Can I quit my job due to depression and collect unemployment? California EDD question

Wait, the leave of absence thing - does that mean if I didn't ask for one before quitting, I automatically get denied? That's making me really anxious right now.

Not automatically, from what the agent explained about my own case. EDD looks at the whole picture of what you tried before leaving. Asking for a leave is one of the things the interviewer might bring up, but whether your reason for quitting counts as good cause is what EDD decides after hearing your side and your former employer's side.

The leave of absence piece is real and worth taking seriously. If you're still employed right now, talking to HR about FMLA or a medical leave before you give notice could genuinely change how EDD looks at your situation. Worth at least having that conversation first.

this is the part people miss, there's a difference between having depression and proving work CAUSED it or made it worse enough that staying was impossible, your doctor linking it directly to the work environment like OP mentioned actually sounds like it could be important

My doctor's notes literally say 'work environment is the primary contributing factor to patient's depressive episodes.' Would that kind of language help at the interview?

That language is specific and medical, which is better than vague notes. Bring everything - the doctor's letter, any therapist notes, anything dated showing how long this has been going on. EDD can't promise you anything through the interview but documented medical evidence of a work-caused condition is what gives a medical quit claim the best chance.

just want to add that i went through an adjudication for a quit last year and having dated documentation made a huge difference in how the interviewer approached my case, the timeline matters

How long does adjudication usually take after the interview? Like worst case scenario?

Honestly I've seen people say anywhere from two weeks to two months in this forum depending on how complicated the case is. EDD doesn't publish a timeline for it. The Notice of Determination just shows up in the mail when it's done.

mine took almost six weeks after the interview and i was losing my mind the whole time, keep certifying every two weeks the whole time you're waiting even if everything says pending

Oh wow I hadn't even thought about this. So if I quit AND my depression makes me unable to work, I should file for Disability Insurance instead of unemployment?

EDD has both programs for a reason. If your doctor would say you're medically unable to work right now, SDI is worth looking at - you file no earlier than 9 days after the disability begins and you file through SDI Online. If you're able to work and just need to leave this particular job for your health, that's more of a UI situation. The honest answer is talk to your doctor about which description fits your actual condition right now.

This is a really important distinction that gets missed in these threads. The two programs serve different situations and mixing them up can cause real headaches with EDD later.

Did you end up getting approved or denied? If you don't mind me asking.

Got denied the first time, appealed it, and the appeal went to a hearing in front of an administrative law judge. Won the appeal. The whole thing took months. I'm not saying that to scare you, I'm saying document EVERYTHING and don't give up if the first decision goes against you.

the appeals process is real and people do win them, the initial denial is not the end of the road which is something worth knowing going in

So I should start certifying immediately after I apply, even before EDD makes any decision?

Yes, start the moment EDD says to. Your first certification usually covers the waiting week plus one paid week. After that you certify every two weeks on the schedule they give you. Don't skip a cycle waiting for the pending status to clear.

seconding this hard, i made the mistake of not certifying for two weeks thinking i should wait until things were resolved and i lost those weeks, the system does not go back and pay them

This is probably the most practically useful thing in this whole thread, thank you.

I'm still employed right now. Would going to HR and asking for a leave, even if they approve it, hurt my unemployment claim if I end up quitting anyway later?

Not straightforwardly, no. If you take a leave and your employer honors it and your condition improves, that's the best outcome. If you take a leave, your condition doesn't improve, and you eventually separate because you medically can't return to that environment, that's actually a stronger quit narrative for EDD than just quitting cold. The documentation trail it creates helps.

HR told my partner to apply for FMLA when she was going through something similar and it bought her time to figure out next steps without just quitting abruptly, worth at least asking what your options are

For the reason I left, do I say 'personal reasons' or specifically say depression/mental health? I'm worried about how it looks.

Be honest and specific. 'Medical reasons related to my work environment, documented by my physician' is both accurate and clear. EDD is going to find out the full story at the phone interview anyway, and vague answers on the application don't help your case.

Yeah be straightforward, I tried to soften my quit reason on the application and then had to explain the full story at the interview anyway, consistency between what you wrote and what you say matters

$450 maximum seems really low if someone's been earning decent money. Is that actually the cap?

Yeah $450 is the weekly max in California regardless of what you were making. If you were earning well above that, the replacement rate is going to feel pretty low. Worth knowing before you plan around it.

the $450 ceiling hits a lot of people hard, factor that into your savings runway when you decide on timing

The fact that your employer contested it and you still got approved is really reassuring. Can I ask how long from application to that determination?

Application to determination was about nine weeks total. Interview was around week four after I applied. Then five more weeks of pending before the notice came.

Nine weeks of no income is brutal to plan around. Hopefully OP has some savings buffer or the SDI option the other commenter mentioned works out better timeline-wise.

Is there any exception to the CalJOBS requirement if you're dealing with a medical condition?

EDD decides whether you're exempt - the notice itself will say if you don't need to register. If it says you do, you do, medical situation or not. Don't assume you're exempt.

EDD tells you in writing if you're exempt from CalJOBS. If you don't get a notice saying you're exempt, treat the 21 days on the DE 8405 as a hard deadline.

If I appeal and lose at the judge level, is there anywhere to go after that?

There's a second-level appeal to the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board (CUIAB) after the judge's decision. So there are multiple rungs if you need them.

Going through that whole process is genuinely exhausting but knowing the structure exists helped me stay focused during mine. The appeal form is straightforward, the hardest part is just waiting.

I have about two weeks of accrued vacation I haven't taken. Do I need to report that if they pay it out?

Yes, report it when you certify for the week it covers. EDD handles the math on what it does to that week's payment.

vacation payout caught me by surprise on my first certification too, just be honest about it and EDD handles the rest

That's actually really helpful to hear. I've been dreading that call.

Have your dates, your doctor's name, and a rough timeline of when things got bad written down before the interview. That's really all you need. Answer what they ask, don't oversell, don't leave things out.

having notes in front of you is the move, i stumbled over dates during mine and had to ask the interviewer to repeat the question which felt awkward, prep matters

How specific can you get with the agent when you reach them? Like can they actually tell you details about your specific case?

Yes, they can see your actual claim file. The agent I talked to told me specific weeks and statuses. Way more useful than staring at the Pending screen in UI Online.

the live chat through the Help button in UI Online also works for some questions, 9am to 2pm weekdays, worth trying that too depending on what you need

Wait, so I have to be actively looking for work WHILE my depression is making it hard to function? That feels contradictory.

This is actually where the SDI vs. UI question becomes really important for your situation. UI requires you to certify every two weeks that you were able to work, available for work, and looking for work. If depression is genuinely preventing you from doing those things, that could be a problem with UI claims. If you're medically unable to work, SDI is designed for that.

Exactly right. Certifying that you were able and available when you weren't creates problems. Be honest on every certification - that's not just an EDD rule, it protects you from overpayment issues later.

Good to know about the 10% withholding option. Is that enough to cover what I'd owe or should I set aside more?

10% flat withholding might not match your actual tax bracket. If you were earning well and your bracket is higher, you might owe some at filing even with withholding. Talk to a tax person if you're unsure.

the federal-yes state-no tax situation on UI benefits catches californians off guard constantly, glad someone put this in the thread

Oh I definitely would have made that mistake. So getting that notice doesn't mean I'm actually getting paid?

Correct. It just tells you what the weekly amount would be if you qualify. Actual payment starts after you've certified, the interview is complete, and EDD decides you're eligible.

This comes up constantly in this forum and it's worth repeating. The DE 429Z is not an approval. So many people assume they're good after getting it and then are blindsided when adjudication goes against them.

I'm going to do this before I give notice. Even just an email to HR saying I'm struggling and asking what options exist. Would that actually help?

Dated written communication asking about medical accommodation or leave options, before you quit, shows the effort. Keep a copy. If HR responds in writing, keep that too.

This is genuinely good advice. The question EDD is really asking is: did you try to solve the problem without quitting? Written documentation that you tried is way stronger than your word alone that you asked verbally.

I sent a written accommodation request to my employer before resigning and my attorney said later it was one of the most important things I did for my claim, whatever you do get it in writing

I hadn't even thought about CalFresh. During the gap before EDD pays anything, is that something worth looking into?

Absolutely worth looking into, especially during adjudication when you don't know how long pending will last. The county handles the CalFresh determination separately from EDD, and they look at your actual current income situation.

211 is also worth calling during that gap, they can connect you to local resources in your specific county that you might not find otherwise

30 days from the mailing date on the notice - I'll write that down. That's the kind of specific thing I'd definitely lose track of in a stressful moment.

The mailing date vs. received date confusion is super common. 30 days from the date printed on the notice, full stop. Mail the appeal or get it in by that date.

Filing the appeal as soon as you read the denial is the move. Don't wait until day 28 trying to gather more documents - you can submit additional material later, just get the form in the door.