California Unemployment
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EDD eligibility after school ownership change - can teachers quit and get unemployment?
I work at a small private school that was just sold to new owners with ZERO warning. Literally found out the day they took over! The new management is completely restructuring everything - moving teachers to different classrooms, changing our curriculum, and they've already fired 3 of my colleagues in just the first week. The work environment has become extremely stressful and nothing like what we signed up for. We haven't signed any new contracts with these owners, and several of us are thinking about quitting. Would we qualify for unemployment benefits in this situation since the job fundamentally changed? Has anyone dealt with something similar? I've never applied for unemployment before and don't know if this counts as 'good cause' to leave.
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No response to EDD appeal after a month - normal wait time?
I submitted my EDD appeal forms by certified mail exactly 30 days ago after getting disqualified for supposedly 'refusing suitable work' (which I absolutely did NOT). The tracking shows the appeal was delivered, but I haven't heard a single thing back from EDD. No acknowledgment letter, no hearing date, nothing at all. My bills are piling up and I'm getting really worried. Is this normal? How long should I expect to wait before I hear something? And what exactly will I receive next - a letter, email, or phone call? Starting to feel like they're just ignoring my appeal...
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One more thing - when you do get your hearing scheduled, make sure to prepare thoroughly. Appeals judges look for specific evidence. For a 'refusing suitable work' disqualification, you'll want: 1. Any written communication between you and the employer 2. Documentation of why the work wasn't suitable (pay rate, hours, location, etc.) 3. Your own written timeline of events 4. Any witnesses who can testify about your situation The success rate for appeals increases dramatically with proper preparation.
This is gold! I actually have emails showing the job was 65 miles from my home with no remote option, and it paid 40% less than my previous position. Would that qualify as 'not suitable'?
Absolutely! Distance over 25 miles and significant pay reduction are both factors that can make an offer 'not suitable' under EDD guidelines. Print those emails and have them ready - they'll be crucial evidence at your hearing.
my freind got his appeal approved after like 5 months and they gave him all the backpay at once. was like $12k or something crazy. just saying hang in there it might be worth it in the end
That would be amazing if that happens for me too. I'm owed about $8500 so far if they approve my appeal. Fingers crossed!
EDD website outage during certification weekend - can't certify for benefits
Anyone else having issues with the EDD website tonight? I've been trying to certify for my UI benefits for the last 3 hours and the site either won't load at all or crashes halfway through my certification. The deadline is tomorrow and I'm freaking out because I NEED this payment to make rent next week. I've tried using Chrome, Firefox, and even my phone but nothing works. Is the site down for maintenance or something? What happens if I miss the certification deadline because their system is broken??
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UPDATE: The site finally started working around 5am! I was able to complete my certification and it's showing as "pending payment" now. Thank you all for the advice and support! For anyone else having this issue - try early morning hours when there's less traffic. Also good to know about the grace period and phone certification options for future reference.
nice! how long did it take to complete? mine still crashing halfway thru 😭
EDD eligibility interview no-show - pregnant and terminated from job
Hi everyone, I'm currently 25 weeks pregnant and in a really stressful situation. I was terminated from my warehouse position about 3 weeks ago (they said performance issues, but honestly it started right after I told them I was pregnant). Anyway, I filed for unemployment and EDD scheduled an eligibility phone interview for today between 10am-12pm. I waited by my phone the entire time, didn't miss any calls, but no one from EDD ever called me. My UI Online account still shows the interview as scheduled for today with no updates. Is a no-show interview usually a good sign? Like maybe they've already approved my claim without needing to talk to me? Or should I be worried something went wrong? I'm getting really anxious since I desperately need this income with a baby on the way and medical bills piling up.
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Just wanted to share that my husband had an interview scheduled at 10AM that didn't happen until 2:30PM THE NEXT DAY! EDD is running incredibly behind on everything. But good news is he got approved despite the delay. Just keep your phone nearby and answer everything!
That makes me feel a lot better, thanks! I'll just keep waiting and hope they call soon.
Quick update question: It's been about 24 hours since your original post - have you received any calls or UI Online account updates yet?
They just called me 30 minutes ago! The interviewer was actually really nice and said they're running 2 days behind schedule. The interview went well - they asked about my doctor's note and the timeline of events with my employer. She said I should receive a determination in 7-10 days, but everything sounded positive. Thanks everyone for the support and advice!
thats awesome!! told ya theyd call eventually lol. EDD always runs late but at least u got ur interview done!
Will pending EDD payments be released if I have an unresolved overpayment from previous claim?
Hi everyone, I'm in a bit of a stressful situation with my husband's EDD claim and hoping someone has experience with this. We reopened his unemployment claim in November after he got laid off from his construction job. He had his phone interview with EDD on December 30th, but it's now January 8th and he still has SIX WEEKS showing as pending! We're getting really worried because bills are piling up. Here's the complication - he has an unresolved overpayment from his previous claim that we haven't taken care of yet (about $4,300 from 2023). We just haven't had the money to set up a payment plan. Does anyone know if EDD is holding his current payments because of the old overpayment? Or is the pending status unrelated? Will they eventually release these payments even with the outstanding overpayment? This waiting game is killing us and we can't get through on the phone.
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Just wanted to follow up on a point someone else made - setting up even a minimal payment plan (like $25/month) is often all it takes to remove an overpayment hold. EDD is more concerned with addressing the overpayment than collecting it all at once. Regarding the interview from Dec 30th, if it's been more than 10 business days since the interview, you should definitely call to check the status. Sometimes interview determinations get stuck in the system and a simple call can move things along. Also, when you do reach EDD, ask specifically if there are any "stop payments" on the account. This is the technical term for holds that prevent payment release. Knowing the exact type of stop payment can help you resolve it faster.
This is super helpful! I didn't know about the "stop payments" terminology. I'll definitely ask about that specifically when we call. Thank you!
Update?? Were you able to get through to EDD and get this resolved? I'm invested in your situation now because it's so similar to what I went through!
Finally got through this morning! You were all right - we needed to set up a payment plan for the overpayment. We arranged to pay $50/month, and the rep said our new payments should be released within 48 hours, minus the 25% they'll take for the overpayment. Such a relief! The agent also said the interview determination was completed but hadn't been processed in the system yet. Thanks everyone for your help!
Giovanni Marino
omg schools r the WORST for this stuff!!! my cousin teaches at private school and they change the rules ALL THE TIME! she said document document document!!! good luck with everything!!
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ThunderBolt7
I think you have good cause to quit based on what you've shared, but here's a suggestion: TIMING matters. If you've been at the school for less than 18 months, wait until you've hit that mark if possible. EDD looks more favorably on claims where you've been employed at the same place for a longer period. It shows you weren't just looking for a quick exit. Also, if you do quit, do it AFTER you've documented attempts to resolve the issues and received responses (or non-responses) from management. This creates a clear paper trail of your good faith efforts.
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Zoe Papadakis
AuthorI've actually been at the school for 3 years, so hopefully that helps my case. I just sent an email to the new owners detailing my concerns about the classroom reassignment and curriculum changes. I'll wait to see how they respond before making any decisions. Thanks again for all your help!
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