Thank you everyone for all the helpful advice! I think I'll wait until 9/24 just to avoid any potential confusion, but I'll make sure to accurately report 9/23 as my last day worked and include all details about my final paycheck. I really appreciate all your insights - this makes me feel much more prepared for filing my claim.

Just wanted to add my experience - I was laid off last year and filed the same day. The key thing is being super accurate with all your employment dates and wage information. Since your HR already processed everything and your final paycheck is in your account, you should have all the info you need to file accurately. The EDD system will ask you specifically about your last day worked, so just make sure you enter 9/23 correctly regardless of when you actually submit the application. Also, keep your layoff paperwork handy - having documentation of your termination date can be really helpful if any questions come up later. You're smart to get organized about this right away!

To provide a definitive answer: According to the EDD's UI certification questions, you only need to report income earned from work. The specific question asks: "Did you work or earn any money, WHETHER YOU WERE PAID OR NOT?" Money market interest is not earned from work - it's passive income. You don't report it when certifying for UI benefits. However, both your UI benefits (reported on Form 1099-G) and your investment income (reported on Form 1099-INT or similar) must be included on your federal and state tax returns. If you're ever unsure about a specific situation, I recommend checking the EDD's online handbook for clarification.

Just wanted to add my experience here - I've been collecting UI for about 8 months and had the same worry about my savings account interest. After reading through all the responses here, I double-checked my certification forms and you're all right - they specifically ask about "work" income. I called my bank and they confirmed my savings account only earned like $12 in interest over the whole year anyway, so even if I had to report it, it wouldn't have affected my benefits much. But good to know for sure that passive investment income doesn't need to be reported during certification. Thanks for asking this question OP, I was wondering the same thing!

One more thing that might be helpful - you should also register with CalJOBS (www.caljobs.ca.gov) if you haven't already. It's California's job search website, and registering there is technically part of the work search requirements. It also has some decent job listings that might help with your work search activities.

I went through this exact same confusion when I first got my EDD letter! Just to add to what everyone else has said - that Customer Account Number is also what they'll ask for if you ever need to reset your UI Online password or if there are any technical issues with your account. I had to use mine when the system locked me out after too many login attempts. But for day-to-day use like certification, you won't need it at all. Good luck with your first certification on Sunday - you've got this!

my benefits ran out after 26 wks last yr and no extension. had to take a job outside my field for less pay. system sucks

I'm in a similar situation - got laid off from a tech company last month and trying to figure out my financial runway. From what I've researched, extensions are really tied to specific economic triggers. The Extended Benefits program requires California's insured unemployment rate to hit 5% for 13 weeks (we're currently around 2.8%) or the total unemployment rate to exceed 6.5% for 13 weeks. We'd need to see a pretty significant economic downturn for those thresholds to be met. I'm planning as if I only have the standard 26 weeks and treating any potential extension as a bonus rather than something to count on. Has anyone looked into the CalJOBS system for additional resources while we're searching? I've heard they have some decent training programs that might help us transition if our industries don't recover quickly.

For future reference: When certifying, you need to report ALL income received during the week, even if it's from work you did before filing for unemployment. This includes final paychecks, commissions, bonuses, severance, vacation pay, etc. EDD calculates deductions based on when you receive money, not when you earned it. For earnings reporting, EDD uses a formula: the first $25 or 25% of your earnings (whichever is greater) doesn't count against you, but the rest reduces your weekly benefit amount dollar-for-dollar. So with a $900 commission and a $450 WBA, you'd have a deduction of around $675-700 depending on the exact calculation, which would zero out that week's payment.

Hey Zachary! I went through something similar when I first started claiming. The EDD system can be really confusing about income reporting. Just wanted to add that if you ever get confused about what counts as "earnings" in the future, the general rule is: if money hits your bank account during a certification week, you need to report it, regardless of when you actually did the work. This includes things like final paychecks, commissions, bonuses, holiday pay, severance, vacation payouts, and even some retirement distributions. The key is the DATE YOU RECEIVE the money, not when you earned it. It sounds like you've got it figured out now, but keeping track of any incoming payments will help you avoid surprises in future certifications!