Can I collect EDD benefits while receiving my CalSTRS pension?

my neighbor went thru this exact thing! she was gettin her teacher pension and then worked at target for like 2 years. when they let her go she got unemployment but it was WAY less than what her coworkers got. somethin about 'pension offset' reducing her weekly amount

Yes, you can receive both unemployment benefits and your pension, but California does have a pension offset provision. According to EDD regulations, if you're receiving a pension from an employer that's in your base period for unemployment, your weekly benefit amount may be reduced. The specific reduction depends on how much you contributed to your pension. Since CalSTRS is a contributory pension (you paid into it), only the employer portion would be used to reduce your benefits. The calculation can be complex, as they prorate based on your years of service. I recommend you apply anyway - you're definitely eligible since you were laid off from a job where you paid into UI. Just be prepared for a reduced benefit amount. When you certify, make sure to report your pension income when asked about other income.

THEY WILL DEFINITELY REDUCE YOUR BENEFITS!!!! The EDD system is designed to screw over retirees who try to work. I was a state employee (not teacher) and when I got laid off from my post-retirement job, they cut my unemployment by 65%!!! It's a total ripoff considering I PAID INTO THE SYSTEM just like everyone else at my company. Why should I get less???

I was in a similar situation back in 2023. I retired from LAUSD, then worked for a private tutoring company for about 18 months before being laid off. Here's what happened with my claim: 1. I applied online through UI Online and disclosed my CalSTRS pension 2. EDD scheduled a phone interview to discuss my pension details 3. I waited 3 weeks for the interview but they never called! 4. I tried calling EDD myself but couldn't get through (kept getting the "too many callers" message) 5. Finally I used Claimyr.com to connect with an EDD rep (they have a service that calls for you and connects you when an agent is available - saved me days of redial frustration). You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km 6. The EDD rep explained that since my pension was from a different employer than the one who laid me off, and since that previous employer wasn't in my base period, there was NO reduction to my benefits! So the good news is you might get full benefits depending on your specific situation. I'd recommend applying and then getting clarification from an actual EDD rep about your specific case.

Just apply and see what happens lol. worst they can say is no. my uncle got his full unemployment even with his pension but that was like 10 years ago so maybe rules changed idk

I think you need to clarify something important here - was the marketing company where you worked aware that you were receiving a pension? Because if they weren't, and you didn't disclose it when you were hired, you could potentially have issues with your claim. EDD sometimes crosschecks this information. Also, were you working full-time or part-time at the marketing company? That can affect your benefit calculation too. The more hours/wages you had at the marketing job, the less your pension might impact your unemployment benefits.

To add some clarity here - the pension offset rule in California applies primarily when: 1. You're receiving a pension from an employer who paid wages during your base period (the 12-month period EDD uses to calculate your benefits) 2. The pension amount will only reduce your UI benefits if the employer who is paying your pension also paid wages that were used to establish your UI claim Since you worked at the marketing company for 13 months and that's likely your only employer in your base period, your CalSTRS pension might not reduce your benefits at all. Apply anyway, be honest about your pension, and EDD will make the determination. If they do apply a reduction, they'll explain the calculation in your award letter. You can also appeal if you believe they calculated incorrectly. One more thing - make sure to carefully answer the pension question during your application. You'll need to provide details about when you started receiving your pension and the monthly amount.

I know this isn't exactly the same, but my sister receives SSDI and worked part-time for a while, then got laid off. She was able to collect unemployment but it was reduced. I think any type of retirement or disability income can affect UI benefits. Best of luck!

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I'm going to go ahead and apply. From what I understand, since I only worked at the marketing company and it's been over a year, my base period should only include them and not my teaching job. I'll make sure to honestly report my pension and see what happens. I've already tried calling EDD twice with no luck getting through. If I can't reach them after a few more tries, I'll look into that Claimyr service that someone mentioned. I'll update this thread once I know more about my claim in case it helps other retired teachers in similar situations!

I went through something very similar last year! I'm also a retired teacher with CalSTRS pension who worked at a retail job for about 14 months before getting laid off. Here's what happened with my claim: When I applied, EDD initially flagged my pension and put my claim on hold for review. After about 3 weeks, they determined that since my teaching job wasn't in my base period (only my retail job wages counted), there was NO pension offset applied to my benefits. I received the full unemployment amount based on my retail wages. The key seems to be timing - if your teaching job isn't part of the 12-month base period they use to calculate benefits, then your CalSTRS pension shouldn't reduce your UI. Since you worked 13 months at the marketing company, you're probably in good shape. One tip: when you apply, be very clear about the dates you worked at each job and when you started receiving your pension. This helped EDD make the correct determination in my case. Don't let the conflicting information here discourage you - every situation is different and yours sounds promising!

I'm a retired teacher who went through this exact situation about 6 months ago! I collected my CalSTRS pension for 2 years, then worked at a nonprofit for 15 months before being laid off. When I applied for unemployment, I was really worried about the pension offset everyone talks about. But here's what actually happened: EDD reviewed my case and determined that since my teaching employment wasn't in my base period (they only looked at my nonprofit wages from the past 12 months), my CalSTRS pension did NOT reduce my unemployment benefits at all. The key is that the pension offset only applies when the employer paying your pension also paid wages during your base period. Since you retired from teaching before your marketing job and only worked at the marketing company for 13 months, your base period should only include the marketing company wages - not your teaching wages from years ago. My advice: definitely apply! Be completely honest about your pension when they ask, but don't assume it will automatically reduce your benefits. The EDD rep I spoke with said this is actually pretty common with retired teachers who return to work in different fields. You'll likely get full benefits based on your marketing company wages. The application process was straightforward once I got through - just make sure to report your pension income when you certify every two weeks. Good luck!

I'm currently in a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a retired CalSTRS teacher who worked at a private company for 16 months before getting laid off last month. Like many of you mentioned, I was really confused about whether my pension would affect my unemployment benefits. Based on all the experiences shared here, it sounds like the key factor is whether your teaching job is included in your base period or not. Since I worked at the private company for over a year, my base period should only include those wages, not my old teaching salary. I just submitted my application yesterday and made sure to be completely transparent about my CalSTRS pension and the exact dates of all my employment. Fingers crossed I'll have a similar positive outcome like @Nia Davis and @Peyton Clarke! For anyone else in this boat - it seems like applying is definitely worth it, especially if you worked at your post-retirement job for over a year. The worst they can say is no, but based on these experiences, there's a good chance you'll get full benefits if your teaching job isn't in your base period. I'll try to update once I hear back from EDD in case it helps other retired teachers navigating this confusing process!

This thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm also a retired teacher with CalSTRS pension who just got laid off from a marketing job after 14 months. I was really worried about applying for unemployment because I kept reading conflicting information about pension offsets. But after reading everyone's experiences here, especially @Nia Davis, @Peyton Clarke, and @Cassandra Moon who had such similar situations, I'm feeling much more confident about applying. It sounds like the key is that my teaching job won't be in my base period since I've been at the marketing company for over a year. I'm going to apply online today and be completely honest about my CalSTRS pension like everyone suggested. If I can't get through to EDD by phone for clarification, I might try that Claimyr service @Paolo Longo mentioned. Thanks to everyone for sharing your real experiences - it's so much more helpful than trying to decipher the confusing EDD website! I'll definitely update with my results in case it helps other retired teachers in the same boat.

As someone who works in HR and deals with unemployment claims regularly, I wanted to add some clarity to this discussion. The experiences shared here are really valuable, and it's great to see so many retired teachers getting the benefits they deserve! The key principle everyone is touching on is correct - California's pension offset only applies when the employer paying your pension also contributed wages during your base period (typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed). Since most of you worked at your post-retirement jobs for 12+ months, your teaching employment likely falls outside this base period. However, I'd recommend everyone keep detailed records of their pension amounts and employment dates just in case EDD requests additional documentation during their review process. Also, when you certify for benefits, make sure you're reporting your gross pension amount (before any deductions) in the "other income" section to avoid any overpayment issues down the road. The fact that so many people in this thread had positive outcomes suggests that EDD is correctly applying the base period rules for retired teachers. Definitely apply if you're eligible - you paid into the system and deserve those benefits!

I'm a retired teacher who just stumbled across this thread while researching my own situation - this is incredibly helpful! I've been receiving my CalSTRS pension for about 18 months and just got laid off from a part-time administrative job I'd been working for 14 months. I was really hesitant to apply for unemployment because I assumed my pension would either disqualify me or severely reduce my benefits. Reading all these success stories from other retired teachers in nearly identical situations has given me the confidence to move forward with my application. It sounds like the key factor is that my teaching job won't be included in the base period since I've been working the admin job for over a year. I'm going to apply online this week and make sure to be completely transparent about my CalSTRS pension and employment timeline. If I run into any issues getting through to EDD, I'll definitely look into that Claimyr service that was mentioned. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real experiences - it's so much more valuable than trying to navigate the confusing official resources alone!