California EDD unemployment appeal reversed - when do I actually get paid?

I did keep certifying through the whole appeal process because someone on here told me to. So all 16 weeks should be in the system. But 4-8 MORE weeks of waiting after already waiting 4 months is brutal.

yeah you definitely did the right thing keeping up with certifications. a lot of people stop and then have to fight even harder to get those weeks back open

This is accurate. The CUIAB sends the remand order to EDD and then EDD processes it through their system. It does not happen overnight. I work adjacent to this industry and the 4-8 week estimate is pretty standard for straightforward reversals.

Oh that's a good tip about the message inbox. I've only been watching the main status. Going to check that right now.

same happened to my cousin, they had a pending issue on like week 3 of her back payments and it held up everything. she had no idea for weeks

The UI Online inbox is seriously the most important thing to check and EDD barely tells anyone about it. I missed a notice in there once and it delayed my whole claim by almost a month.

I literally cannot get anyone on the phone. Going to look into this because I need answers and my UI Online account is just sitting there with the old disqualification showing.

I've heard of claimyr, does it actually work for post-appeal payment questions specifically? Like will the rep actually know about the CUIAB order and be able to look that up?

Yes - the EDD rep I spoke with was able to pull up my appeal decision record directly and tell me the exact processing stage my back payment was in. It's just a regular EDD phone rep but you actually get through to one.

gonna bookmark this for when I need it, been trying to figure out how to talk to a real person at EDD for months

This is really helpful, thank you. So I might see the disqualification status change first and then separately get notified about the back pay? Or does it all come at once?

Usually the status change comes first then the payment processing follows. But EDD can sometimes issue a partial payment first too if some weeks are clear and one or two have questions attached. It varies.

I got a lump sum all at once when mine was reversed, everything came together. But that was about 2 years ago so things might process differently now

Mine took about 3.5 months from filing to decision. I was told timing varies a lot by region and the type of case. Good luck with yours, keep all your documentation organized.

3.5 months I would be thrilled with at this point. Did you have a phone hearing or in-person?

Phone hearing. It was actually less stressful than I expected. The judge was pretty straightforward and gave both sides time to present.

phone hearings are way more common now, you'll almost definitely get a phone hearing. make sure you have all your documents ready before the call

Great catch. My debit card actually expired in March. Just logged in and updated my payment info. Thank you!

This is such a common issue and people don't think about it. An expired card during a long appeal can add weeks of additional delay.

oh man I just realized my card is probably expired too and I'm in the middle of an appeal. going to check right now

I represented myself! I gathered all my documentation - termination letter, emails with my supervisor, my performance reviews, anything that showed my side of the story. The judge was fair and actually read everything I submitted in advance.

that's really encouraging. I've been told to get a lawyer but can't really afford one right now

There are legal aid organizations in California that help with unemployment appeals for free. Bay Area Legal Aid, Legal Aid Foundation of LA, and others depending on where you are. Worth looking up.

I didn't know that, thank you so much

Oh I hadn't even thought about taxes. Good thing you mentioned that. I was going to use all of it for rent arrears but I should probably set some aside.

This is accurate. Federal taxes apply to UI benefits. California doesn't tax them at the state level. If you didn't have withholding set up during your claim period you'll want to account for that federal portion.

Exactly - EDD will send you a 1099-G showing the total amount paid for the year. Worth checking if you need to adjust your withholding or set money aside.

I've been keeping up with job search activities the whole time, good. I actually started a temp job while waiting but it's part-time so I should still be eligible for partial benefits right?

Yes! If you're working part-time you report those earnings when you certify. EDD will calculate a partial benefit based on your wages for that week. The formula is they subtract a portion of your earnings from your weekly benefit amount. You definitely want to keep reporting rather than skip certifying because you're working.

part time earnings reporting is really important to get right. report exactly what you earned not what you'll earn or what you were scheduled for. and it's gross wages before any deductions

Good question. The first level is a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) - that's usually what people mean by 'appeal.' The CUIAB board panel review is a second level that happens if either party (you or EDD) requests reconsideration of the ALJ decision. If you won at the ALJ level and EDD requested reconsideration, that's your case going to the board panel. If you lost at the ALJ level you can request reconsideration yourself.

so EDD might be appealing MY appeal win?? is that what's happening to me??

It's possible. You should have gotten a notice explaining which party requested the board review and what's being reconsidered. Read it very carefully. If EDD is appealing your win you should consider responding formally to the board.

This is exactly why if you're going through reconsideration you really want to talk to someone - either legal aid or an EDD rep who can explain your specific situation. Don't just wait and hope.

The back payments for the weeks covered by your reversed disqualification do come from your total benefit balance. They aren't added on top - they were always technically owed to you, they just weren't paid out. So yes, they'll reduce your remaining available balance. This is worth factoring in if you're still unemployed.

that's what I was afraid of. so I might have less remaining than I thought. I need to look at my original award letter and do the math

To check your remaining balance you can log into UI Online and look at your claim details. It should show your maximum benefit amount and how much has been paid out once the back payments process.

I just looked at this. Going to try it because I really need to know what's happening with my 16 weeks of back pay. My UI Online still shows the old disqualification.

second recommendation for this now, maybe I'll finally try it. getting through to EDD by regular phone is basically impossible

did the EDD rep you talked to have any information about the CUIAB order specifically or just general claim status?

They could see that a reversal order had been received and what processing stage the payment was in. They couldn't change anything or speed it up but at least I knew it was moving and hadn't fallen through the cracks

Already scanned it and saved it in three places. I'm not taking any chances after going through all of this.

Smart. Also screenshot your UI Online account periodically showing the current status. It creates a dated record of what your account showed at different points.

this is great advice for everyone going through any EDD issue not just appeals

Trust me I feel this. I've been borrowing from family since February. It's embarrassing and stressful.

I really hope it comes through for you fast. You shouldn't have had to fight for it in the first place.

The system definitely has real problems but fwiw most reversal payments do eventually come through. Small comfort when you're drowning but it's not usually a situation where winning the appeal and then never getting paid happens

That's concerning that you got a partial payment and had to follow up separately. How did you do that - just call them?

Yes I called and it turned out two of the missing weeks had a small earnings amount I had reported and they needed clarification on the calculation, and the third week had a technical system note on it. All resolved eventually but it required a phone call.

This is why the phone contact thing is so important - UI Online is useful but it doesn't always show you the full picture of what's happening behind the scenes with individual weeks

Fastest I've personally heard of was about 3 weeks but that seems to be the exception not the rule. More commonly 5-7 weeks in my experience following these threads.

ugh ok. I guess I just have to sit with the uncertainty for now

If you're at three weeks and your UI Online account has already updated to remove the disqualification, that's actually a good sign. It means the first processing step is done and payment should follow. If the disqualification is still showing, you might want to try to reach EDD to confirm they received the CUIAB order.

A remand is different from a straight reversal. In a remand, the judge is sending the case back to EDD to reconsider or gather more information rather than just saying 'EDD was wrong, pay this person.' It does not automatically trigger payment - EDD will review the remanded issue and make a new determination. You could still win payment from that process but there's another step involved.

oh no. so it's not guaranteed. I thought I had won...

It's not a loss either though - a remand often comes out in the claimant's favor once EDD does the additional review. Watch your mail for a new determination from EDD on whatever issue was remanded. You'll have appeal rights on that determination too if you disagree.

Remands are actually pretty common and many do result in payment. Stay on top of checking your mail and UI Online inbox for the new EDD determination on the remanded issue.

Three people in this thread have mentioned this now. I'll try it this week.

I tried it a couple days ago and got through to an EDD rep who confirmed my reversal order was in their system and that my back pay was in the payment queue. No more staring at an unchanged UI Online screen wondering if my case just disappeared.

So glad it helped! The not knowing is honestly the worst part of the whole process.

From what I've seen and experienced it often comes as a lump sum but can also come in multiple transactions. If you have a Bank of America EDD debit card you'll see it as one or more deposits. If you have direct deposit to your bank it may appear slightly differently. Either way it should be documented in your UI Online payment history.

ok good to know, I'll just watch my bank account and UI Online simultaneously I guess

Mine came as a single transaction for the full back amount. But I've heard others got multiple deposits. Doesn't really matter how it comes as long as the total amount is right - that's why verifying against your expected weekly benefit amount times the number of weeks is important