn't get anyone on the phone after trying for two days straight.
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Do you qualify for unemployment in California? EDD eligibility requirements explained
So I got laid off from my warehouse job about 6 weeks ago and honestly had no idea if I even qualify for unemployment benefits through California EDD. My situation is a little complicated - I worked there for about 14 months but my last 3 months I had my hours reduced to part time before they finally let me go. I started looking into it and the eligibility rules are more confusing than I expected. Like what exactly counts as your base period? And does the reason you were let go automatically disqualify you? I submitted my claim but now I'm just sitting here wondering if I even did it right or if I'm going to get denied. Has anyone gone through figuring out whether they qualify for unemployment when their work history was kind of messy?
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I actually had to call EDD about my eligibility question and ended up using Claimyr after three failed days of trying the phone myself. The agent confirmed I do qualify for unemployment even with my complicated quit situation - documented the good cause reasons and my claim was approved. If you're sitting on an eligibility question and can't get through on the phone, claimyr.com is genuinely worth checking out, they have a video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 that shows how the whole thing works.
ok I caved and just looked it up. seems pretty straightforward based on the video
the fact that a third party service exists specifically because EDD's own phone system is so broken says everything lol
For anyone coming to this thread from a search - here's a quick summary of who qualifies for California EDD unemployment: you need to have been employed as a W2 employee (not independent contractor), earned enough wages in your base period, lost your job through no fault of your own (layoff, end of contract, or sometimes a quit with good cause), and be available and actively looking for work. Those are the four pillars. If all four apply to you, file immediately.
Good summary. I'd add - don't overthink the application. File first, get the determination, and if denied there's always the appeal process. California EDD appeals have a real hearing process where you can present your case.
Also worth noting that even if you only partially qualify - like you have some work but lost significant hours - there's a partial unemployment option. You don't have to be 100% unemployed to receive some level of benefits.
Who qualifies for California EDD unemployment benefits? My situation explained
I got laid off from my warehouse job about three weeks ago and I'm trying to figure out if I even qualify for California EDD unemployment benefits before I bother going through the whole application process. I worked there for about 14 months full time, making roughly $22 an hour. The company said they were doing 'workforce restructuring' which from what I understand just means layoffs. I wasn't fired for anything I did wrong. So my questions are basically: does my work history meet the requirements? Does it matter that I was technically a temp-to-hire employee for the first two months? And do I need to have lost ALL my income or can I qualify if I pick up part time work while I'm looking for something permanent? I know I need to search for jobs while on unemployment but I'm not clear on how many contacts per week California EDD requires or if I have to register on CalJOBS. I've looked at the EDD website but honestly it's a lot of information and hard to figure out what applies specifically to my situation. Any help from people who have actually been through this process would be really appreciated.
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Has anyone dealt with EDD asking for identity verification through ID.me? I got a notice about it during my claim and the whole process was a nightmare. Kept getting errors and couldn't figure out if it was holding up my payment or not.
I finally got through it but it took three attempts over two weeks. The video call option is definitely the way to go if the automated scan isn't working.
I had to do this too. The automated facial recognition thing kept failing me and I was freaking out thinking my whole claim was going to be denied. The live video call took like 5 minutes and worked perfectly. Why don't they just lead with that option
Final note for OP and anyone else who gets stuck at any point: reaching a live EDD agent by phone used to be nearly impossible but it's gotten somewhat better. That said, call volume still spikes after holidays, at the start of benefit years, and whenever there's any news about UI policy changes. If you need to reach someone urgently about your claim - adjudication hold, employer contest, identity verification issues - having a tool that handles the call queue for you is genuinely worth it. Claimyr (claimyr.com) is what I and apparently others in this thread have used successfully for exactly that purpose.
Same. Going into this with low expectations based on EDD's reputation but hoping for the best.
The good news is that straightforward layoff claims with clear separation reasons and solid wage history often do go through without issues. The horror stories tend to be when there's a contested separation or an identity flag. OP's situation sounds pretty clean so fingers crossed it processes without drama.
How to file weekly unemployment claim with California EDD - step by step
I just got approved for unemployment last week and I'm completely lost on the weekly claim process. My award letter said I need to start filing but the California EDD website is confusing me. I log into UI Online and I see a bunch of options but nothing that obviously says 'file weekly claim here.' I've been a restaurant manager for 11 years and this is literally the first time I've had to deal with EDD so I have zero clue what I'm doing. I asked my cousin who was on unemployment a couple years ago but she said the website looks completely different from when she used it. Do I need to wait for a specific day to file? Can I file early? What happens if I miss a week? I don't want to mess anything up and delay my payments even more. Also I'm not sure what to put for the job search section - do I actually have to apply to places every single week to get my benefits? Any help walking me through how to file weekly unemployment claim would be really appreciated, I'm stressed out and just want to make sure I get paid.
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Thank you everyone in this thread, I came here with the same question as OP and this has answered basically everything I was wondering. EDD really should have a better onboarding process for first time claimants but at least communities like this exist.
Same, I feel so much more confident about logging in and filing now. I'm going to do it today. Thank you all genuinely.
Good luck! Come back and let us know how it goes. And bookmark this thread for reference, the CalJOBS deadline and reporting earnings stuff especially.
One more practical thing - if you're using a mobile phone to file, the EDD mobile experience on UI Online is not great. The website isn't fully optimized for small screens and I've had certifications not submit properly on mobile. If at all possible, file from a desktop or laptop browser. If you only have a phone, try using Chrome in desktop mode.
Good call. EDD's systems are old and the mobile compatibility is unreliable. Desktop is just safer for anything important.
Also avoid filing from the EDD app if you downloaded it - there were bugs reported where certifications appeared to submit but didn't register. The actual website in a browser is more reliable.
Do you have to claim unemployment benefits on your taxes with California EDD?
Okay so I've been collecting unemployment through California EDD since March and I just realized I have no idea how this works with taxes. I never had to deal with this before because I always had steady jobs. My previous employer laid me off after 11 years and I've been getting about $450/week in UI benefits. Do you have to claim unemployment on your taxes? Like is it counted as regular income? I didn't elect to have taxes withheld when I set up my claim and now I'm kind of freaking out about what I owe come April. Does California EDD send out a 1099-G or something? I tried calling to ask a simple question but of course couldn't get through to anyone. Would really appreciate any help from people who've been through this before.
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honestly the best thing OP can do right now while waiting for the 1099-G is just log into UI Online and look at the total benefits paid section in their payment history. It won't be the official tax form but it gives you a preview so you can start mentally preparing for what you'll owe. Then once the actual 1099-G is available you confirm the number and file.
That's actually a really good idea to get a rough sense of the number ahead of time. I'll do that and start setting aside money.
yeah and if the number surprises you, you have time to figure out if you need to make an estimated payment or anything before the official deadline
Final thing worth mentioning for anyone in this situation who's still actively getting benefits from California EDD and wants to set up withholding or has other account questions they can't resolve online - the phone lines are notoriously difficult. If you've tried and can't get through, Claimyr (claimyr.com) is worth looking into. Got me connected to an actual EDD agent when I'd given up on ever reaching anyone. Video demo at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 explains the concept. Sometimes you really do need to talk to a person for your specific situation.
yeah EDD phone is basically impossible without some kind of system. good to know about the alternative
third time this has been mentioned in the thread which tells you something about how hard it is to get through on the regular EDD line lol
Katherine Harris
just got off the phone with EDD through claimyr - took about 2 hours for them to call me back but I did get a real person. confirmed for my own situation (66, SS retirement, recent layoff) that California does not reduce UI for social security retirement income. Agent was helpful and professional. this thread plus that phone call = I feel way more confident about my claim now
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Lucas Adams
Great outcome. This is one of those situations where getting direct EDD confirmation is worth the effort even when you're pretty sure you know the answer. Glad it worked out.
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Madison Allen
super helpful thread. bookmarking this for my mom who is in almost this exact situation
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Logan Scott
for the person who asked about the $450 max earlier - yes that is the current California UI maximum weekly benefit amount. California has been talking about raising it but as of now $450 is the cap. it does feel low especially in california with cost of living but that's what it is
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Logan Scott
agreed. and keep in mind the maximum is $450 but most people get less than that. it's based on your wages. the $450 is really only for people with pretty high quarterly earnings.
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Harper Hill
The California max has been $450 for a while. There have been legislative efforts to raise it but nothing has passed yet as of 2025. Federal UI programs sometimes supplement during recessions but right now it's just the state benefit.
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