Do furloughed employees get unemployment in California? EDD claim question

Oh wow okay that's a huge relief. So I should file even before my furlough actually starts? Or wait until Monday when I'm officially not working?

File on or after your first day of reduced or zero hours. You certify for the week you actually had no income, so file once the furlough kicks in. Don't file before you've actually stopped working or you could create issues with your claim.

this is correct, I went through a furlough back in 2023 and EDD processed it pretty smoothly once i filed right away. just make sure your employer reports your wages accurately

They definitely did NOT give me any paperwork. Is that going to be a problem for my claim?

No it won't affect your claim at all. The DE 2320 is for your benefit so you know your rights, but EDD doesn't require you to have it to file. Your employer will get notified when you file and they can respond to the claim from their end.

yeah most employers don't bother with that form honestly. never got one at any job i was laid off from

Saving this just in case. Really hoping my claim goes smoothly but good to know there's an option if it doesn't.

seconding Claimyr — used it when my claim got stuck and couldn't get through on my own for weeks. got connected same day

does it actually work or is it one of those things where you still end up on hold forever

Wait so if there's no return date I have to be applying for jobs even though I expect to go back to my employer?

Technically yes until you have a confirmed return date within 60 days. The job search requirement is 3 employer contacts per week. Keep a log with dates, employer names, position applied for, and contact method. If your employer gives you a return date later, you can update your status and request standby at that point.

I did NOT know about the standby status thing and ended up doing unnecessary job applications for 3 weeks during my furlough. Wish I'd known earlier.

yeah the standby thing is genuinely underexplained by EDD. most people don't know about it

Employers can respond to claims but a furlough is considered a qualifying reason for UI benefits — it's the employer's decision to stop your wages, not a voluntary quit or misconduct issue. If they contest it, EDD will review both sides and furlough situations almost always result in approval because the claimant didn't choose to stop working. Don't let that comment scare you out of filing for benefits you're legally entitled to.

ok that makes me feel better. my boss can be kind of passive aggressive about stuff like this

Employers who contest legitimate furlough claims are wasting everyone's time including their own. EDD looks at the facts, not employer pressure. File with confidence.

Three times, wow. Does it get easier to navigate the process?

honestly yes. second time I knew exactly what to expect. just stay on top of certifications and respond immediately if EDD sends you any mail or messages in UI Online

this about certifications is SO important. I missed two weeks thinking I should wait til my claim was approved and those two weeks were just gone

California UI pays between 60-70% of your weekly wages up to the current maximum weekly benefit amount. The exact percentage depends on your income level — lower earners get closer to 70% and higher earners get closer to 60%. The maximum weekly benefit amount right now is $450. You can get an estimate using EDD's UI Online calculator before you even file.

$450 max seems low for California rent prices but I guess something is better than nothing

Yeah the max WBA hasn't kept pace with California cost of living at all. It's a known issue but that's what the program currently pays. Plan your budget accordingly.

That's not accurate. Furloughed employees qualify for California UI just like fully laid off workers. The requirement is that you have no wages being paid during the furlough period. EDD specifically has processes for temporary layoffs and furloughs.

figured that didn't sound right. thanks for clarifying

there's a lot of misinformation floating around about this stuff. always better to go straight to edd.ca.gov for official info

I just tried to set up my account and the ID.me verification is asking me to do a video call?? Is that normal?

Yes that's normal if the automated verification doesn't work. You schedule a video call with an ID.me agent who verifies your identity documents on screen. It usually doesn't take long once you're in the queue but the wait for the appointment can be a day or two.

The ID.me thing trips up so many people. Have your driver's license or passport ready and make sure you're in good lighting for the video call. Common reason it fails automatically is low-quality phone camera in bad light.

This is really reassuring to hear from someone in the same industry. Did your employer say anything when you filed?

My employer said nothing. They get notified automatically but as long as you file accurately there's nothing to dispute. Just be honest about your wages and the reason for separation.

The hold situation seems really common from what I'm reading on here. Good to know there are ways to get through when that happens.

Yes, unemployment benefits are taxable at the federal level. California is actually one of the states that does NOT tax UI benefits at the state level, so you won't owe California income tax on it. But you will owe federal income tax. You can either have 10% withheld automatically from each payment (there's a form for this when you set up your claim) or set money aside yourself to pay quarterly or at tax time.

oh okay so not as bad as i thought. thanks for explaining the federal vs state difference that was confusing me

yeah the federal tax thing caught me completely off guard my first time filing. definitely either do the withholding or save some of each payment

lol appreciate the summary version

this is the way

This is genuinely useful detail. The initial claim questionnaire wording matters more than people realize.

Noted, going to be really careful with the wording when I fill it out.

Also double check every entry before submitting. I made a typo on my employer's address once and it created a verification delay that took weeks to sort out.

The furlough-to-permanent-layoff transition is genuinely one of the messier situations EDD handles — your claim status does change and it can create holds. That's a situation where getting an agent on the phone really matters. I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) for exactly that kind of situation where the automated systems just weren't cutting it and I needed someone to manually review what was happening with my claim.

I'll look into that. At this point I've tried everything else

The furlough-to-termination switch is rough, that's documented as a common pain point. Hang in there — once an agent actually reviews the full timeline it usually gets sorted.

Yes, keeping your contact information current in UI Online is really important. EDD sends physical mail for some notices (including any hearing or appeal documents) so if your address is wrong you could miss something critical. Update it in your UI Online profile as soon as possible.

updated! thanks for the heads up, didn't realize they still mail physical notices

What you're describing qualifies for partial unemployment benefits. California EDD has a provision for workers with reduced hours — if you're earning less than your weekly benefit amount, you can collect partial UI. You report your actual earnings when you certify each week and EDD calculates the difference. It's a bit more complicated to certify because you have to accurately report every dollar earned, but you absolutely should file.

Oh interesting I had no idea partial unemployment was a thing. So I file like normal and just report my hours?

Exactly. File your initial claim the same way, indicate reduced hours as the reason. Then each week when you certify, report your gross earnings for that week accurately. EDD will subtract those from your WBA and pay the difference if you're still below the threshold.

Partial UI is super underutilized. A lot of people with reduced hours don't even know they qualify.

Oh hey same situation here! Filed this morning. Let's hope both our claims process smoothly.

Good luck to both of you. Check UI Online every few days for any messages or status updates. If anything seems off or goes into adjudication, don't wait — reach out to EDD sooner rather than later.

rooting for you both. hospitality workers deserve actual support from these systems

Wow okay I had no idea about the mid-week return thing. Really good to know before I'm in that situation.

yeah it seems obvious in retrospect but when you're just relieved to be going back to work the last thing on your mind is carefully calculating which days to claim. just be careful and report everything accurately

Overpayment notices are genuinely one of the worst EDD experiences. Prevention is infinitely easier than dealing with the recovery process afterward. Report every dollar earned, every day worked, the moment you return.

Same search brought me here actually. The internet coming through when employers don't.

Glad it helped. This situation is stressful enough without having to piece together basic information from scratch. File quickly, certify consistently, and don't panic if there's a brief hold — most furlough claims resolve fine.

good luck out there everyone