This thread has been such a lifesaver! I got laid off from my manufacturing job 4 weeks ago and have been considering an electrical apprenticeship program, but I was terrified it would mess up my UI benefits. Reading everyone's experiences here has given me so much confidence to move forward. The apprenticeship meets 2 evenings a week (Monday/Wednesday 5-8pm) and every other Saturday morning, so I'd still be completely available for full-time work during regular weekday hours. After seeing how many people successfully navigated this by being upfront with EDD, I'm definitely going to report it honestly and look into the CTB program. @helpful_guidance @skilled_worker @Fatima Al-Farsi - thank you for the detailed breakdown of the process! The DE 1906 form and documentation tips are exactly what I needed to know. I had no idea EDD actually had programs to support people getting training while on unemployment. @Carmen Ruiz @Ashley Simian - your recent success stories with trade-related training are especially encouraging! The electrical field has huge demand right now and this apprenticeship could really set me up for a solid career with great pay and job security. It's so clear from reading this thread that honesty and proper documentation are key. Thanks to everyone who shared - you've helped me understand that using unemployment time to gain valuable skills is actually something EDD supports rather than discourages!

This thread has been incredibly helpful for someone in my situation! I was laid off from my hotel front desk job about 6 weeks ago and have been considering a medical assistant certification program at my local community college. I was absolutely terrified that enrolling would automatically disqualify me from UI benefits, but reading through everyone's detailed experiences here has given me so much clarity. @helpful_guidance @skilled_worker @Fatima Al-Farsi - the breakdown of the CTB program and DE 1906 form is exactly what I needed! I had no idea EDD actually had specific support for people wanting to upgrade their skills during unemployment. Your tips about being very specific with availability hours and keeping organized documentation are incredibly practical. @Carmen Ruiz @Hannah Flores @Ashley Simian - seeing your recent success stories with various training programs is so encouraging! The fact that EDD representatives actually viewed your proactive training goals positively gives me real confidence to move forward. My medical assistant program would be Tuesday/Thursday mornings (8am-12pm) with one evening lab per week, leaving me available Monday/Wednesday/Friday for full-time work plus all afternoons. After reading all these experiences, I'm definitely going to be completely transparent on my next certification and apply for CTB. The healthcare field has such strong job prospects and stable employment, and this feels like the perfect opportunity to make a career change into a recession-proof industry. Thanks to this entire community for sharing such detailed, practical guidance - you've completely transformed my understanding of what's possible while on unemployment!

Hey Carmen! Just wanted to jump in as someone who's been through multiple unemployment claims in California over the past few years. Everyone here has given you fantastic advice about using October 4th as your last day worked - that's absolutely the right approach. I wanted to add one thing that might help with your peace of mind: EDD actually expects some confusion around separation dates vs. final pay dates, especially with layoffs. It's super common for companies to provide continuation pay after the actual layoff date, so you're definitely not the first person to deal with this situation. When you file your claim online, make sure you're in a quiet space with good internet connection and give yourself plenty of time. The application can take 30-45 minutes if you have all your information ready, and the system sometimes logs you out if you're idle too long. Also, once you submit your application, you'll typically receive your first notice to certify for benefits about 2-3 weeks later. Don't panic if it takes a while - that's totally normal processing time. One last thing: save yourself some stress and don't try to call EDD unless you absolutely have to. The online system handles 95% of what you'll need, and the phone lines are genuinely impossible to get through most days. You're handling this really well by doing your research upfront. Wishing you the best with your claim and job search! 🙌

Hey Carmen! Welcome to the community - you're definitely asking all the right questions for your first unemployment claim! I went through a very similar situation when I was laid off from a SaaS company last year. Everyone here is absolutely correct about using October 4th as your last day worked on your EDD application. That's the date that matters for benefit eligibility, not when your final paycheck covers through. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet that really helped me - when you're ready to file online, have a notepad ready to jot down any error messages or confirmation numbers as you go through the process. The EDD website can be glitchy sometimes, and having notes helped me troubleshoot issues without starting over. Also, regarding your severance timing - you don't need to wait for it to arrive before filing your claim. I made that mistake initially and it just delayed my benefits for no reason. File now with your 10/4 separation date, and when your severance does come through, you'll report it during your bi-weekly certification. The tech job market is definitely challenging right now, but starting your job search immediately (which you'll need to do for EDD work search requirements anyway) can actually lead to opportunities. I ended up finding my current role through a former colleague I reached out to during my unemployment period. You've got this! This community is super supportive if you run into any issues along the way. Good luck! 🍀

As someone who just went through this process last year, I want to emphasize how important it is to keep extremely detailed records of everything! I was doing IHSS for my grandmother while working part-time at a pharmacy, and when I lost the pharmacy job, having organized documentation saved me so much hassle. Beyond what others have mentioned, I'd recommend taking screenshots of your weekly timesheets before submitting them to the county, keeping copies of all your direct deposit receipts, and even documenting any schedule changes or care plan updates. EDD can be very thorough in their reviews, especially if there are any discrepancies in your wage reporting. Also, don't be surprised if your initial benefit calculation seems off - it took about 6 weeks for all my IHSS wages to fully appear in their system, and I had to call (multiple times!) to get it corrected. The wait was frustrating, but having all my documentation organized made the correction process much smoother. One last tip: if you use any payroll apps or county portals to track your IHSS work, make sure to download or print monthly summaries as backup records. Technology glitches happen, and you don't want to lose important wage history! This thread really covers everything perfectly - wish I had found something like this when I was going through the process!

This thread has been absolutely amazing - thank you everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences! I'm in a very similar situation to many of you: I've been doing IHSS for my elderly mother while working part-time as a medical receptionist. My hours at the clinic just got cut from 25 hours/week down to 8 hours/week due to staffing changes, so I'm planning to file for partial unemployment benefits this week. Based on everything I've read here, I now understand that my IHSS wages will definitely count toward my UI calculation since I'm caring for my parent (not spouse or minor child). The breakdown of how the $99 threshold and 75% reduction works is incredibly helpful - I had no clue about that formula! One thing that really stood out to me is how important accurate record-keeping seems to be. I'm going to start tracking my hours by EDD's Sunday-Saturday certification weeks starting this week, and I love the suggestion about taking screenshots of timesheets before submitting them to the county. Has anyone had experience with how quickly EDD processes claims when you have both traditional employment and IHSS work? I'm hoping the combination doesn't slow things down. Also, should I expect any additional verification steps since I'll be reporting two very different types of employment? Thanks again to everyone - this thread has been more helpful than any official government website I've found!

I went through something very similar in 2022 - EDD hit me with a $3,400 overpayment notice completely out of the blue, no explanation whatsoever. What I learned is that you absolutely MUST respond to both the appeal AND the collection notice separately - they're handled by different departments that don't communicate. For the collection notice, send a certified letter immediately stating that you have an active appeal pending (include the date you filed it) and request a temporary hold on collection activities. I also discovered that many of these mysterious overpayments are actually data entry errors or employer wage reporting mistakes that EDD's automated systems flag incorrectly. In my case, it turned out they had duplicated some wage information, making it look like I earned more than I actually did during certain weeks. The appeal process took 6 months, but I eventually got the overpayment completely reversed. Don't let them intimidate you - keep fighting and demand specific documentation about why they think you were overpaid. The burden of proof should be on them, not you!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now - got hit with a $2,800 overpayment demand last month with zero explanation, and like you, we moved out of state (to Arizona) after my claim period ended. What's helped me so far: 1) I sent a certified letter to both the appeals department AND the collections department on the same day, clearly stating I'm appealing and requesting all collection activity be suspended pending resolution. 2) I also sent a separate certified letter specifically requesting an "Administrative Review" of the overpayment determination - this is different from a regular appeal and sometimes gets faster results. 3) Through persistence (and about 40 phone call attempts), I finally got through and learned that out-of-state moves can trigger automatic system reviews that sometimes generate false overpayments. The rep told me to specifically ask for the "Interstate Claims Unit" when I call back for updates. 4) I'm keeping a detailed log of every interaction, and I've also filed complaints with both the California State Auditor and my new state's unemployment office (they can sometimes apply pressure on California's behalf). The whole system is broken, but don't give up - I've read too many success stories here to lose hope. Hang in there and keep fighting!

I'm on day 9 after my interview and this thread has been such a lifeline during this stressful waiting period! My status is still showing "under review" but reading everyone's experiences here has helped me realize that 8-12 days is completely normal. My interviewer asked standard questions about my job separation and seemed satisfied with my answers, but like everyone else mentioned, gave absolutely no timeline for when I'd hear back. The financial anxiety is definitely real - I've been living off whatever's in my pantry and constantly doing mental math on how long I can stretch my remaining savings. Based on all the timelines shared here, I'm right in that window where it should resolve soon. Really appreciate everyone being so open about their experiences and actual day counts - it makes this whole process feel so much less scary when you know what's normal. Just set up those text alerts that multiple people recommended so I can stop obsessively checking my account every hour!

I'm on day 2 after my interview and already feeling anxious about the wait! My interviewer was really thorough - asked detailed questions about why I left my job and my availability to work. She seemed professional but didn't give any hints about timeline or how I did. Seeing everyone's experiences here is so reassuring though! The 8-12 day pattern gives me realistic expectations instead of just wondering endlessly. I know I'm still super early in the process, but the financial stress is already starting to kick in with rent due in two weeks. Going to set up those text alerts right now so I don't drive myself crazy checking constantly. Thanks to everyone for sharing your actual timelines - it really helps to know what's normal during this nerve-wracking waiting period!