California Unemployment
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Why do companies fight unemployment claims with California EDD?
So I got laid off two months ago from a tech startup where I'd been working for almost three years. Filed my California EDD claim right away, reported everything accurately, and then got hit with a Notice of Determination saying my former employer contested the claim. I genuinely cannot understand this. They eliminated my entire department - it wasn't a firing for cause, it wasn't a resignation, it was a straight up reduction in force. Why are companies allowed to fight unemployment claims when the separation was clearly not the employee's fault? I have the layoff paperwork and everything. Now I'm stuck waiting for an appeal hearing and my bills are piling up. Anyone have insight into why businesses do this and what I should expect going forward?
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How do you get unemployment in California? First time filing with EDD and confused
Ok so I just got laid off last Friday and I have no idea how any of this works. My coworker told me to apply for unemployment but I literally don't know where to start. Like how do you get unemployment benefits in California? Do I go somewhere in person or is it all online now? I've never had to do this before and my manager said it was my position being eliminated not a firing so I should qualify but I'm honestly not sure. I have about 3 weeks of savings before things get really tight so I'm kind of freaking out. Any help on where to even begin would be really appreciated.
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Something I haven't seen mentioned - if you get a part time job or do any gig work while collecting unemployment, you have to report those earnings when you certify. Don't try to hide it. EDD cross-references earnings with the state tax records and if they catch an undisclosed income they'll issue an overpayment notice and you'll have to pay back a big chunk plus potentially face fraud penalties. If you work part time you can still collect partial benefits, it just gets reduced based on what you earned.
This is important and I'm glad someone brought it up. The partial benefits rules are actually pretty generous in California - you can do some part time or gig work without losing your benefits entirely as long as you're reporting properly.
And EDD WILL find out about unreported income eventually. The overpayment and fraud process is way more painful than just reporting honestly. Not worth it at all.
OP hope everything works out for you. Going through a layoff is rough but California's UI system is actually one of the more robust ones in the country even if dealing with EDD can be frustrating sometimes. The application process itself is usually pretty smooth for clear layoff cases. The main thing is just to get that initial claim filed today and then stay on top of certifying. You've got this.
That's great! Good luck - come back and update us when you get approved 🤞
Rooting for you! And seriously bookmark claimyr.com just in case anything snags on your claim - it's saved a lot of people in this forum a ton of headache when EDD becomes impossible to reach by phone. Hope you don't need it but good to have.
How long can you file unemployment with California EDD?
So I got laid off from my warehouse job about 6 weeks ago and finally got my first payment last week. Everything seemed fine but now I'm starting to wonder - how long can you file unemployment through California EDD? My coworker told me it's only 6 months but my brother-in-law said he got benefits for way longer than that during his layoff a few years back. I've been applying to jobs but the market is rough right now and I'm honestly not sure how long this is going to take. I don't want to get caught off guard when my benefits suddenly stop. Can someone explain how the benefit duration actually works? Is there a maximum number of weeks or does it depend on how much I earned before?
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has anyone dealt with their benefit year ending before they used all 26 weeks? like if youre at week 20 when the year ends do you lose those 6 weeks
that seems really unfair honestly. you qualify for 26 weeks but then the clock on the year might cut you short
Agreed it's a frustrating quirk of the system. The benefit year clock runs regardless of whether you're certifying. So if there was a gap early in your claim where you didn't certify for a few months thinking you'd save those weeks for later, you can't. The year just ticks by.
coming back to say thanks to everyone in this thread. OP your question helped me too - I've been on UI for about 3 months and honestly hadn't thought through the timeline carefully. Going to check my remaining balance today and make a real plan for the remaining weeks instead of just coasting and hoping something works out
Right?? knowing the actual number is way less scary than the vague dread. Good luck with the job search - hope you find something great before you even need to think about those remaining weeks
This is a wholesome thread ending. Good luck to everyone here still searching - it's rough out there but it won't last forever
If I get fired can I get unemployment through California EDD?
So I got let go from my job last week and I'm honestly still in shock about it. My manager called me into the office on Tuesday and said they were letting me go, gave me some vague reason about 'performance issues' but never actually wrote me up or gave me any formal warnings before this. I've worked there for almost 4 years and never had a disciplinary meeting or anything like that. Now I'm trying to figure out if I can even collect unemployment benefits or if being fired automatically disqualifies me. I went to the California EDD website and started reading but honestly the language is so confusing, it keeps talking about 'misconduct' and I don't know if what my employer claims counts as misconduct. Do I still apply and let them sort it out? Or is there even a point if I got fired? Has anyone gone through this and actually gotten approved after being fired?
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side note but does anyone know if there's a time limit on appealing if you DO get denied? I ask because a friend of mine got denied months ago and is just now finding out she might have had a case
yeah she's definitely past 30 days. that's really unfortunate. hopefully OP doesn't end up in that situation
If you miss the appeal deadline you can sometimes request a late appeal and explain why it was late, but it's a high bar to clear and success is rare. Don't sit on denial notices.
OP let us know how it goes! threads like this are helpful for people who come searching later
Good luck! Keep certifying every two weeks even while waiting and stay on top of that job search log
If you hit a wall and can't get through to EDD on the phone, remember claimyr.com. Seriously saved my sanity when I was in the waiting game. You've got this.
When to apply for unemployment benefits with California EDD — did I wait too long?
So I got laid off from my warehouse job two weeks ago and I've been putting off filing because honestly I didn't think I'd need the money right away. Had some savings, figured I'd find something new fast. Well... that hasn't happened and now I'm starting to stress about whether I waited too long to apply for unemployment benefits or if there's some deadline I missed. My manager mentioned something about a waiting week but I have no idea how that fits into when you're supposed to apply. Did I mess up by waiting? Does California EDD backdate claims or am I just losing money for every day I put this off? I'm also confused about whether I should have applied the same week I got laid off or if waiting is totally fine. Any help appreciated, I'm new to this whole process.
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One more thing worth mentioning — if you have ANY complications with your claim after filing (adjudication flags, identity verification issues, employer disputes, anything), getting through to a live California EDD agent by phone is really the fastest way to resolve it. The callback and message systems can take days or weeks. I know I mentioned Claimyr earlier but it genuinely made the difference for me — claimyr.com, and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 that shows exactly how the process works. When your bills aren't waiting, your claim resolution shouldn't have to wait either.
bookmarking this for when my claim inevitably hits a snag lol
Thanks for the tip. Really hoping my claim goes through smoothly but good to have a backup plan if something goes sideways.
OP just to close the loop — once you file tonight, here's what happens next: 1) You'll get a confirmation number, keep it. 2) EDD will mail you an EDD Customer Account Number within a week or so. 3) You'll likely get a phone interview scheduled to verify your separation details. 4) Once approved you'll get your award notice with your weekly benefit amount and benefit year end date. 5) Certify every two weeks on your scheduled dates. The whole process from filing to first payment typically takes 3-5 weeks if everything goes smoothly.
Also screenshot or save your confirmation page after submitting. UI Online should email you a confirmation too but having that number written down somewhere is smart.
Will do. Can't believe I almost let this go another week. Thank you everyone in this thread genuinely.
Effie Alexander
One last thing OP - make sure you know whether your hearing is by phone or in person (most are phone now), confirm the date and time you were assigned, and call in a few minutes early. Missing or being late to the hearing is treated very seriously and can result in a decision being issued in the employer's favor by default. Put a reminder in your phone like a week out, a day out, and the morning of.
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Effie Alexander
Also make sure the phone number on file with CUIAB is correct and that your phone accepts calls from unknown or blocked numbers since government lines often show up that way.
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Everett Tutum
And if something truly unavoidable happens and you miss the hearing, you can request a reopening, but it adds more weeks to an already long process. Best to just never have to find out about that option.
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Ezra Beard
UPDATE: Just wanted to come back and say I finally got through to an EDD rep (used Claimyr like a few people suggested) and confirmed my appeal is properly filed and my hearing date is set for about 3 weeks from now. Rep also confirmed my weekly certifications are all showing as pending pending the appeal resolution. Feeling cautiously optimistic. Thank you everyone in this thread for the information and support - I came in completely lost and now I actually feel prepared.
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Reginald Blackwell
rooting for you, come back and update us after the hearing!
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Statiia Aarssizan
This is the best possible situation to be in going into a hearing - documented layoff, clear paper trail, certifications on file. You have a strong case.
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