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Sydney Torres

Can you get unemployment if you quit for medical reasons in California EDD?

So I'm in kind of a desperate situation right now and hoping someone here has dealt with this before. I was working as a warehouse supervisor for about 2.5 years when my doctor told me I needed to stop working immediately due to a pretty serious back condition that was being made way worse by the physical demands of my job. I tried everything - asked my employer for light duty assignments, requested accommodations, even offered to switch to a desk-based role within the company. They basically told me there was nothing available and I'd have to keep doing the same work or leave. So I had no real choice but to quit. Now I'm sitting here wondering if I can even file for California EDD unemployment benefits when you technically resigned. Like I didn't get laid off or fired, I left on my own. But it wasn't really voluntary either, you know? My doctor has everything documented - the diagnosis, the restrictions, the whole thing. I filed a claim about a week ago and it's showing some kind of pending status but I haven't gotten any determination letter yet. Has anyone successfully gotten California EDD unemployment after quitting for medical reasons? What documentation did you need? Did they put your claim in adjudication? Really stressed about this because my savings are running out fast and I have no income coming in right now.

Yes, you absolutely can qualify for California EDD unemployment benefits when you quit for medical reasons - this falls under what's called a 'good cause' voluntary quit. California unemployment law recognizes that sometimes leaving a job is necessary and reasonable, and a serious medical condition that makes it physically impossible to continue your specific job duties is one of the strongest good cause arguments you can make. Here's what you need to know: California EDD will likely put your claim in adjudication because you self-separated (quit) rather than being laid off. This is standard procedure - don't panic when you see that status. An adjudicator will review your case and may call you for an interview to go over the details. For documentation, gather everything you can: doctor's notes with specific work restrictions, any written requests you made to your employer for accommodations, your employer's written or even verbal responses (document those too), and any medical records showing when the condition developed relative to your job duties. The fact that you tried to get accommodations before quitting is really important - it shows you didn't just walk out impulsively. The legal standard California EDD uses is whether a 'reasonable person in your circumstances' would have also quit. A doctor ordering you to stop due to injury? That clears the bar pretty easily as long as you can document it properly.

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Thank you so much for this detailed response. So when they call for the adjudication interview, is there anything specific I should say or avoid saying? I'm nervous about messing it up.

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During the interview just be straightforward and factual. Stick to the timeline: when the condition developed or worsened, when your doctor gave restrictions, when you requested accommodations, and when you ultimately left. Don't embellish or guess - if you don't know something, say so. The key facts that help your case are: medical necessity, you tried alternatives first, and your employer couldn't or wouldn't accommodate you.

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this is really good info. wish i had known all this when i quit my job for health reasons two years ago, i just assumed i couldnt get anything and never even filed

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Jumping in here because I went through almost this exact same situation last year. Quit my job due to a chronic illness that my employer refused to accommodate and was terrified I'd be denied. My claim did go into adjudication and stayed there for almost 5 weeks which was honestly brutal, but I was eventually approved. A few practical things that helped me: I got a letter from my doctor that specifically stated I was unable to perform the essential functions of MY job (not just a general note saying I was sick). That specificity seemed to matter a lot. Also keep copies of literally everything - every email to HR, every response, even texts if you communicated that way. One thing I learned the hard way: even while your claim is in adjudication you still need to certify for benefits each week. A lot of people don't realize this and then if they get approved they lose out on weeks they didn't certify for. Log into UI Online and make sure you're doing your weekly certifications.

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Oh wow I did NOT know about still needing to certify during adjudication. Going to do that right now. Thank you!!

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same thing caught me off guard. edd really should make that more obvious somewhere

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Also important - when you certify during adjudication, answer the questions accurately. If you're too sick to work, you may need to answer the 'able and available' question carefully. This is where medical quit situations get complicated because technically you need to be able and available for work to collect benefits, unless you're on standby or have a documented recovery timeline. Worth asking your doctor about when you might be able to return to work in some capacity.

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okay so i tried calling edd for like 3 days straight when my claim was in adjudication and could NOT get through to anyone. kept getting the automated message saying high call volume try again later and then it would just hang up on me. finally tried a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that someone mentioned on here and it actually got me connected to a real EDD agent within like an hour. there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 if you want to see how it works before trying it. for a medical quit situation especially i'd really recommend being able to actually talk to someone at EDD because you want to make sure your case is being handled correctly and not just sitting forgotten in a queue somewhere

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I've been having the same problem getting through on the phone. I'll check out that video, thanks for sharing.

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does claimyr actually work? sounds almost too good to be true lol

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I was skeptical too but yeah it worked for me. Got connected to an actual EDD rep who could see my claim details and explain exactly what was happening with my adjudication. Way better than refreshing my UI Online account and wondering what's going on.

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I used it too. It's legit. When you're dealing with a complicated claim situation like a medical quit you really do need to talk to a human at EDD, the website doesn't give you enough information about what's actually happening with your case.

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There's actually a specific California Unemployment Insurance Code section that covers this - Section 1256 governs voluntary quits and the good cause provisions. Medical necessity is explicitly recognized. But here's something a lot of people miss: there's also a requirement under some circumstances that you give your employer a 'reasonable opportunity' to accommodate before quitting. From what you described, you actually handled this perfectly. You asked for light duty, you asked for a role change, they said no to both. That documented attempt to find an alternative before quitting is essentially bulletproof for the good cause determination. One more thing worth knowing: if California EDD denies your claim anyway (which does happen sometimes even in clear-cut cases), you have the right to appeal within 30 days of the determination. The appeal process goes to an Administrative Law Judge and honestly the approval rate at appeal for well-documented medical quits is pretty high. So don't give up if you get an initial denial.

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I didn't know about the appeal option, that's really reassuring. How long does the appeal process usually take compared to regular adjudication?

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Appeals typically take longer - usually 6-10 weeks for the hearing to be scheduled, sometimes more depending on the current backlog. But if your initial adjudication gets denied and you have solid documentation, an appeal is absolutely worth pursuing. In the meantime you can request a payment plan from EDD if you're worried about an overpayment situation developing.

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the appeal process saved me after a wrongful denial. do not skip that step if you get denied initially

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wait i'm confused about something. if you quit because you're sick, doesn't EDD expect you to be able to work to collect benefits? like how does that work if your doctor said you can't do your old job - does that mean you can't collect at all?

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Good question and this is where it gets a little nuanced. The able and available requirement does exist, but it doesn't necessarily mean you have to be able to do your old job specifically. If you can do other types of work - even part time or lighter duty work in a different field - you can meet the able and available standard. The key is whether your medical condition prevents you from working ANY job vs just your specific previous job. Also California EDD has provisions where if you have a specific recovery period and plan to return to work, they may approve benefits during that window. Your doctor can help document what your actual work capacity is, not just that you couldn't continue the warehouse work.

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oh okay that makes more sense. so it's not automatically disqualifying even if you had to quit for health reasons. thanks for explaining

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This is exactly what tripped me up at first too. The adjudicator actually asked me specifically what kinds of work I was still physically able to do, not whether I could return to my old position. Had to have a pretty specific conversation with my doctor before the interview about what my actual functional limitations were.

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ugh this brings back bad memories. i went through something similar and EDD denied me the first time even though i had doctor's notes and everything. the denial letter said something about not meeting the good cause standard which felt completely insane given my situation. had to appeal and THEN got approved. the whole process took almost 4 months and i burned through all my savings. the system is genuinely broken for people who have medical situations

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This is my biggest fear honestly. 4 months is terrifying when you have bills due now.

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i know. all i can say is don't give up and document EVERYTHING. every phone call you make, every letter you get, every date. it helps so much if you end up at appeal to have a clear record of the whole timeline

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same thing happened to someone in my family. initial denial, appeal, eventually approved. it's exhausting but the appeals process does work if you have the documentation

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This is unfortunately pretty common with medical quit claims. EDD tends to be conservative on initial determinations for voluntary separations. The appeals process is really where these cases often get properly resolved. An appeal isn't a failure, it's just part of how the system processes complicated cases.

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not to derail but does anyone know if you have to do job search activities while your claim is in adjudication for a medical quit? like the normal requirement is 3 job search contacts per week but if you quit because you physically can't do your job does that still apply?

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The job search requirement generally still applies during adjudication unless you're on standby status or have a specific exemption. However, the job search contacts need to be for positions you're actually physically able to do given your medical restrictions - you're not expected to apply for warehouse jobs if you have documented restrictions against heavy lifting. Focus your job search on positions that fit your current capabilities and document everything.

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ok that makes sense. so i just need to be searching for jobs I'm actually able to do, not necessarily my old type of work. got it

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Exactly right. And keep your job search log current and accurate. During a medical quit adjudication EDD sometimes reviews those logs carefully to assess whether you're genuinely able and available for some type of work. Showing you're actively looking for suitable positions actually helps your case.

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I just want to say I'm going through something almost identical right now - quit my nursing assistant job because of a shoulder injury that my facility wouldn't give me light duty for, claim has been in adjudication for going on 6 weeks. Reading this thread is honestly making me feel so much better knowing other people have gotten through this. Still waiting on my determination but feeling more hopeful.

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Solidarity. Hang in there, sounds like you have a solid case. The accommodation denial is really important - make sure EDD knows about that when they contact you.

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Yeah I have emails from my HR department saying they had no light duty positions available. Hoping that's enough. Did anyone here have to submit documentation proactively or did EDD request it?

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They'll typically request what they need, but you can proactively include documentation with your initial claim filing or send it through UI Online's messaging system. I sent mine proactively and I think it sped up my adjudication timeline a bit. Couldn't hurt to get ahead of it.

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something no one's mentioned yet - if your medical condition is work-related (like if the warehouse work caused or significantly worsened the back injury) you might ALSO want to look into workers comp in addition to unemployment. they're not mutually exclusive in all situations. worth asking an attorney about because that could mean additional compensation beyond just unemployment benefits

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Oh I hadn't even thought about that angle. My injury definitely got worse because of the job. I'll look into that separately. Thanks for the tip.

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This is a good point. Workers comp and unemployment can sometimes run concurrently depending on the circumstances, though there are coordination rules. Definitely worth a consultation with a workers comp attorney - many do free initial consults. Just make sure you're clear with EDD about any workers comp payments you receive as they can affect your benefit amount.

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yeah exactly, just flagging it as something worth exploring. a lot of people in work-injury situations don't realize they might have multiple avenues for financial support

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has anyone had luck actually getting through to a real person at EDD recently?? i've been trying to get info about my own claim status and i literally cannot get a human on the phone. called at 8am when they open, called at random times, nothing. just the robot and then disconnected

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This was me a few months ago. Honestly the only thing that worked was using Claimyr - claimyr.com - it navigates the EDD phone system for you and calls you back when it gets through to an agent. I know it sounds weird but it's real, there's even a video explaining it at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10. Saved me from hours more of frustration.

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i've heard of this. gonna try it because i'm losing my mind trying to get through on my own

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the EDD phone situation is genuinely awful. i don't know how people manage who don't know about workarounds like that. called 47 times in one week once and never got through a single time

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Something else worth knowing for the OP's situation specifically: when EDD contacts you for the adjudication interview, they will likely want to speak with your former employer as well as you. Your employer will have a chance to give their side of the story. In most legitimate medical quit cases the employer essentially confirms the facts - yes, we had no light duty, yes, they requested accommodations - which actually supports your claim. But occasionally employers say unexpected things or misrepresent the situation, especially if they're trying to avoid an unemployment insurance rate increase. If that happens, stay calm during your interview, stick to the documented facts, and make sure you mention any discrepancies between what you experienced and what the employer may have claimed. The adjudicator is trained to evaluate these situations.

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I hadn't thought about my employer having any input into this. Should I reach out to them beforehand to give them a heads up or is that a bad idea?

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I'd generally advise against proactively contacting them about the EDD claim. Let the process play out. If your separation was amicable you might have nothing to worry about, but reaching out can sometimes create complications you don't need. Just make sure YOUR documentation is solid.

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this is real advice. my former employer actually disputed my claim in a way that was not entirely accurate and it delayed things. having my documentation meant i could counter their version of events

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totally off topic but does anyone know if medical quit unemployment affects future employment background checks? like will future employers see that you filed for unemployment?

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Unemployment claims are not reported to background check services and don't appear on standard employment background checks. Employers can verify your employment history (dates, titles) but can't typically see whether you filed for unemployment or what the outcome was. So no, this shouldn't affect future job applications.

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oh thank god. i was worried about that. thanks for clarifying

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yeah this misconception stresses a lot of people out unnecessarily. file your claim, you're entitled to those benefits if you qualify

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I work in HR and can add a bit of perspective from the other side. When EDD contacts employers about a voluntary quit claim, we're asked to provide separation information. For medical situations, most HR professionals will simply state the facts: the employee requested accommodations, we were unable to provide them, and the employee resigned. Unless there's a dispute about what actually happened, the employer's response often ends up corroborating the claimant's account. The cases that get complicated are when there's disagreement about whether accommodations were actually available or whether the request was formal enough. This is why written communication with your employer - emails especially - is so valuable. It removes the 'she said/they said' element entirely.

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This is really helpful to hear from an HR perspective. I do have email communications with my employer about the accommodation requests so I feel better about that.

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Then you're in good shape. Written proof of an accommodation request and denial is about as strong as documentation gets for a medical quit claim. EDD adjudicators see plenty of cases where there's no paper trail at all, so having emails is a significant advantage.

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Having worked through this process myself I completely agree. The email trail was the single most important piece of documentation I had.

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just want to add - don't forget to update your contact information in UI Online to make sure EDD can actually reach you. i missed my adjudication phone interview because they called a number i hadn't updated. had to reschedule and it added weeks to my timeline. seems obvious but when you're stressed it's easy to overlook

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Oh good call, going to double check that right now.

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This happened to a friend of mine too. Such a frustrating and avoidable delay. Good tip.

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also make sure your email is current. edd sends some notifications by email and some by mail and if either is wrong you can miss important stuff

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reading all these responses is actually so helpful. I've been sitting on a potential medical quit situation myself (immune condition that my job is making dramatically worse) and have been too scared to file because I assumed I'd automatically be denied for quitting. Didn't realize there was a whole good cause framework that covered medical situations. Going to talk to my doctor tomorrow about getting proper documentation before I make any moves.

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That's exactly the right approach - get your documentation lined up before you quit if at all possible. Also exhaust your accommodation options in writing before leaving. If you haven't done so already, formally request accommodations via email or HR form so you have a paper record of both the request and any response (or non-response).

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Really appreciate that advice. I've been handling everything verbally with my manager which I now realize is a problem. Going to follow up in writing going forward.

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Document the verbal conversations you've already had too. Send an email to HR saying something like 'Following up on our conversation on [date] regarding my accommodation request...' This creates a written record of something that happened verbally. Totally legitimate approach.

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quick update for anyone following: I actually used Claimyr (claimyr.com) like someone mentioned upthread and got through to an EDD agent this morning. She was able to tell me my claim is in the final stages of adjudication review and I should have a determination within the next week. Just being able to talk to an actual human and get real information instead of staring at a pending status screen was such a relief. Will update when I get my official determination letter.

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This is so good to hear! Really glad you got some actual information. Fingers crossed for a positive determination.

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love a positive update on these threads. hope the determination comes through quickly

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Great news! Yeah that's exactly the kind of clarity you can only get from actually talking to someone. The UI Online status updates are so vague they're basically useless for understanding where your claim actually stands.

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one final thing i wish someone told me when i was going through a medical quit claim: if you get approved, EDD may still issue a disqualification for a certain number of weeks even on an approved claim. it's a bit confusing but sometimes they approve benefits but still apply a waiting period or reduced period. read your determination letter very carefully and if anything doesn't make sense, call EDD (or use one of the tools people mentioned here to actually get through) and ask them to explain the specific determination. don't just assume approved means full benefits from day one

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This is accurate and an important nuance. The California one-week unpaid waiting period was suspended for years but the rules around it do change. Always read the determination letter completely and note any conditional language.

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This whole thread has been so informative. I feel so much more prepared now for whatever comes next. Thank you to everyone who responded.

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Good luck! You sound like you've got a solid case. Keep us updated on your determination - your experience might help the next person who finds this thread searching for answers about medical quit unemployment claims.

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