Do EDD penalty weeks end with backpay? Job impacts on serving penalty weeks?

No, you definitely don't get backpay for penalty weeks - that's why they're called PENALTIES. The whole point is you don't get that money. After you serve them, you'll start getting regular payments if you're still eligible and certifying. If you find a job, those penalty weeks stay on your record and you'll have to serve any remaining ones if you file for unemployment again within 3 years. The EDD system is designed to punish people who don't report income properly!

Let me clarify how penalty weeks actually work: 1. After you complete all your penalty weeks, EDD will automatically start paying your benefits for future weeks as long as you meet all other eligibility requirements. No need to call unless payments don't start. 2. No, you never receive payment for penalty weeks - these weeks count toward your benefit year but you receive no payment for them. 3. If you find a job before serving all your penalty weeks, any remaining penalty weeks will stay on your record. If you file another unemployment claim within 3 years, you'll need to serve those remaining penalty weeks before receiving any payment on the new claim. Keep certifying regularly, even during penalty weeks, as this maintains your claim and ensures you'll receive payments once penalties are completed.

I had 5 penalty weeks last yr...never got that $ back!!!! but after i served them the regular payments started showing up no prob. didnt have 2 call nobody or anything

I think ur rlly confused about how this works... penalty weeks are literally PENALTIES. You will NEVER get that money. Would be like expecting to get reimbursed for a speeding ticket lol. Once ur done with penalty weeks u start getting regular payments if ur still eligible. And ya if u get a job before finishing them, they stay on ur record. I had this happen 2 years ago - had 2 penalty weeks left when I found work. 8 months later got laid off & had to serve those 2 weeks before getting paid on my new claim. Total BS system but that's how it works.

Hey there - I went through exactly this situation in 2023. Had 10 penalty weeks for misreporting wages (didn't understand I had to report gross not net income from my 1099 work). After my penalty weeks were over, payments automatically started - I didn't need to call EDD or do anything special. Just kept certifying every two weeks as normal. And yes, if you get a job before finishing all penalty weeks, the remaining ones will be applied to any future unemployment claim you file within 3 years. I found that out the hard way when I had to file again last December after a seasonal job ended - had to serve my last 2 remaining penalty weeks before getting paid. Hope the job interview goes well! That would definitely solve your immediate financial concerns.

If ur having trouble reaching EDD to get clarification on your situation, try Claimyr. I was struggling for weeks trying to get thru to ask questions about my penalty weeks (had 4 for a similar reporting issue). Claimyr got me connected to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km and their website is claimyr.com. Saved me so much frustration!

wait im confused... so penalty weeks mean u get no money for those weeks? I thought it just meant reduced benefits?? how r people supposed to survive?? this system is so complicated!!!

good luck on that job interview!!!! crossing my fingers for u

Quick note about your question regarding whether you need to call EDD after serving penalty weeks - you definitely don't need to call them. The system automatically starts issuing payments once your penalty period is complete. Just keep certifying as normal every two weeks. I know several people who've gone through penalty weeks (it's more common than you might think), and in every case, the payments began automatically after the penalty period without any intervention required.

I went through penalty weeks about 6 months ago and can confirm what others have said - no backpay for those weeks, but payments do start automatically once you've served them all. The key thing is to keep certifying every two weeks even though you're getting $0. Don't skip certifications thinking "what's the point" because that can mess up your claim. One thing I wish someone had told me: if you do get that job, make sure to report your work status properly when you certify. The last thing you want is MORE penalty weeks down the road! Good luck with the interview - fingers crossed you won't have to worry about the remaining penalty weeks at all.

I'm going through something similar right now - just started my penalty weeks last month for not reporting some freelance work properly. It's definitely a tough lesson but reading everyone's experiences here is really helpful. One thing I've learned from talking to others who've been through this: make sure you keep all your certification records during the penalty period. Even though you're getting $0, those certifications are still important for maintaining your claim status. Also, if you do get that job (fingers crossed!), remember that you can always come back to this community if you have questions about properly reporting work income in the future. Better to ask here first than deal with more penalty weeks later! Wishing you the best with the interview - sounds like you've got a good attitude about learning from this experience.