This entire thread has been absolutely amazing - thank you to everyone who shared their detailed experiences! As a substitute teacher who's been stressing about summer unemployment eligibility, reading through all these real-world examples has been incredibly reassuring and informative. What I find most valuable is how everyone emphasized the importance of framing our situation correctly - we're truly "on-call" employees with zero guaranteed hours, which is fundamentally different from regular teachers who have contracts. The distinction between getting generic district communications versus having actual "reasonable assurance" is so crucial to understand. I'm also impressed by how thorough everyone's been about documentation strategies - from tracking irregular work patterns to getting HR letters confirming on-call status to keeping availability logs. It's clear that being well-prepared with concrete evidence makes a huge difference in the EDD process. For anyone else still reading this thread who's hesitant about applying: the collective wisdom here shows that substitute teachers absolutely CAN and DO qualify for unemployment benefits during summer breaks. Yes, it may require some persistence and good documentation, but we deserve the same protections as other workers whose employment becomes seasonally unavailable. This community support is exactly what the substitute teaching profession needs - we understand each other's unique challenges in ways that EDD reps often don't. Thank you all for creating such a comprehensive resource!

Just wanted to share my recent experience as a substitute teacher in Kern County who successfully got approved for EDD benefits during our winter break, which gives me confidence for applying again this summer. The key thing that made the difference for me was being incredibly specific about the day-to-day nature of substitute work during my phone interview. I explained that unlike regular teachers who have employment contracts guaranteeing a specific salary and work schedule, substitutes are literally called the night before or morning of to see if we're needed. Some weeks I worked 5 days, other weeks zero - there's absolutely no way to predict or plan around it. When the EDD rep asked about "reasonable assurance," I said: "The district keeps me on their substitute list, but that's just permission to be called if needed. It doesn't guarantee any specific number of days, hours, or income. My work depends entirely on which teachers call in sick on any given day." I also made sure to emphasize that I was actively seeking ALL types of employment during the break period, not just waiting for substitute calls. This seemed really important to them. One documentation tip: I printed out my substitute portal screen showing my "availability calendar" where I marked myself available but got no calls. This visual proof of being ready to work but having no opportunities really strengthened my case. The whole process took about 3 weeks from application to first payment, and it was honestly a huge relief to have that income during the break. Don't let anyone discourage you from applying - we deserve the same unemployment protections as any other worker whose job becomes seasonally unavailable!

This whole thread has been so helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation but with a different twist - I received my final paycheck AND a small bonus during the same certification week. From reading all the explanations here, it sounds like I need to report the total amount of both payments together for that week, which will probably zero out my benefits for that period. The "when you receive it vs when you earned it" rule really is the key thing to understand. I'm glad you figured out what happened with your commission payment! It's frustrating when you're budgeting for a certain amount and then get less, but at least now we both know the system is working correctly. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical info that new claimants need to know!

I just went through the exact same thing last month! Got my first payment and was so confused why it wasn't two separate deposits. Like everyone else has explained, EDD combines your certified weeks into one payment, but the amount should still equal your total benefits for all certified weeks (minus any deductions). The commission payment situation makes perfect sense now that I understand the "when you receive it" rule - I had a similar issue with a final expense reimbursement that I didn't think would count. It's so counterintuitive! The Payment Activity section in UI Online really is your best friend for understanding exactly what happened with each week. Going forward, I started keeping a simple note in my phone of any money coming in during certification periods so I can predict my benefit amounts better. Don't feel bad about the budgeting mishap - most of us have been there when we were new to the system!

I went through this exact situation in January. I kept certifying while my appeal was pending, and I'm glad I did. Once my appeal was approved (turned out they were missing wages from one employer), I received all back payments for the weeks I had certified. The key is to make sure you're certifying truthfully and keeping records of everything. The appeal process took about 5 weeks for me, but I know it varies. Good luck!

I'm dealing with something similar right now! Got denied 2 weeks ago but still getting those certification emails. Reading through all these responses is super helpful - sounds like the consensus is to definitely keep certifying while appealing. I didn't realize that missing employer wage records could be such a common issue. @Mateo definitely gather all your pay stubs and W-2s from that base period before you appeal. Also wanted to add that if you worked for any small businesses or did any gig work during your base period, those wages might not have been reported properly to EDD. Worth double-checking everything!

I just want to echo what everyone else has said - this is definitely a normal issue with EDD's processing system! I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago and it was so confusing. I mailed my certification, got the receipt confirmation, but then kept seeing those weeks show up online for certification. The hardest part is just sitting on your hands and waiting when you desperately need that payment to come through. But trust me, certifying online after you've already mailed it will only create more problems and delays. I learned that the hard way from reading about other people's experiences. One thing that helped me during the waiting period was remembering that getting the delivery confirmation means EDD definitely has your paperwork - it's just sitting in their processing queue. Their paper and online systems really don't communicate well, but your certification will eventually get entered and the online prompt will disappear. You're doing everything right by asking here first instead of panicking. The waiting is brutal but it's so much better than dealing with the mess that double certification can create!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! I mailed my certification form last Thursday and got the delivery confirmation on Saturday, but when I checked UI Online this morning, it's still showing those same weeks as needing certification online. I was honestly starting to panic thinking maybe my form got lost or something went wrong, but reading everyone's experiences here has really helped me understand this is just how EDD's systems work (or don't work together). It's so reassuring to know this is a common issue and not something I did wrong. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here and wait it out - no matter how tempting it is to just certify online when I see that prompt. The idea of creating duplicate certification problems and delaying my payment even more is terrifying! I'll give it at least 10 business days from when they confirmed receipt before considering any other action. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and experiences - it really helps to know what to expect during this waiting period. This community is amazing for helping navigate EDD's confusing processes!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! My benefits just exhausted last week and I was totally panicking about having to wait until my benefit year ends in September. Reading through all these responses has been such a huge relief - I had no idea there was potentially an exception for people who worked during their benefit year. I did some tutoring work and odd jobs during my claim period and earned about $3,400 total. Based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like if I earned over that $1,300 threshold in any single quarter, I might be able to file a new claim right away instead of waiting 6+ months. That would be life-changing! The consistent advice about using Claimyr to actually get through to EDD and asking specifically about "lag quarter" wages seems like the key strategy that actually works. I've been avoiding calling EDD because their phone system is notoriously impossible, but seeing all these success stories gives me hope it's worth trying. This thread has honestly been such a lifesaver for understanding rules that should be straightforward but EDD makes so confusing! It's amazing how much insider knowledge you need just to access basic information about your own benefits. Going to organize all my earnings by quarter this weekend and call first thing Monday using Claimyr. Really hoping my tutoring payments were timed in a way that hits that threshold. Thanks to everyone who's shared their real experiences - you've given those of us just starting this stressful process so much hope and practical guidance! 🙏

Just wanted to add my experience to this incredibly helpful thread! I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago - benefits exhausted in July but my benefit year didn't end until December. I was absolutely panicking about the 5-month gap with no income. I had worked part-time at a local coffee shop during my benefit year and earned about $4,100 total over roughly 3 months. Like many of you, I had no idea about the exception rules until I found discussions like this one online. The EDD website is completely useless for explaining when you might actually qualify! Here's what happened when I called: I used a service similar to Claimyr to get through (took about 20 minutes instead of hours of busy signals), had all my quarterly earnings organized, and specifically asked about "lag quarter" wages like others mentioned. The rep confirmed that since I had earned over $2,000 in one quarter, I qualified for a new claim immediately. The process was actually pretty straightforward once I reached someone who knew the rules. Filed the new claim that same day and started receiving benefits again within 2 weeks. My weekly amount was lower than my original claim (based on the coffee shop wages), but getting $180/week was way better than waiting until December with nothing! For everyone calling this week - you're on the right track! Having your quarterly breakdown ready and asking about "lag quarter" wages specifically seems to make all the difference. Don't let them brush you off if the first rep doesn't seem familiar with the exception rules. Good luck! 🙏