Severance pay is something worth knowing about if your layoff came with a package. EDD's rules say severance paid under a company plan or policy isn't counted as wages that would delay your benefits — but you still report it when certifying because EDD asks about it. EDD makes the final call on how it affects your specific payment. Don't skip reporting it just because someone told you it doesn't matter.

For anyone whose employer is an unusual type — like a nonprofit — the UI process is exactly the same for you as a claimant. Some nonprofits fund their unemployment obligations differently on the employer side, but that has nothing to do with how you file or what you receive. File the same way, certify the same way, same rules apply.

My termination-for-cause case last fall got really complicated because my employer contested the claim through the whole adjudication. DE 1101CZ notice went to them, they responded within their 10 days, and EDD scheduled interviews with both of us. I used Claimyr to get through to an agent when I noticed my claim status had been pending for six weeks - the agent confirmed both sides had submitted information and the case was with a reviewer. Knowing the case wasn't stalled or lost made the rest of the wait manageable.

Just want to flag that the 'terminated for cause' language on paper really means almost nothing to EDD on its own. The whole reason the phone interview exists is so EDD can hear from both sides before making any judgment. The paperwork your employer filed is their story - the interview is your chance to tell yours.

Pensions or any retirement income are worth noting if applicable — EDD may reduce your weekly benefit by some amount if you're drawing from one. But Social Security doesn't get counted against you at all, EDD doesn't deduct it. Worth knowing going in if either applies.

Roughly ten days after I applied, my employer's EDD notice went out and they had 10 days to respond. For a standard layoff they just confirm the separation and that's it. But I got curious and rang EDD to ask if they'd gotten the employer response — an agent I reached through Claimyr confirmed it had come in and no discrepancies were flagged. Gave me a lot of peace of mind during the wait.

Quick note on certifying — in California it's every two weeks, not weekly. I see people here and elsewhere talk about 'weekly certification' or 'weekly claims' and that terminology doesn't match how California EDD actually works. You certify a two-week period at once, the first time about two weeks after EDD processes your application.

Last point I'd add: once you file, the portal at myedd.edd.ca.gov is where you'll do basically everything — certify, check your Claim History, see your payments, download your 1099G at tax time. Set up your account there before you even get your DE 429Z so you're not scrambling when it's time to do your first certification.

Overpayment is a real thing to understand before money starts flowing. If you certify for a week and later EDD decides you weren't eligible for it — say the quit determination goes against you retroactively — they'll send an overpayment notice asking for that money back. It's not fraud as long as you certified honestly, but it still has to be repaid. If repaying it would be a serious hardship, there's a waiver form (DE 1446UI) you can apply for. Just know that honest mistakes in certifying aren't treated the same as intentional fraud.

Last week I used Claimyr to get through to EDD about my own quit claim — benefits had been showing as pending for 32 days after my phone interview, nothing moving. The agent pulled up my account and walked me through exactly which weeks were pending and confirmed that my DE 1080CZ had just been mailed the day before. Wasn't the news I wanted since it turned out to be a denial, but at least I knew immediately so I could get the appeal moving within the 30-day window instead of losing days waiting for the mail.