Can you draw unemployment while on Social Security in California EDD?

This is such a relief to hear. So when I fill out my weekly certifications I don't need to report the Social Security payments as income or anything like that?

Correct. Social Security retirement benefits are not considered earnings from employment, so you don't report them as wages on your weekly certification. You only report actual work earnings if you do any part-time work during a claim week. Just answer the questions honestly on your certification and you'll be fine.

wait really?? i always assumed SS and unemployment couldn't be collected together. that's actually good to know

That's really helpful context about the offset rules. So California used to reduce benefits but stopped? Makes me feel better knowing the rules are actually on my side here.

i didnt know that about the offset thing. my mom is in this exact situation and i've been telling her she cant file. gonna tell her to go ahead now

Yes please tell her to file ASAP. Benefits are not retroactive in most cases so every week she waits is potentially a lost week of income.

same, my uncle thought he couldnt collect either bc of his SS. this thread is really informative

Oh wow this is really helpful. Did talking to the agent give you peace of mind before filing? I'm still a little nervous about doing something wrong.

Completely. She was actually really patient and answered like four of my questions. And claimyr.com made it so I didn't spend my whole morning redialing. Honestly worth it just for the reassurance factor alone.

I've heard of Claimyr but never tried it. Did it take long to get connected?

Not long at all compared to trying on my own. I'd spent two days calling before that getting hung up on or just hitting busy signals. Claimyr got me through within the same morning.

Great question and yes there is a distinction worth noting. SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) can get more complicated because to receive SSDI you've been determined to have a disability that prevents substantial gainful activity. California EDD unemployment requires you to certify that you're able and available to work. There can be a logical conflict there that EDD might flag, though many people do collect both. If you're on SSDI it's worth speaking with someone before filing, either an EDD rep or a benefits counselor.

ugh okay so its not as simple for me. i work part time within my allowed hours under ssdi rules so i figured i could collect UI too if i got laid off

The SSDI situation is genuinely complicated and varies case by case. Please don't take random forum advice on that one - call EDD or talk to a Social Security advocate before filing.

You're right I need to stop overthinking this and just file. Going to do it tonight.

Good!! Come back and let us know how it goes 👍

The ID.me thing is what I've been hearing about - is that mandatory for everyone now?

Yes it's required for all new claims now. You verify your identity through ID.me before your claim can be processed. Have your ID or passport ready, it's mostly straightforward.

The ID.me process gave me so much trouble omg. Took me three tries to get verified. Just be patient with it

Yeah some people have issues especially if the lighting on your selfie isn't great or if your ID has glare. Just keep trying or use the video call option with a real agent if the automated process keeps failing.

You actually raise a valid point about pension income - that one IS different. Pension income from a base period employer CAN offset UI benefits in California. So if the OP had a pension from that accounting firm they'd need to check on that. But SS retirement is separate and doesn't offset.

No pension from this job, it was a small firm with no retirement plan. So I should be in the clear on that.

Lucky. I had a pension from my previous employer and it reduced my weekly benefit amount. Wish someone had told me before I filed.

Real world examples like this are reassuring. Thank you for sharing.

of course! good luck with your claim 😊

California does have a one-week unpaid waiting period - your first week of eligibility is not paid. After that, once your claim is approved, payments typically come within 2-3 weeks of certification. If your claim goes into adjudication for any reason it can take longer, sometimes 4-6 weeks. Adjudication just means they're reviewing something about your claim, not necessarily that you did anything wrong.

Oh I didn't know about the waiting week. So whatever week I file for first I just don't get paid for it?

Exactly. The first week you're eligible is the waiting period week - you still certify for it but you won't receive payment for that specific week. All subsequent weeks you certify and are eligible for, you get paid.

this was confusing to me too when i first filed. the waiting week catches everyone off guard

Oh this is something I hadn't thought about. Do I need to register with CalJOBS too?

Yes, you're required to register with CalJOBS as part of the UI process. You'll get information about this after filing. It sounds like a lot but it's pretty simple - you create an account and upload your resume basically.

Correct on the job search requirements. Three contacts per week, documented. EDD can ask for your job search log at any time so keep good records. Emails you send, applications you submit, phone calls to employers - all count.

Good to know. I'll set up a spreadsheet to track everything as I go.

When I filed, I had no issues and no phone interview triggered. My claim processed normally. I think EDD's systems don't flag SS retirement income as a conflict because it's a known and accepted situation. SSDI might be a different story as someone mentioned above.

SS retirement income wouldn't trigger adjudication because EDD's questionnaire doesn't even ask about it in a way that would create a conflict. The questions that trigger reviews are things like: did you quit, were you fired for misconduct, are you self employed, do you have a union. None of those apply to SS retirement.

That makes sense. The adjudication triggers are about employment circumstances not benefit income. Thanks for explaining that.

No difference. Spousal Social Security benefits fall under the same category as SS retirement for EDD purposes - it's Social Security income, it doesn't count as wages or employment income, and it doesn't affect your UI benefit calculation or eligibility.

Perfect, that's exactly what I needed to know. My wife is in this situation.

Honestly I was in the same boat for days before I found Claimyr at claimyr.com - they navigate the EDD phone queue for you so you're not just hitting redial over and over. Check out their video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 to see how it works. It's what finally got me to an actual live EDD agent when I needed to ask about my SS and UI situation.

wait this is a real thing? gonna check it out because ive been going crazy trying to get through

the edd phone system is genuinely one of the most frustrating things ive ever dealt with. getting actually connected to someone feels like winning a lottery

Yes, exactly the same. If you earn wages from part-time work while collecting UI, you report those earnings on your weekly certification. EDD uses a formula where they disregard 25% of your weekly benefit amount, then reduce your payment dollar for dollar for anything you earn above that threshold. Your SS income still doesn't factor into this calculation at all.

So SS stays out of it completely even after you return to part time work. Got it, that's what I figured but wanted to confirm.

Correct. The only income that affects your UI payment calculation is wages from work performed during the claim week. SS retirement, pension from non-base-period employers, investment income - those are separate matters.

Great news!! Pending while they verify wages is totally normal. Usually resolves within a week or so unless they need more info.

Yay!! Good luck, hope it processes quickly 🎉

Awesome! Fingers crossed for smooth processing. And if you ever do hit a snag and need to reach an EDD agent, remember claimyr.com made the process a lot less painful for me. Hopefully you won't need it but good to know it's there.

Great outcome. For what it's worth, the 'pending' status while they verify wages is the normal first step for virtually every new claim. Nothing to worry about unless it changes to something that requires your response.

Extended benefits (EB) in California are triggered by statewide unemployment rate thresholds, not by individual circumstances. Your SS income would not make you ineligible for extended benefits if they were available. The same rules that apply to regular UI - SS income doesn't count - would apply to extended benefits as well.

Good to know. I'm only 26 weeks into a potential claim so hopefully won't need to think about it but wanted to understand the full picture.

100% my grandmother almost didn't file for this exact reason. She thought SS and unemployment were mutually exclusive. The misinformation is everywhere.

It's a pretty common misconception nationally because some states used to have the offset rule. A lot of people learned it years ago when it might have been true in their state and never updated their understanding. California being one of the states that eliminated the offset doesn't help when you're getting info from a friend in a different state.

Exactly. And EDD doesn't exactly make it easy to find clear answers. No wonder people give up and just don't file.

I am actually on Medicare so this is relevant to me. Good to know!

Yep, totally separate program, no interaction with UI. Good luck with your claim!

Good addition. To summarize what this whole thread has established: Social Security retirement, Social Security spousal benefits, Medicare, and most pension income from non-base-period employers do not affect UI eligibility or benefit amounts in California. The only income types that matter for EDD purposes are wages from work performed during claim weeks and, in some cases, pension income specifically from a base-period employer.