California Unemployment
CommunityGovernment Services
Can't reach California Unemployment? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
Which claim is this call about?
Each program has its own EDD agents, so pick the one your claim is with.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the EDD
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the EDD drops your call
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Can I get EDD benefits during mountain road closure after storm? Employer shut down until March 16
So our business in Big Bear got hammered by the latest winter storm and now my boss just texted everyone saying we're completely shut down until at least March 16th when they think the roads might finally reopen. I've basically been out of work since the storm hit, and my savings aren't exactly impressive. Does anyone know if I qualify for unemployment during this temporary shutdown? It's not like I was fired or laid off - just can't physically get to work and the business is closed anyway. Has anyone dealt with filing EDD for weather-related closures like this? I'm worried they'll deny it since it's supposedly "temporary" but we're talking about potentially weeks without income here.
Join the conversation
EDD benefits ran out in Sept 2023 - can I file again with qualifying quarters?
I'm really confused about how to proceed with my unemployment situation. My benefits completely ran out in September 2023, and I'm still unemployed (7 months later and still searching!). I worked during 2 qualifying quarters in 2022 and 2023 before my previous claim, but I don't know if that's enough to file again. I did try poking around on the EDD website and entered my information. The system seemed to indicate I might qualify for a new claim, but I honestly don't trust myself to interpret it correctly. If I am eligible, does anyone know how long I'd be able to collect benefits this time around? Would it be the full 26 weeks or would it be reduced because I collected recently? I'm completely lost with all this EDD paperwork and rules. Any help would be so appreciated! Please be patient with me - this whole unemployment system is really overwhelming.
Join the conversation
dont waste ur time with the website just call them directly using the claimyr thing others mentioned. the website will make u think ur eligible when ur not or vice versa. edd's computer system is from the stone age seriously
This is good advice. The online system doesn't handle complex situations well, and subsequent claims with questions about base period and qualifying wages definitely fall into the complex category.
Update: I took everyone's advice and filed a new claim. I also used the Claimyr service to get through to EDD (thanks for that recommendation!). The agent reviewed my work history and explained that I do qualify for a new claim since I had wages in 2023 that weren't part of my previous claim's base period. My weekly benefit amount will be lower than my previous claim because my highest quarter earnings were less, but I'm approved for the full 26 weeks. Just wanted to thank everyone who helped me understand this confusing process!
That's great news! I'm glad you were able to get through and get a definitive answer. Make sure you certify for benefits on time every two weeks to avoid any payment delays.
EDD appeal decision delay - Judge said ruling favorable but nothing in UI Online after 2 weeks
Has anyone else experienced this frustrating situation with an EDD appeal? On April 2, 2025 I had my phone hearing with an administrative law judge about my disqualification. At the end of the hearing, the judge actually told me 'I'm ruling in your favor and will be submitting my decision within the hour.' That was over 2 weeks ago! My UI Online account STILL shows my claim status as 'Appeal' with no updates, and my retroactive payments are still on hold. I've called the Fresno Appeals Office 3 times this week and each time they tell me the judge hasn't submitted ANY decision and it could take 8-10 WEEKS! Why would a judge explicitly tell me she was ruling in my favor and then seemingly not submit anything? Has anyone dealt with this kind of delay after being told you won your appeal? How long did it actually take to get the decision letter and for your back benefits to start processing?
Join the conversation
After you won your appeal, did they tell you if you'd have to serve any penalty weeks? I also won my appeal recently but even after that I had to serve 5 penalty weeks because of how I originally answered a question on my application. Just wondering if that might be causing additional delay for you.
The judge didn't mention anything about penalty weeks during my hearing. My disqualification was because my employer claimed I quit voluntarily, but I was able to prove it was a layoff due to lack of work. From what I understand, penalty weeks are usually for different types of issues, right?
I've been through 3 appeals with EDD (lucky me!) and each time the timeline was different. First one took 4 weeks from hearing to payment, second one was about 6 weeks, and the third one somehow processed in just 10 days. It seems to really depend on which office is handling your appeal and their current workload. The most important thing is that you won - the money will come eventually, even if it takes longer than it should.
10 DAYS?!?! Thats crazy fast! Mine took 6 weeks and I called literally everyday. The system is so random and unfair. Some people get lucky and others have to fight for everything!
EDD claim filed before benefit year end - still waiting for weeks to certify
I'm kinda stressing out about my new unemployment claim status. My benefit year ended 7/15/2025 and I was proactive by filing a new claim on 7/9/2025 through UI Online when I saw the option appear. I've been checking my account daily for updates, and right now it just says "check back after 7/23 for available weeks to certify." Does this message actually mean my new claim was approved? Or is this just a standard waiting period message? I can't tell if I should be relieved or worried because there's no clear status saying "approved" anywhere. Has anyone else recently refiled at the end of their benefit year and seen this same message?
Join the conversation
Based on my experience and what others have shared, here's what I think is happening: Your claim has been processed and entered into the system, which is why you're seeing the certification date. This is generally a good sign, but it doesn't guarantee you won't face any issues later. Since you filed before your benefit year ended, they've likely set up your new claim to begin immediately after your old one expires. The system is basically telling you "come back after 7/23 because that's when your first certification period for the new claim will be available." If you want absolute certainty, calling EDD is your best option, though it can be incredibly frustrating. When I had a similar situation, it took me 57 calls over 3 days before I finally got through to a representative. The peace of mind was worth it though.
57 calls? That's insane! But you're right, peace of mind might be worth the hassle. I'll try calling them tomorrow morning when they first open. Thanks for sharing your experience.
UPDATE: I just wanted to follow up and let everyone know what happened. I was able to certify on 7/23 as scheduled! The payments did go to pending for about 4 days, but then switched to paid without me having to do anything. No interview was required after all. Thanks everyone for your help and advice - it really helped calm my anxiety during the waiting period!
After eligibility interview - website down & can't confirm approval - what now?
Had my eligibility interview on March 12th and it seemed positive. The interviewer reviewed my termination details (was let go on 2/27 due to 'performance issues' which were never documented). She mentioned I don't have any disqualifying factors and said we'd wait until March 14th to see if my former employer responds to her inquiry. She specifically said 'in my experience, this employer rarely responds to EDD' and promised to call me if they did. Well, no call came so I guess that's positive? I've certified for the last two weeks since my termination, but I'm completely in the dark about whether I've been approved or if payment is coming. The EDD website has been completely inaccessible for me since Monday (tried on laptop, phone, different browsers, clearing cache, everything). Just keeps showing the maintenance page or errors out. This is my first time dealing with unemployment and I'm getting really anxious. My rent is due next week. Any advice on what I should do next? Should I call? Is website downtime normal? How long before I know if I'm approved?
Join the conversation
ok but has anyone else noticed the EDD site is slow AF this week?? been down since tuesday for me too
ya its bad for everyone rite now. saw on twitter they doing maintenance or something. always happens end of month i swear
The EDD system is designed to be frustrating on purpose! They're hoping people will give up and not collect benefits. I had THREE eligibility interviews for the same issue and each interviewer told me something completely different. When the website is down, it's not an accident - they're blocking people from checking status updates while they process backlogged claims. The fact that your former employer doesn't respond is actually lucky for you - that's how I got approved. If the company doesn't contest it, EDD usually sides with the claimant. KEEP TRYING TO LOG IN and document EVERYTHING.
While I understand the frustration with EDD systems, the website maintenance is actually scheduled and announced in advance most of the time. They're required by law to process claims within certain timeframes, so deliberately preventing people from accessing the system wouldn't make sense from a compliance standpoint. The system is definitely outdated though, which is why it goes down so frequently during high-traffic periods.
Sofia Morales
One more thing to be aware of - once you're approved, it takes about 3 weeks to receive your EDD debit card (Money Network) if this is your first time on unemployment. After that, payments are much faster as they just load the card. Just wanted to mention this so you can plan accordingly for that initial waiting period.
0 coins
Dylan Mitchell
AuthorThank you for that heads up! That's definitely good to know for budgeting purposes. Hopefully the roads will be reopened by then, but at least I'll have the backpay for the weeks I was out of work.
0 coins
Ava Garcia
I just went through the application process last month - make sure you check your UI Online account DAILY after applying. Sometimes they need additional information but only notify you through the portal, not by email or text. Missing those requests can delay your claim by weeks.
0 coins
Dylan Mitchell
AuthorGreat tip! I'll definitely make checking the portal a daily habit once I apply. The last thing I need is more delays because I missed something important.
0 coins