California Unemployment
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What does unemployment pay in California EDD? Trying to figure out if it's worth filing
Lost my warehouse job two weeks ago, they cut the whole logistics team and I'm trying to figure out if filing for California EDD is even worth the hassle. My buddy said it's barely anything but I honestly don't know what to expect. Like what does unemployment pay per week? Is it based on what you were making or is it some flat rate? I made decent money, around $1,100 a week before taxes, so I'm hoping it's not just like $200. Would really help to know what I'd actually be looking at before I go through all the paperwork.
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I won my unemployment appeal, now what? California EDD next steps explained
So the administrative law judge ruled in my favor last week and I honestly just sat there staring at the decision letter not knowing what happens next. My claim was denied back in the spring after I was laid off from my warehouse job, EDD said there was some question about my separation that I had to appeal. The whole appeal process took about four months from when I filed the DE 1000M to when I got the judge's written decision in the mail. Now it says I won but my UI Online still shows those weeks as Pending and I haven't gotten any money yet. Do the back payments for all those certified weeks just show up automatically? Do I need to call someone? Do I need to certify again for weeks I already certified during the appeal? I kept certifying every two weeks the whole time like people on here said to do, so I should have all those weeks on record. Just really confused about what the actual next steps are after winning a California EDD unemployment appeal and would appreciate any guidance from people who've been through this.
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One more thing nobody's mentioned: if your appeal win came from the CUIAB level (second appeal) rather than the administrative law judge level, the processing timeline on EDD's end can be even longer because of how those decisions are routed back. First-level ALJ wins tend to be faster to process.
So there are like two levels of appeals?? I had no idea. I thought the administrative law judge was the final word.
The ALJ is the first level. If either side disagrees with the ALJ's decision, they can appeal to the CUIAB, which is the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. That's the second and final administrative level before courts.
After getting the back pay I also reopened my claim for the most recent weeks since I'm still job hunting. Reopening through UI Online was straightforward — there's an option when you log in since my benefit year was still open. No need to file a whole new claim.
Exactly. If you've been certifying consistently through the appeal you don't even need to 'reopen' anything, it's already active. Reopening is for people who had a gap.
The UI Online system is usually pretty clear about whether your claim is active or needs to be reopened when you log in. The homepage status makes it obvious which state you're in.
How far back can unemployment audit your claim? California EDD question
So I've been on unemployment for about four months now and I got a weird letter in the mail last week that made me start panicking about whether EDD could come back and audit my entire claim history going back to when I first filed. Like I'm talking all the way back to the beginning. I've been certifying every two weeks like I'm supposed to, reporting my part-time earnings from some freelance graphic design work I picked up here and there, but I'm honestly not 100% sure I always reported the exact right week the money was earned versus when it hit my bank account. Sometimes clients pay late and I just reported it when I saw it in my account which I'm now realizing might have been wrong. My weekly benefit amount is around $310 and I've had a few weeks where I earned maybe $80 or $100 from freelance stuff. So now I'm spiraling wondering how far back EDD can actually look if they decide to audit someone. Can they go all the way back to the start of your claim? Further? I tried looking on edd.ca.gov and couldn't find a straight answer. Anyone dealt with this or know the actual rules?
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Genuine question for anyone who knows: does requesting the CalJOBS waiver (if EDD says you don't need to register) affect how they look at the rest of your claim? I've heard conflicting things about whether asking for an exemption triggers more scrutiny.
ok that's reassuring. I got a letter saying I did need to register and I did it, but then someone told me I could have asked to be waived out of it and I wasn't sure if asking would have created problems.
CalJOBS registration and benefit payment audits work off different parts of your file. The work search and registration stuff is about ongoing eligibility. The certification accuracy stuff is about whether you reported earnings correctly. Asking questions about either one doesn't automatically create a problem in the other.
Reading this whole thread made me realize I've been thinking about work search requirements completely wrong. I thought EDD required a specific number of job applications each week and that they'd audit that too. Is there actually a number they check?
No specific number is listed in EDD's rules. The requirement is that you're genuinely looking for work. Keeping your own record of where you applied is a good personal habit, but EDD's rules don't name a minimum count or say UI Online has a tracker for it.
I kept a spreadsheet for myself just to have it in case EDD ever asked but I've never had anyone from EDD actually ask me to produce a list of applications.
If I get fired for being late can I collect unemployment in California EDD?
So I got let go from my warehouse job last week and honestly I'm spiraling a bit. My manager had been warning me about tardiness for about two months — I have a pretty bad commute and my car kept having issues — and they finally pulled the trigger and terminated me. HR said it was "attendance policy violation" on the paperwork. Now I'm trying to figure out if I even have a shot at unemployment benefits. I filed my claim online through myEDD already but I have no idea what to expect. Did EDD even look at WHY I was fired or do they just take the employer's word for it? I'm worried I'm going to get denied automatically because they fired me instead of me quitting. Has anyone been through something similar where the reason for termination was tardiness or attendance?
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EDD's phone line at 1-800-300-5616 is available 8 to 5 weekdays if you have questions before or after your interview. Live chat is also available from the Help button in UI Online, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. If your claim has something showing in Claim History as Pending, that usually means EDD is still deciding eligibility or verifying something — that status is normal while an open interview issue is being worked through.
Pending is completely normal at this stage. It means EDD is processing, not that anything is wrong. Once the interview happens and EDD decides, the pending weeks resolve one way or another.
Used claimyr.com myself when my claim was stuck on Pending for two weeks after the interview with no update. Talked to an agent who confirmed the decision had been made and my weeks would be processed in the next payment cycle. Stopped checking every five minutes after that.
EDD's Benefit Calculator on edd.ca.gov is worth using to get a rough sense of your weekly amount now. The formal number comes on the DE 429Z but having a ballpark helps with budgeting while everything is processing. For termination claims specifically, filing fast and not missing the interview date are the two biggest things under your control.
Filing fast was the right move. The claim starts the Sunday of the week you applied, so getting it in quickly matters for how much of that first week counts.
CalJOBS registration, don't forget. That DE 8405 has a 21-day deadline from its mailing date and it's easy to lose track of when everything else is going on.
How much can I make while on unemployment in California EDD?
Got laid off from my warehouse job about three weeks ago and finally got everything set up with EDD. My weekly benefit amount came out to $387 on the DE 429Z they mailed me. Here's the thing though - my old supervisor just texted asking if I want to pick up some part-time shifts while they hire a replacement. Maybe 10-15 hours a week at $18/hour. That could be anywhere from $180 to $270 a week depending on the week. I really want to say yes because bills don't stop, but I'm terrified of doing something wrong and ending up with an overpayment notice. How much can I make while on unemployment without it completely wiping out my benefits? Do I report it every two weeks when I certify? Does working part-time mess up my claim at all? I've been reading stuff online but I'm getting conflicting info and I don't want to guess wrong on something this important.
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Three certifications in and using Claimyr last week to sort out why one of my certified weeks was still showing Pending long after it should have cleared. The agent checked my account and found a wages verification flag on that specific week that hadn't been cleared yet. She said it would resolve within a few business days and to keep certifying normally in the meantime, which it did. For anyone staring at a week stuck in Pending status when the others already paid, that's worth a call to find out specifically what's holding it up.
My claim has one week showing Pending while the other weeks from the same certification paid fine. Going to try to get through to find out if there's a flag like you described.
That was exactly my situation - one week stuck, the others paid. Turned out to be a simple verification thing that resolved on its own once an agent noted it. Good luck.
Alright I've got enough to make my decision. Going to take the part-time warehouse shifts. Here's what I'm taking away from this whole thread: report gross wages in the week they're earned not when paid, the buffer is whichever is bigger between $25 and 25% of my earnings, working part-time always nets more total income than not working, full-time weeks just zero out without hurting the rest of my claim, and I need to keep doing my work search requirements regardless of the part-time work. Thanks everyone - this forum is genuinely the most useful place I've found for understanding how EDD actually works in practice.
Good luck with the shifts. The part-time + UI combination works out well financially when you stay on top of the reporting.
Accurate reporting every two weeks is the whole job. Sounds like you're going in with the right mindset.
Liam O'Connor
Spent most of a morning on hold last week trying to ask about work search requirements and never got through. Claimyr finally got me talking to an EDD agent. She confirmed my claim was active and that one week was showing pending because the wage report for that week hadn't posted yet — not an eligibility issue. On work search, she said I need to be actively looking every week I certify and to keep my own records of where I apply, since EDD can ask. Good to have it straight from someone at EDD.
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
Does EDD actually verify work search activities or is it kind of on the honor system?
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Liam O'Connor
The agent didn't go into detail about audits or anything, just said to keep records. I'd rather have something written down than not.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
Applied and got the DE 429Z but then nothing for two more weeks — no payments, no other notices, Claim History showing Pending. Is that normal or is something wrong?
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Natasha Kuznetsova
ID.me is done. It's been right at three weeks now. Guess I'll give it a few more days before I try to call.
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Ava Rodriguez
Three weeks is about the outer edge of normal. If it goes another week with no movement, phone EDD at 1-800-300-5616 or use the live chat through the Help button in UI Online, weekdays 9 to 2 for the chat.
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