wait i'm confused now lol. i thought EDD was 26 weeks and then u can file for a FED-ED extension for another 13 weeks? is that not a thing anymore??

Thanks everyone for clearing this up! I understand now that my claim PERIOD is 12 months, but my actual BENEFITS only last for 26 weeks maximum. My coworker must have been talking about the pandemic extensions. The EDD really should explain this better in their approval letters - would have saved me a lot of confusion!

idk about cancelling, but make sure you keep all your paperwork and correspondence just in case. The system is so messed up, you never know when you might need to prove something later.

Hey Malik! I actually went through this exact situation about 6 months ago. You CAN cancel your unemployment claim, but the process varies depending on how far along you are. If you haven't certified for any weeks yet, it's usually pretty straightforward - just call the EDD customer service line (1-800-300-5616) and tell them you want to withdraw your claim. However, if you've already certified and received payments, it gets more complicated because you'll need to repay any benefits you received. Also, just a heads up - cancelling might create a "voluntary quit" record that could affect future claims. What's your reason for wanting to cancel? Sometimes it might be worth keeping the claim active even if you don't use it, especially in California's unpredictable job market. Feel free to DM me if you want to chat more about the specifics!

Thanks for summarizing! This is exactly what I'll do. I appreciate everyone's help - I'm glad I asked here instead of just trusting what the rep told me. Will update after my interview to let everyone know what happened.

I went through this exact same situation about 3 weeks ago! The rep told me the same thing about the system automatically canceling the phone interview after I completed the online questionnaire. Spoiler alert: it didn't cancel. I ended up doing both - the online questionnaire AND the phone interview. The interviewer actually referenced my online responses during the call and said something like "I see you already answered these questions online, but I need to verify a few details with you directly." The whole call was maybe 10 minutes instead of the full scheduled time. My advice: definitely plan to be available for that phone interview. I've learned the hard way that EDD's left hand doesn't talk to their right hand, and their systems don't communicate with each other the way they should. Better safe than sorry with your benefits on the line!

My friend just went through this whole process and she got an eligibility interview scheduled even though her employer wasn't contesting. She was freaking out for no reason because when the interview time came, the EDD person just asked like 2 questions and approved her. They just have to follow their procedures even when it's obviously a legit claim.

I had the exact same experience! Filed on a Tuesday, got the eligibility questionnaire email Wednesday morning and immediately thought my employer was contesting even though they said they wouldn't. Turns out it's just EDD's standard operating procedure - they send these out automatically based on your separation reason. I filled mine out honestly about the layoff situation, and my claim was approved about 10 days later without any issues. Your employer probably isn't contesting at all. Just be thorough and consistent with your answers and you should be fine. The anxiety is totally understandable but try not to read too much into it!

ok so i no ppl r saying u should get benefits but my friend got denied and she was in almost EXATLY the same situation!!! her company said "performance issues" but never wrote her up or nothing. her boss just didn't like her. EDD denied her and said she got fired for cause. she had to appeal and it took like 3 MONTHS to get a hearing. she won at appeal but had no $$ for 3 months!! so just be prepared it might not be easy

This sounds like a really tough situation, but based on what everyone's shared here, you definitely have a strong case for benefits. The timing of your raise is huge - companies don't give performance raises to people they're planning to fire for poor performance. That's going to be really hard for them to explain to EDD. I'd recommend filing your claim as soon as possible and being completely honest about everything - the raise, the positive review, the lack of warnings, and the severance. Document everything you can remember from that review meeting where you got the raise and they talked about new responsibilities. Even if you don't have it in writing, your recollection of those conversations will be important. The waiting period for the eligibility interview is frustrating, but try to stay patient. Use that time to start your job search and keep good records like others mentioned. Even if your employer contests it (which they probably will), the facts are on your side. A recent raise with no documentation of performance issues is pretty compelling evidence that this wasn't a legitimate performance termination. Good luck with your claim - keep us updated on how it goes!