I started a new job back in January and just answered the certification questions honestly. When it asked if I worked, I said yes and reported my earnings. My claim stayed open for a couple more certification periods but with $0 payments since I was earning more than my benefit amount. After about a month, EDD sent me a notice that they were closing my claim due to return to work. The system worked fine for me!

Congratulations on landing the new job! Just to add another perspective - I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago. The key thing is to be completely transparent during your certification process. When you certify this Sunday, you'll answer "yes" to working and report your gross earnings for any days you worked that week. One tip that helped me: take screenshots of your certification submissions showing you reported the work and earnings. I kept these as proof in case there were any questions later. Also, don't be surprised if your claim stays "active" for a few certification periods even after you start working full-time - this is normal until EDD processes everything and officially closes it. The most important thing is honest reporting. EDD will eventually cross-check with employer records, so any discrepancies will surface months later when it's much harder to resolve. Good luck with the new position!

One more thing I forgot to mention - if you're really worried about this, you can actually call EDD (though getting through is a nightmare without using a service like Claimyr) and ask them about the laws regarding employer retaliation for unemployment claims. There are specific protections in place. When I was stressed about this exact situation, talking to an actual EDD representative really helped me understand my rights.

I completely understand your anxiety about this - I went through the exact same worry when I was laid off from my marketing job last year. But here's what I learned that might help ease your mind: most companies have strict policies about what they can and cannot say during reference checks specifically to avoid legal issues. What really helped me was realizing that unemployment insurance is literally designed for situations like yours - you were laid off through no fault of your own, and you paid into this system with every paycheck. Your former employer knew this was part of the deal when they hired you. From a practical standpoint, if you're concerned about your direct manager, consider asking other colleagues, team leads, or even clients you worked with closely to serve as references instead. I ended up getting great references from former teammates who could speak to my actual work quality rather than any workplace politics. Also, when you do get to the interview stage, having a clear, brief explanation ready about the layoff (like "the company went through restructuring and eliminated several positions including mine") shows you're being transparent and professional about it. The job market is tough right now, but don't let this extra worry hold you back from putting your best foot forward. You've got this!

@original poster - You can check your payment history in UI Online to see if taxes were withheld. Go to Payment History and look at the amounts. If the "Amount Paid" is 10% less than the "Weekly Benefit Amount" then taxes were withheld. If they're the same, then no taxes were taken out.

I had this exact same problem when I first started collecting! The wording is so confusing - it's like they designed it to trick people. What helped me remember is thinking of it this way: the checkbox is asking you to "opt out" of tax withholding. So if you want taxes taken out (which is smart!), don't check the opt-out box. For future reference, you can also check your payment amounts to verify - if your weekly benefit amount is $300 but you only received $270, then the $30 difference is the 10% federal tax withholding. If you got the full $300, then no taxes were withheld. Don't beat yourself up about the mistake - literally everyone I know who's dealt with EDD has made this error at least once. The important thing is you figured it out now!

That's great that you submitted your application! Don't worry too much about the last employer questions - EDD understands that people transition from SDI to UI and they'll sort it out during processing. Just keep an eye on your UI Online account for any requests for additional information or documents. And remember what everyone mentioned about answering that phone interview call when it comes - that's usually the biggest hurdle. You're doing everything right by applying quickly and keeping detailed job search records. Fingers crossed you get approved soon and can get some financial relief while you continue your job hunt!

Claim Under" Review is totally normal at this stage -'that s exactly what mine showed for the first week or so! I remember checking mine obsessively (too like every few hours)lol . The system is just doing all the background verification of your wages, work history, and SDI claim details. One thing that helped my anxiety during the waiting period was keeping busy with job applications and networking. Not only does it help distract from the stress, but'you re building up that job search activity log for when they ask about it during the phone interview. Also, if you'haven t already, make sure you have your Social Security Statement (handy you can get it online at) ssa.gov since they sometimes ask about your wage history during the interview to verify the information.'You re doing everything right though - just hang in there! The financial relief is comingsoon.

So glad you got through and got it resolved! This is exactly why I keep telling people about hidden flags in the system - there are so many technical glitches that create invisible barriers. I've seen the ID.me sync issue multiple times where people think they're verified but EDD's system shows something different. For anyone else reading this who might have similar pending issues, it's also worth asking the rep to check for any "stop payment indicators" or "eligibility review flags" that might not show up on your UI Online account. Sometimes there are multiple layers of holds that need to be cleared. Thanks for updating us with the resolution - it gives hope to others dealing with the same nightmare!

This thread is a goldmine of information! I'm dealing with a similar pending certification issue right now (going on 3 weeks) and reading through everyone's experiences gives me hope that there's actually a solution. I've been doing the endless calling routine like you were, Sean, but I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service and also submit that specific "Pending certification with no issues identified" message through UI Online that Nia mentioned. It's so frustrating that we have to become detective-investigators just to get our rightful benefits, but at least this community shares the real strategies that actually work. Thank you all for being so detailed with your advice - it's clear everyone here understands the desperation and stress of dealing with EDD's broken system.