Can I claim CA unemployment while living in Florida and doing substitute teaching?

Yes, you can collect CA unemployment while temporarily staying in another state, but there are some important things to know. Since your base period wages are from California employment, you're entitled to a CA claim even while physically in Florida. HOWEVER - you MUST report ALL earnings from substitute teaching during your bi-weekly certifications. This includes any day you work, even if it's just a few hours. If you don't report accurately, it could result in an overpayment or fraud investigation. Also, you need to remain able and available for full-time work and be actively seeking employment. Make sure you're completing your work search requirements each week, even while in Florida.

BE CAREFUL!!!! I did something similar last year when I went to Arizona during my off-season from my Tahoe resort job. EDD FROZE my account for SIX WEEKS while they did an "eligibility interview" because I was reporting out-of-state income!!! They eventually paid me but it was HORRIBLE waiting that long with NO MONEY coming in. They are SO CONFUSED by anything that doesn't fit their exact system!!!!

You're running into the classic part-time/variable income reporting issue with EDD. Here's what you need to do: 1. Yes, you can collect CA unemployment while temporarily in Florida (you're still considered a CA resident if you're just there temporarily) 2. For substitute teaching: You MUST report the exact hours and gross earnings for each week on your certification. Be precise. 3. When reporting variable income, use the "Comments" section on your certification to explain that you're doing substitute teaching with variable hours. This helps prevent flags. 4. If your claim does get held pending an eligibility interview, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an EDD rep quickly. They have a service that helps you skip the phone wait times. I used their video demo (https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km) to see how it works before trying. Got through to EDD in 25 minutes instead of days of redialing. 5. Make sure you're documenting all your work search activities while in Florida - apply for jobs online, keep records of applications.

cant u just not report the teaching stuff? its probably cash under the table anyway right? EDD never knows what ur doing in another state lol

I'm confused about something similar actually - does anyone know if california unemployment needs you to apply for jobs only in california? or can you apply anywhere? i want to move to oregon eventually but need my benefits while i look for work there

I've been dealing with this exact situation for 3 years now! I work construction in Northern California April-October, then spend winters in Arizona. Here's my process: 1. When you start your claim, make sure your MAILING address is still in California (use a trusted friend/family member if needed). This prevents automatic flagging. 2. For the substitute teaching, report ALL earnings correctly on certification. Under the details section, I specifically write: "TEMPORARY PART-TIME WORK, STILL SEEKING FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT IN PRIMARY FIELD." 3. When you certify each week, make sure you're answering YES to being able and available for work. This is important. 4. Keep detailed records of your work search activities - at least 3 job contacts per week. 5. If they do schedule an eligibility interview (which happened to me twice), be upfront about your situation - you're temporarily in Florida during your industry's off-season but will be returning to your regular California employment when the season starts again. This has worked for me without major issues. One time they flagged my account and held payments for about 10 days, but it was resolved during the phone interview.

my brother had his benifits stopped for 2 months when he went to nevada for a few weeks last year and did some work there the edd is so strict now its crazy

One more important thing to consider - when you're substitute teaching, make sure you report the exact hours and earnings for the specific weeks they fall in. Don't combine weeks or estimate. For example: - If you work 3 hours on Monday at $25/hr, report $75 for that week - If you work 6 hours the following Tuesday at $25/hr, report $150 for that week Incorrect reporting is what typically triggers the payment delays and eligibility interviews. Also, make sure you understand how Florida's substitute teaching payment system works - some districts pay weekly, others bi-weekly or monthly. Report the income in the week you EARNED it, not when you received the payment.