New to unemployment benefits here and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I just filed my initial claim last week and haven't even done my first certification yet, but reading everyone's experiences is preparing me for what to expect. It sounds like I should mentally prepare for about a week of "pending" status once I do my first certification, which is good to know upfront. The fact that EDD doesn't clearly communicate these normal processing delays on their website seems to be a common frustration. I'm bookmarking this thread for when I inevitably start panicking during my own first certification wait! Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines and keeping it real about the EDD process.

Going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my first certification 5 days ago and have been refreshing that portal way too much. This whole thread has been such a lifesaver - I had no clue that first payments naturally take longer due to verification processes. EDD really should put this info prominently on their website instead of leaving people to stress and wonder if something went wrong. It's reassuring to see so many success stories here with payments processing between 6-10 days. Definitely going to follow the advice about waiting until the 10-14 day mark before trying to call, and limiting myself to checking the portal just once per day instead of every hour! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and timelines.

I just went through this exact situation about 6 weeks ago and wanted to share my experience to give you some reassurance! My employer also completely no-showed after claiming "violation of company policy" when I was actually terminated due to "departmental restructuring." The judge was very thorough and professional, asking detailed questions about my job performance, any policy violations, and the circumstances of my termination. Like you, I had all my documentation organized - termination letter clearly stating "organizational changes," emails about the restructuring, and a clean disciplinary record. Without my employer there to substantiate their policy violation claims, I felt much more confident as the hearing progressed. I received my decision letter in exactly 9 days - favorable outcome! The judge's written decision specifically noted that the employer's failure to appear meant their allegations lacked supporting evidence or testimony. My UI Online account updated about 10 days after that and I received full backpay for all the weeks I had been certifying during the appeal. Your situation sounds incredibly strong - having documented "position elimination" while they claim misconduct but can't even show up to defend it is textbook winning material. You were obviously well-prepared while they completely abandoned their case. That contradiction alone should work heavily in your favor. The waiting is absolutely brutal when you're surviving on credit cards (been there!), but based on everything you've described and all the similar success stories in this thread, you should be celebrating very soon. Keep certifying every two weeks and start checking your mailbox religiously around day 8. You've got this! 🙌

I'm going through my first EDD appeal process and this whole thread has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! Dallas, your situation sounds really promising - the fact that you have documentation showing "position elimination" while your employer claimed misconduct but then didn't even bother to show up really speaks to the weakness of their case. I'm amazed at how many people have gone through this exact scenario with employer no-shows after contradictory claims. It seems like when employers make serious allegations but can't be bothered to defend them in person, it usually works out well for the claimant. The timelines everyone has shared are really valuable too - it looks like 8-12 days for the decision letter is pretty standard, then another 1-3 weeks for payment processing. I'm definitely bookmarking that tip about calling the Appeals Office number instead of the regular EDD line if there are payment delays. Dallas, you clearly came prepared with all your documentation while they completely abandoned their position. Based on all these success stories, I'd be very optimistic about your outcome. The waiting must be incredibly stressful when you're living on credit cards, but you sound like you're in an excellent position. Keep checking that mailbox starting day 8 and definitely keep us updated! 🤞

Hi Keisha! I'm new to this community but unfortunately going through a similar situation. My employer also falsely claimed misconduct when I was actually laid off due to company-wide budget cuts - it's incredibly frustrating when they try to avoid paying unemployment benefits this way! Reading through this entire discussion has been so helpful and reassuring. I was also terrified about the hearing process, but everyone's experiences here show that it's much more manageable than I initially thought. The phone format and informal nature of the hearings sounds way less intimidating than a formal courtroom setting. From everything shared here, your case sounds really strong. You have documentation of budget cuts, you filed your appeal quickly, and most importantly - you have the truth on your side. Multiple people in this thread have mentioned that misconduct has a very specific legal definition, and budget-related layoffs absolutely don't meet that standard. One thing that's helped me prepare is writing out a simple timeline of events with key dates - when budget issues started being discussed at the company, when layoffs began, when I was terminated, etc. Having that structure ready makes me feel more organized and confident about explaining my situation clearly. The anxiety is definitely the worst part of this whole process, but this community has shown me that the appeals process really does work when people have documentation and truth like you do. You're not alone in this - we're all rooting for you! Please keep us updated on how everything goes.

Hi Keisha! I'm new to this community but unfortunately dealing with a very similar situation - my employer also falsely claimed misconduct when I was clearly part of workforce reduction due to budget constraints. Reading through this entire thread has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! I was also panicking about the hearing process, but everyone's shared experiences make it sound much more manageable than I initially feared. One thing I wanted to mention that might help with your anxiety - I just learned that you can request to record the hearing for your own records (though you need to ask permission first). Having that option available made me feel more in control of the situation, even if I don't end up using it. From everything I've read here, your case sounds really solid. You have documentation of budget cuts, you filed your appeal promptly, and most importantly - you know what actually happened. The burden of proof being on your employer to prove misconduct (as several people mentioned) is really encouraging, especially since budget layoffs clearly don't meet the legal definition of misconduct. The anxiety is definitely the hardest part, but this community has shown me that when people have documentation and truth on their side like you do, the appeals process actually works. You're definitely not alone in this - there are so many of us going through similar situations right now. Keep us posted on how everything goes!

Film industry worker here who just went through this exact same process a couple months ago! The confusion is totally understandable - the EDD system really wasn't designed with our industry's work patterns in mind. Everyone's advice about treating the payroll company as your employer is 100% correct. I made the mistake initially of trying to list individual productions and it was a nightmare. Once I switched to listing Entertainment Partners as ONE employer (with my first gig date in 2022 through my last gig in January 2025), everything made sense. For the hours calculation, I know that low average feels wrong, but it's accurate! I worked about 900 hours through EP over 30 months, which came out to roughly 7 hours per week average. Felt ridiculous typing that in, but the EDD rep told me that's completely typical for entertainment industry claims. One thing I'd add that really helped: when you get to the eligibility interview (and you probably will), be ready to explain WHY the work is intermittent. They understand "seasonal work patterns" and "project-based employment" - those are terms they recognize for our industry. Don't just say the work was "irregular" - explain that film productions have specific start/end dates and there are natural gaps between projects. Also, definitely keep digital copies of everything organized by payroll company. I used Google Drive folders and it saved me so much time during the interview when they asked for specific pay stub information. You're not doing anything wrong - this is just how our industry works and EDD does understand it, even if their forms don't make it obvious!

As someone who just successfully filed my UI claim as a script supervisor after months of intermittent work, I can definitely relate to this confusion! The key insight that saved me was realizing that the payroll service IS my employer, not the individual productions. Here's what worked for me: I had worked through three different payroll companies over the past 18 months - Entertainment Partners, Cast & Crew, and Central Casting. Instead of trying to list every single show (which would have been like 15+ different "employers"), I created just three employer entries - one for each payroll service. For Entertainment Partners: Start date was March 2023 (first gig ever through them), end date was January 2025 (most recent gig). Total hours worked through EP was about 680 hours over that period, which averaged to roughly 8 hours per week when divided by the total weeks. Felt super low, but that's our reality with all the downtime between projects! The eligibility interview is pretty much guaranteed for entertainment workers, but don't stress about it. Have your paystubs organized by payroll company and be ready to explain that film work is "project-based with natural gaps between productions." The EDD reps are familiar with our industry patterns. One practical tip: I kept a simple notebook where I logged every work search activity (agent submissions, casting calls, networking events) from day one of my claim. Made the weekly certifications so much easier and I never had to scramble for documentation. The whole process took about 6 weeks from filing to first payment, but that included the standard eligibility interview. Once they understood my work pattern, everything went smoothly!

Hey Mason! Congrats on getting your first payment - that waiting period is absolutely brutal and the relief is so real! Yes, EDD payments are definitely biweekly once you're in the system. You'll certify every other Sunday and typically see payment within 24-72 hours if there are no issues. Since you certified Sunday and got paid Wednesday, that's actually pretty standard timing. Just wanted to add a couple tips that really helped me: First, set up calendar reminders for both your certification dates AND expected payment dates so you can quickly spot any delays. Second, consider setting up both email and SMS notifications in UI Online under "Notification Preferences" as backup - the system can be glitchy sometimes. Also keep in mind that bank holidays can push payments back a day or two, so factor that into your budgeting. The biweekly schedule really does become predictable once you get the hang of it. You're asking all the right questions! Make sure to keep documenting your job search activities too since you'll report those when certifying. Welcome to the unemployment community - we've all been where you are and it definitely gets easier!

Congrats on your first payment! That feeling of relief when the money finally hits your account is incredible after all that waiting. Yes, EDD payments are definitely biweekly - you'll certify every other Sunday and typically get paid within 1-3 business days. Since you got paid Wednesday after certifying Sunday, that's right on track. One thing that really helped me manage the uncertainty was creating a simple tracking spreadsheet with my certification dates, payment dates, and amounts - after a few cycles you'll start to see the pattern clearly. Also, if you haven't already, I'd recommend enabling both email and text notifications in UI Online so you get reminders about certification and payment updates. The biweekly schedule really does make budgeting easier once you get used to it. Just remember to keep detailed records of your job search activities since you'll need to report those when you certify. Welcome to the community and hang in there - it definitely gets more predictable!