Can you collect unemployment and Social Security at the same time in California?

Oh wow that is such a relief to hear. So I won't get an overpayment notice later? I reported the Social Security income when I filed so EDD has that information already.

wait really?? i always thought SS reduced your unemployment. good to know for when my dad eventually gets laid off hes been on SS for 2 years

Yes correct - because you disclosed it when filing, EDD already factored that into their records. Since California eliminated the offset, it won't reduce your WBA. You're fine.

The job search requirement - does that apply even though I'm 64? I wasn't sure if there were any exemptions for older workers.

Unfortunately no automatic age exemption for job search requirements in California UI. You need to complete 3 work search activities per week and log them. That said, activities can include things beyond just submitting applications - attending job fairs, setting up a CalJOBS profile, networking, etc. And if you're on approved standby status from your former employer, you'd be exempt but that's a separate situation.

the job search thing trips so many people up. my uncle got disqualified because he didnt know he had to do 3 contacts a week while on SS + unemployment

Thank you for sharing this. I've been trying to call EDD for 3 days and can't get through. Will look into that Claimyr service.

claimyr actually works?? i've been trying to reach EDD for a week about a different issue

Yeah it genuinely worked for me. I was super skeptical but I was desperate at that point. Got a callback within a couple hours.

bookmarking this for when i inevitably need it lol edd phone lines are the worst

The rep was wrong or you may have misunderstood. California eliminated the Social Security offset decades ago - it has not reduced UI benefits in this state for a very long time. You might be thinking of disability insurance (SDI) which has different rules, or possibly SSDI (disability) vs. retirement which are handled differently.

ohhhh maybe it was about SSDI not regular retirement SS. that makes more sense. thanks for clarifying

Yes this is a really common confusion point. SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) and retirement benefits are completely different programs with different interactions with UI. Worth knowing the distinction.

This is really helpful context. So even if I do some part time work while collecting, as long as I report it I should be okay?

Exactly. Part time earnings get reported on your weekly certification. EDD has a partial benefit formula - if you earn less than your WBA in a given week you'll still get some UI payment. The formula is roughly: any earnings over 25% of your WBA get deducted dollar for dollar. So it's still worth working part time, you won't lose everything.

Got it! That part time earnings formula is good to know. Might look for some temp work while I job search.

Oh no - I've been certifying every two weeks. You think I'm okay? I haven't missed any certification periods.

if you haven't missed any you're totally fine! my mom lost like $900 worth of benefits because she was too scared to certify. definitely keep doing what you're doing

this is such good advice. people freeze up out of fear and then lose money they were entitled to

Yes I'm on regular retirement benefits, started at 62 even though I kept working. Not on disability. So sounds like I'm in the clear.

Perfect, then you have nothing to worry about on that front. The able-and-available requirement is where SSDI recipients run into problems, not retirement recipients.

this is actually such an important distinction. wish more people knew this before filing

That's scary - so even if I do get through to an agent I might get wrong info?

unfortunately yes it happens. the agents are overworked and sometimes confused themselves. if you get an answer that seems wrong or doesn't match what you read online, call back and ask again or ask for a supervisor

This is true but the SS offset thing is well established California law so you're unlikely to get wrong info on that specific question. It's more ambiguous situations where reps sometimes err.

two weeks of trying to call edd sounds like an absolute nightmare. glad you found something that worked

honestly it was destroying my mental health lol. being in limbo about whether you're going to get paid while bills pile up is really stressful

I'm going to try Claimyr this week. I really do want to hear it confirmed from an actual EDD agent.

No. Unemployment insurance benefits are NOT counted as earned income for Social Security purposes and do NOT affect your SS benefit amount. They don't reduce your SS payment, don't count toward SS earnings limits, and don't impact your future SS benefit calculations. The relationship is truly one-directional in California - SS doesn't affect UI, and UI doesn't affect SS.

thats awesome to know thank you

Worth noting UI benefits ARE taxable income at the federal level though - you should consider having taxes withheld from your UI payments or setting money aside. Just a heads up since this catches a lot of people off guard at tax time.

This is so reassuring to hear a real success story. Did you actually use CalJOBS to find work or mostly just for compliance?

Honestly mostly compliance in my case. But I did set up a solid profile on there and it wasn't as clunky as I expected. Some older workers in my area had luck with their employer listings. I ended up finding my next job through LinkedIn but kept the CalJOBS log current.

the caljobs requirement trips people up so much. glad it worked out

Interesting question - taking SS early wouldn't inherently disqualify you from UI but if you're under full retirement age (67 for most people) and collecting SS while also working, there IS an SS earnings limit that can reduce your SS benefits if you earn too much. That's an SS rule though, not a UI rule. From California EDD's perspective, starting SS retirement wouldn't affect your UI eligibility or payment amount regardless of your age.

ok so its more of an SS issue than an EDD issue got it. probably should talk to SS office about that then

Yeah that earnings limit question is definitely one for Social Security Administration, not EDD. Two totally separate agencies with their own rules.

5 weeks in adjudication sounds awful. What ended up resolving it?

My former employer had checked the wrong reason for separation which triggered adjudication. Once an EDD agent contacted them and got the right information it cleared up. But those 5 weeks of not knowing were brutal.

adjudication is genuinely one of the scariest parts of the process because you get no information and just have to wait

This is like the perfect summary post. Thank you so much. I feel way more confident about my claim now.

should be pinned honestly. this exact question comes up all the time

Happy to help. The California UI system has enough real pitfalls without people worrying about things that aren't actually issues. Good luck with your claim OP.

genuinely so helpful. saving this thread

This is actually a really helpful thing to flag. I did wonder about that question. I AM able and available - I want to keep working - so I should just answer yes.

Exactly. You worked your whole career, you want to keep contributing, you got laid off unfairly - you are absolutely able and available. Answer accordingly.

this is good practical advice. the weekly cert questions are weirdly worded and easy to overthink

Glad I'm not the only one! This community is really helpful for navigating stuff EDD makes so confusing.

seriously. the official EDD website is so hard to parse. sometimes just hearing from real people who dealt with it is worth more than reading the official FAQs

agreed. and when you do need to actually talk to EDD, claimyr.com was a lifesaver for me when the phone lines were impossible. just putting it out there again for anyone who hasn't tried it yet - check out the demo video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10