So I shut down my LLC about six weeks ago. The business had been struggling since early this year and I finally had to close the doors in March. I was the sole owner and also paid myself a W-2 salary through the business - my accountant set it up that way from the beginning. Now that everything is closed and I have zero income coming in, I'm wondering if I can actually file for California EDD unemployment benefits or if being a business owner automatically disqualifies me. I've heard conflicting things from people. My neighbor said business owners can never get unemployment. But my accountant mentioned something about how since I paid into SDI and UI taxes through my own payroll, I might actually have a legitimate claim. I don't want to waste time filing if I'm just going to get denied immediately. Has anyone else been through this situation? Does California EDD even consider claims from people who owned their own company but paid themselves as a W-2 employee? I have all my payroll records and tax filings if they matter. Just really stressed about finances right now and trying to figure out every option available to me.

So I just wrapped up my third season working at a ski resort up in the Sierra Nevada and for the first time I'm actually thinking about filing for unemployment through California EDD instead of just burning through my savings until spring work picks up. I've heard conflicting things from coworkers - some say seasonal workers can't get UI benefits at all, others say they can but it's complicated. I worked from mid-November through late March, full time the whole season, earned decent wages, paid into the system every paycheck. Does any of this actually qualify me? I'm not sure if EDD treats seasonal work differently during the off-season or if I'd just get denied automatically. Has anyone navigated this as a seasonal worker before? I don't want to waste time filing if I'm just going to get hit with a disqualification notice.

So I've been working part time at a retail job for the past several months, about 20 hours a week, and my hours just got cut down to practically nothing - maybe 6-8 hours some weeks, and zero other weeks. I always thought unemployment was only for people who lost their jobs completely but my coworker mentioned I might still qualify even though I'm technically still employed. Is that actually true? Can you get California EDD unemployment benefits if you're still working part time? I'm so confused about how this works and whether it's even worth applying. My earnings are barely covering my bills as it is and I really need to figure out if I have any options here.

I'm really frustrated and could use some advice. I've been working as a substitute teacher for East Bay Unified for the 2024-2025 school year. When summer break started, I filed for unemployment since I won't have work until fall. Just got denied because EDD says I have 'reasonable assurance' of returning to work after the break. The letter mentioned something about Education Code 1253.3. But here's the thing - as a sub, I have ZERO guarantee of any work. Some weeks during the year I barely got called at all. The district just sent a general email asking if we want to remain on the sub list for next year. That's not a job guarantee! Has any other substitute teacher successfully appealed this kind of denial? I've got bills to pay and was counting on UI to help get through summer. Any tips on what to include in my appeal letter?