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EDD appeal hearing decision timeline in San Diego - when and how will I be notified?

I just finished the second part of my EDD appeal hearing today in San Diego. The judge seemed fair but it's really nerve-wracking waiting for the decision. Does anyone know approximately how long it typically takes before they make a final ruling? Will I get the decision by mail or will it show up in my UI Online account first? This whole appeal process has been going on for almost 2 months now and the uncertainty is killing me. Need to figure out my next steps depending on the outcome. Thanks for any info you can share ๐Ÿ™

i got my decision in 12 days but that was back in 2021, might be different now idk. they just sent a letter in the mail. i was so nervous i checked the mailbox like 3 times a day lol. hope u get good news!!!!

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Thanks! Did your UI Online account status change at all before you got the letter? I keep checking there too.

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nope nothing changed online until after i got the letter and it was approved then suddenly all my weeks changed from disqualified to paid it was awesome

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Thanks everyone for the responses! Sounds like I should expect to wait 2-4 weeks for the decision by mail. I'll make sure my address is updated correctly. Really appreciate all the insights - helps calm my nerves a bit. I'll update this thread when I finally get my decision letter for anyone who might be searching for this info in the future.

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Can I delay reporting income to EDD until next certification period - will this trigger fraud flags?

I'm in a really tight spot with rent due next week, and I just started a temporary job that pays weekly. I won't have enough money saved up by my rent due date. I was thinking about not reporting this week's income until my next bi-weekly certification period (which would be after rent is due), so I can get my full unemployment payment now to cover rent. Would the EDD system automatically flag this as suspicious? I know we're supposed to report income for the weeks we actually worked, not when we got paid, but I'm desperate. Has anyone done this before? Would I get in trouble for reporting it late? I'm not trying to commit fraud, I'd still report all the income eventually, just in the next certification period instead of this one.

not to get off topic but is anyone else having issues with the certification questions? the new wording on question 3 about "reasonable efforts to maintain benefits" is so confusing. i never know if im answering right

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That's asking about your work search activities. You need to say "yes" and be making the required number of job contacts each week, even if you're temporarily working. But to address the original question - reporting income in the correct week is essential.

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One option that many people don't know about: If you report your income correctly but it's significantly lower than your weekly benefit amount, you may still receive partial unemployment benefits. This is called partial UI. For example, if your weekly benefit amount is $450 and you earn $200 in a week, after the standard earnings disregard, you would still receive some benefits. This is a legal way to maximize your income while maintaining honest reporting.

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Mia Green

Author

This is really helpful information! I'm not working full-time yet, so I should still qualify for partial benefits. I think this is the solution I needed. I'll accurately report my income and still get some assistance. Thank you so much!

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Can my husband backdate EDD claim for reduced hours from 7 months ago?

My husband's been dealing with reduced hours since September 2024 (about 7 months now). He didn't apply for unemployment right away because his manager kept promising his hours would go back to normal "next month." Well, it's been 7 months of waiting and our savings is finally running thin. We just found out he could've been claiming unemployment benefits this WHOLE TIME for the reduction in hours (his schedule went from 40 hours to about 15-20 per week). Nobody at his workplace mentioned this was possible! My question is: Can he backdate his initial EDD claim all the way to September when his hours were first reduced? Or is there a limit to how far back EDD will let him go? Would REALLY appreciate any advice because we could definitely use those retroactive payments if possible. Thanks in advance for any help!

Just wanna add - make sure ur husband keeps certifying EVERY WEEK even if the claim is pending. My friend didn't certify while waiting for EDD to process his claim and lost 3 weeks of benefits he couldn't get back!!

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One additional point worth noting: If your husband applies and is approved for UI benefits based on reduced hours, he'll still need to meet all other eligibility requirements. This includes being able and available for work and actively seeking additional employment to supplement his reduced hours. During certification, EDD will ask if he's looking for work. He should be applying for additional part-time jobs or full-time positions to maintain eligibility. He'll need to list at least 3 work search activities per week typically. Also, depending on his industry and skills, he might qualify for EDD's training extension if he wants to use this opportunity to gain new skills while working reduced hours. Just something to consider for the long term if his employer doesn't restore his schedule.

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That's a good point about the work search requirements. He's been casually looking for a new full-time job already since the reduced hours don't seem to be changing anytime soon. Would applying to full-time positions satisfy the work search requirement even though he's currently still employed part-time?

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Yes, applying for full-time positions absolutely satisfies the work search requirements. In fact, that's exactly what EDD expects from someone on reduced hours - that they're trying to find more complete employment. Just make sure he keeps records of all job applications (company name, position, date applied, contact info if available) as EDD occasionally conducts eligibility interviews to verify work search activities.

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EDD appeal sent to inland office months ago - no hearing date yet, normal?

I'm losing sleep over this appeal situation and hoping someone can share their experience. After being disqualified from benefits (employer said I was fired for misconduct when I was actually laid off), I filed my appeal right away. That was back in early January. About 3 weeks later, I got a notice saying my appeal was transferred to the 'Inland Office of Appeals' and that I'd receive info about my hearing date 'soon.' It's now April and I haven't heard a single thing about when my hearing will be scheduled! No mail, no email, nothing in my UI Online account. Is this normal? How long are appeals taking right now? I've called EDD at least 20 times but can never get through to a real person. Starting to worry my appeal got lost in the system somewhere. Has anyone had a similar wait time for their appeal hearing to be scheduled?

The EDD appeals process is DELIBERATELY slow to discourage people from appealing! They hope you'll give up or find another job before your hearing. It's a disgraceful tactic that punishes people who are already struggling. I had to contact my state assembly member's office to get any movement on my appeal. They have staff who can sometimes expedite cases. Worth a try!

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THIS!! ๐Ÿ‘† Contacting your assembly member actually works sometimes. My cousin did this and suddenly her appeal that had been sitting for 6 months got scheduled within 2 weeks. They hate when politicians start asking questions lol

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check ur spam folder! my hearing notice went to spam and i almost missed it!! they sometimes send email notifications now not just mail

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Oh! I hadn't thought of that. Just checked my spam folder but nothing there related to EDD or appeals. I'll keep checking though and make sure to look at spam regularly. Thanks for the tip!

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EDD overpayment notice after school break - do I need to report spouse income?

I'm freaking out a little bit. I got a Notice of Potential Overpayment from EDD last week related to my substitute teaching job. Back in January I had a phone interview with EDD about why I wasn't working during the Thanksgiving break in November. I explained honestly that the school was closed and I couldn't work. The EDD rep actually told me on the phone that I wouldn't have to repay anything since it wasn't my fault the school was closed. Now suddenly I received this overpayment form asking for all kinds of financial information for BOTH me and my husband! Our finances are completely separate and I don't see why his income matters for MY unemployment claim. Two questions: 1. Do I really have to fill out all these financial details about my spouse? We file taxes separately and his income has nothing to do with my subbing job. 2. For future reference, what should I do during school breaks? Should I just not certify for those weeks when school is closed? I'm confused because sometimes I get assignments and sometimes I don't, but during official breaks I definitely can't work even if I wanted to. Any advice would be really appreciated because I'm worried about having to repay $4,200 that I used for rent and bills already.

Has anyone actually beat one of these school employee overpayment cases? I'm scared OP is going to end up having to repay no matter what they do. The system is so rigged against school workers!

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Yes, I've seen successful cases, especially for true substitutes with variable hours. The key is documenting that you don't have reasonable assurance of work. If you can show your work history has gaps and inconsistent hours even during normal school periods, you have a stronger case that you had no guarantee of work after breaks.

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One more important thing: many substitute teachers don't realize that EDD distinguishes between different types of substitutes. If you're on a preferred substitute list or have been working regularly before breaks, EDD might consider that "reasonable assurance" even without a formal guarantee. What helps your case is if you can show that: 1. You actively sought work during non-break periods but still had weeks with little or no work 2. You weren't on any preferred list or didn't have priority status 3. You had to compete with other substitutes for assignments with no guarantee Include this information with your response to make it clear you truly didn't have reasonable assurance of work after the breaks. This is the legal distinction that matters for your case.

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Oh! This is extremely helpful. I'm definitely not on any preferred list - I have to use the substitute management system each day to see what's available, and it's first-come-first-served. I'll make sure to explain this in my letter. Thank you so much for this detailed explanation!

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