I'm currently in week 5 of waiting for my mailed unemployment application to be processed, and this thread has been such a lifesaver! Like many of you, I had to mail my application because the online system kept crashing during submission. The financial stress is definitely real - I've been rationing groceries and had to ask family for help with rent last week. Reading everyone's experiences here has helped me understand that 3-5+ weeks seems to be the norm for mail processing, which is both frustrating and reassuring. I tried the 8am calling strategy that several people mentioned and finally got through yesterday! The rep confirmed my application is in the system and should be processed within the next week or two. She also mentioned that there's currently about a 4-5 week backlog for mailed applications due to staffing issues and the high volume of people who can't complete online applications due to technical problems. For anyone still waiting - hang in there! The system is slow but it does work eventually, and knowing that benefits will be backdated helps ease some of the panic.

I'm in a similar situation - just mailed my application last week after the online system kept freezing during the identity verification step. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! It's frustrating that EDD's own technical issues are forcing so many of us into this slower mail process, but knowing that 3-5 weeks seems to be the standard timeline helps set realistic expectations. @Alice Pierce I'm sorry you're dealing with financial stress while waiting - that's exactly what I'm worried about as my savings dwindle. But it's encouraging that you got confirmation your application is in the system! I'm definitely going to try the 8am calling strategy once I hit the 3-week mark. Thank you to everyone who has shared their timelines and advice - this community has been a lifesaver for understanding what's actually normal vs. what to worry about. The fact that benefits get backdated is such a relief to know!

This thread is absolutely incredible and should honestly be pinned as a resource for everyone dealing with EDD! I've been unemployed for 5 months now and thought I knew the system pretty well, but reading about quarterly reviews and employer contests has completely opened my eyes. @CosmicCaptain I'm so glad you got everything sorted out - the stress of potentially missing rent because of EDD's failures is something no one should have to deal with. What really gets me is how your employer contested a mass layoff just to protect their insurance rates. It's like the system is designed to squeeze people when they're already down. I've bookmarked the Claimyr recommendation along with all the other tips shared here. The fact that we need third-party services just to talk to our own government agency is beyond ridiculous, but I'm grateful solutions exist. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - you've created an amazing resource that's going to help so many people navigate EDD's broken system. This is what real community support looks like!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation where my certifications suddenly disappeared last week, and reading everyone's experiences has been both reassuring and educational. The quarterly review explanation makes so much sense - I had no idea this was even a thing, and of course EDD doesn't bother to inform us about it. @CosmicCaptain I'm so relieved you got everything resolved! The fact that your employer contested a clear mass layoff is infuriating but unfortunately typical. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service since I've been trying to get through to EDD for days with no luck. It's absolutely shameful that we need third-party services just to access our own benefits, but I'm grateful people like you share these solutions. This community knowledge has probably saved me weeks of stress and panic. Thank you everyone for creating such a comprehensive resource - this should definitely be required reading for anyone filing for unemployment in California!

This whole thread has been so eye-opening! I'm actually still in the process of filing my initial claim (just submitted it two days ago) and had no idea about this waiting period thing. I was already planning my budget around getting paid for that first week, so I'm really glad I stumbled across this discussion before I certified and got confused or panicked. It definitely seems like EDD could do a much better job explaining this upfront - maybe even during the application process itself. I mean, when you're already stressed about losing your job and worried about finances, the last thing you need is surprise confusion about why you're not getting paid for a week you thought you'd be covered for. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and explain how this works. This community is honestly more helpful than the actual EDD resources!

I'm going through this exact situation right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! I filed my claim two weeks ago and just got my first certification results back. Seeing "waiting period served" with no payment for that first week had me questioning everything - I thought maybe I filled something out wrong or that there was an issue with my application. It's such a relief to know this is completely standard and happens to everyone. I really wish EDD would just add a simple note during the filing process that says something like "Note: Your first week will serve as an unpaid waiting period as required by state law." Would save so many people from unnecessary stress! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - this community is way more helpful than trying to navigate the official EDD website or spending hours on hold trying to reach someone by phone.

Congratulations on the new job! 🎉 I went through this exact situation about a year ago and can confirm what others have said - you definitely need to keep doing work search activities until you actually start working, even with a signed offer letter. What helped me was treating it as prep time for my new role. I did activities like "researched marketing industry best practices," "reviewed Adobe Creative Suite tutorials for upcoming position," and "studied competitor analysis techniques." EDD accepted all of these, and they actually made me feel more prepared when I started! For the reporting side, don't mention the job offer on your certifications until you're actually working and earning money. When you certify for the week containing your first day of work, that's when you'll answer "yes" to the work question and report your gross earnings for just that week. One thing I wish someone had told me - take screenshots of your work search activities as you do them! I kept a simple notes app on my phone where I'd jot down "Date: 3/15, Activity: Researched email marketing trends on HubSpot blog, Duration: 30 mins" right after doing each one. Made certification much easier. Also, definitely keep that offer letter and any other paperwork handy. The whole process feels unnecessarily complicated, but following the rules exactly will save you headaches later. Good luck with the marketing position - sounds like an awesome opportunity!

Congrats on the new marketing job! 🎉 I just want to echo what everyone else has said and add one more practical tip that really helped me when I was in the same boat last year. Since you mentioned it's a marketing position, you can absolutely turn your required work search activities into valuable prep work. I did things like "researched Google Ads certification requirements," "studied marketing analytics dashboards," and "reviewed content marketing strategies on industry blogs." EDD counted all of these as legitimate work search activities, and they genuinely helped me perform better in my new role. I'd also recommend setting up a recurring calendar reminder to do your 3 work searches on the same day each week - I used Sunday mornings with coffee. Having a routine made it feel less like a chore and more like professional development time. Just remember: keep certifying normally, keep doing work search until you actually start working, and only report income when you're actually earning it. Save all your documentation (offer letter, work search logs, etc.) and you'll be golden. The rules seem annoying but they're pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. Best of luck with the transition - marketing is such an exciting field and June will be here before you know it! 🚀

I'm just joining this community and this discussion couldn't have come at a better time! I'm 63 and started receiving Social Security retirement benefits about 6 weeks ago while still collecting unemployment. I've been absolutely agonizing over whether I need to report it during my weekly certifications. I've been answering "no" to the income questions but second-guessing myself constantly, especially after reading some conflicting information online. The fear of getting an overpayment notice has been keeping me awious at night - I keep imagining having to pay back thousands of dollars I don't have. This thread has been such a relief! The clear explanations about how Social Security retirement benefits are treated differently from employer pensions or work income finally makes sense. I had no idea there was such an important distinction. I tried calling EDD several times but gave up after waiting on hold for hours without getting through. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and knowledge - this community is invaluable for navigating these confusing government systems. It's so reassuring to know that multiple people have been successfully certifying without reporting SS retirement benefits. I can finally move forward with confidence!

I'm so grateful to have found this community and this thread! I just turned 62 and started collecting Social Security retirement benefits two weeks ago while still on unemployment. I've been completely overwhelmed trying to figure out if I need to report this income when certifying for EDD benefits. I actually postponed my certification this week because I was so confused and scared of making a mistake. The EDD website and forms aren't exactly clear about the distinction between different types of income, and I kept reading conflicting information online that made me even more anxious. Reading through all of your experiences and explanations has been such a huge relief! I had no idea that Social Security retirement benefits are treated differently from employer pensions or work income by EDD. The way you all broke down the differences finally makes it all click for me. I tried calling EDD multiple times over the past two weeks but could never get through - the wait times are absolutely insane. Having this community where people share their real experiences is honestly more valuable than anything on the official EDD resources. Thank you all for taking the time to help newcomers like me understand this process. Now I can move forward with my certifications confidently, knowing that I don't need to report my Social Security retirement benefits. This thread has literally saved me weeks of stress and worry!