California Unemployment
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Finally got paid after EDD system upgrade nightmare - what worked for me
Been stuck in unemployment limbo for almost 3 weeks since EDD rolled out their stupid system "upgrade" last month. NOTHING was working! My UI Online account kept saying "system maintenance" or just straight-up crashing whenever I tried to certify. Called like 80+ times and couldn't get through to anyone. My rent was due yesterday and I was seriously panicking. But I FINALLY figured out what worked!! Tried logging in at 4:30am (literally set an alarm) and the site was actually responsive. Was able to certify for both weeks and the money hit my Money Network card THIS MORNING! $1,240 total for the missed weeks. If you're still locked out, try super early morning or late night when the system isn't overwhelmed. Also cleared my browser cache completely before logging in which might have helped. Just wanted to share some hope for anyone else going through this nightmare. Has anyone else gotten through after the system changes?
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When to report new employment to EDD - before or after probation period?
Just accepted a job offer after 6 months on unemployment! I start Monday but have a 90-day probation period. My question is - when do I need to report this to EDD? Should I wait until after my probation period ends (in case I don't pass it), or after I receive my first paycheck, or do I need to report it immediately? I'm worried about making a mistake and getting hit with an overpayment later. I'll still be certifying for a couple more weeks for the time period before I started working. Anyone have experience with this? Thanks!
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wait so does this mean i have to tell them every time i pick up a side gig? i sometimes do doordash on weekends
YES! You must report ALL work and earnings when certifying, including gig work, side jobs, cash jobs, EVERYTHING. For gig work like DoorDash, you report your gross earnings (before their fees) for the week you performed the work. If you don't, it's considered fraud and you risk penalties and overpayment assessments when they catch up to you.
Thank you all for the helpful advice! Just to make sure I understand correctly: 1. I'll answer 'no' on this Sunday's certification since I haven't started working yet 2. On my next certification, I'll answer 'yes' and report all hours/wages even though I might not have received my first paycheck yet 3. I'll check the box to stop my claim since this is full-time employment 4. Probation period has no relevance to EDD reporting requirements I feel much better about this now. Really appreciate all the guidance!
Exactly right! You've got it. And congratulations again on the new job!
Do I report strike retro pay and COVID bonus to EDD while on unemployment?
Just came back from a labor strike and I'm confused about reporting requirements with EDD. I've been collecting unemployment during our work slowdown and subsequent strike. Good news is the strike is over and we won! But now I'm getting 3 different payments and not sure what I need to report to EDD: 1) A wage increase that's retroactive to cover the strike period, 2) Back pay for the strike duration, and 3) A separate COVID appreciation bonus (I wasn't on unemployment during COVID though). Do I have to report ALL of these on my bi-weekly certification? Just some? None? I'm worried about messing up and getting hit with an overpayment notice later. Would appreciate any guidance on this!
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i think you're overthinking this lol... just don't report it since it was for work before your unemployment claim started. my cousin didn't report his bonus from his old job and nothing happened
This is dangerously incorrect advice. EDD regularly cross-references income reported to them against what employers report to tax authorities. Intentionally failing to report income is considered fraud and can result in disqualification from benefits, repayment with penalties, and in serious cases, criminal charges. Please do not encourage others to commit unemployment fraud.
UPDATE: Thanks everyone for your advice! I talked to our union rep who confirmed I need to report all payments when received. She said what typically happens is people just don't get benefits for that one week when the large payment hits, but then everything goes back to normal. She also warned that EDD and our company's payroll system definitely share information, so trying to hide income would be a really bad idea. I'll be reporting everything when I get paid and just accept the one-week gap in benefits.
That's the right approach! Always better to be honest with EDD - the temporary loss of one week's benefits is nothing compared to the headache of dealing with fraud allegations or overpayment notices down the road. Glad you got it sorted out!
EDD automated system can't find claim after missed interview - certification blocked
Hey everyone, I'm in a super frustrating situation with my nephew's EDD claim. He had a scheduled phone interview with EDD last Tuesday, but the interviewer NEVER called him. We've been trying to deal with this mess ever since! Every time we check UI Online, the system is either 'down for maintenance' or just loads a blank page. We've called the main number like 30+ times but always get that annoying 'we're experiencing high call volume' message and it hangs up. Now things have gotten worse - when he tries to certify for his weeks, the automated system says it 'cannot find his information in the system.' It's like his claim has vanished! Has anyone dealt with something similar? What should we do next? He's got rent due next week and is seriously starting to panic. Any advice would be incredibly appreciated!
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Good news - it sounds like this is a fixable issue based on what you've described. If the automated system "can't find him in the system," this typically means one of two things: 1. The claim has been temporarily suspended pending the interview (most likely) 2. There's been an identity verification flag placed on the account In either case, once you speak with a representative, they should be able to resolve it fairly quickly. Make sure your nephew has his claim number, SSN, and any correspondence from EDD (especially the interview notice) available when you call. The good news is that once resolved, any back payments for certified weeks should be processed. The key is getting through to someone who can help, which is admittedly the hardest part of dealing with EDD.
wait so if the EDD person doesnt call for the interview you still get backpay for those weeks? i thought you lose those weeks forever
No, you don't lose those weeks permanently. When a scheduled interview doesn't occur (regardless of why), your claim is put on hold until the issue is resolved. Once resolved, you can certify for those past weeks and receive payment, though there may be a delay depending on how long it takes to fix the issue. This is why it's important to take action quickly to get the claim back on track.
UPDATE: After trying for 3 days, we finally got through to EDD! Using the phone prompts that were suggested plus calling right at 8:01am did the trick. The representative confirmed that because the interviewer didn't call, the system automatically flagged his account for review, which is why he couldn't certify. She rescheduled his eligibility interview for next Tuesday and removed the block on his account. He should be able to certify for his past weeks once the interview is completed. Thank you all SO MUCH for your help and suggestions! This community is amazing. 🙏
That's great news! Make sure he's fully prepared for the interview with any documents they might ask for. Also, take notes during the call including the interviewer's name and ID number (they'll provide this). That way if there are any issues afterward, you have documentation of what was discussed and who you spoke with.
Thanks for the tip! I'll make sure he writes everything down and keeps detailed notes. Fingers crossed this interview actually happens this time!
Can't reach EDD on phone - claim filed Feb 25 still pending with no updates
I'm at my wits' end trying to reach someone at EDD about my husband's unemployment claim. He filed on February 25th (just over two weeks ago) and we've heard absolutely nothing back. The claim status just says 'pending' on UI Online with no explanation. We've tried calling the main number at least 20+ times over the past week at different times of day, but either get the 'we're experiencing high call volume' message or it just disconnects us after the automated menu. We desperately need to know if there's something wrong with the application or if we just need to wait longer. He was laid off from his construction management position after 6 years when the company lost a major contract. Is there a specific number or trick to actually speak with a real human? This limbo is making our anxiety skyrocket since our mortgage payment is coming up.
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Any luck with reaching someone? I'm curious if Claimyr worked for you if you decided to try it.
We actually tried the technical support number first (the 833 one someone mentioned) and got through after about 12 attempts! The rep couldn't directly help but transferred us to someone who could. Turns out there was a wage verification issue that needed to be sorted. Should be resolved within 3 business days according to the agent. Such a relief to finally know what's happening!
FireflyDreams
So happy it worked for you! Fingers crossed your payment processes quickly. Mine took about 16 hours to go from pending to paid.
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Emma Anderson
I'm confused about something... I just got into the system but it's asking me about "employment search" requirements but I thought I was exempt because I'm on a temporary layoff with a return date? Do I still need to list 3 job contacts with the new system or does the temporary layoff exemption still apply? I don't want to mess this up and get disqualified when I'm supposed to go back to work in 3 weeks. The instructions are so unclear!!
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Malik Thompson
If you have a definite return-to-work date within 8 weeks of your layoff, you should select "Yes" when asked if you're exempt from work search requirements. The next screen will ask for the reason - select "I am temporarily laid off with a definite return date" and enter your expected return date. The new system requires you to provide this information each certification period, unlike the old system which carried over your exemption status. This is one of the "improvements" in the upgrade that's causing confusion.
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