EDD appeal hearing timeline - anyone know how long until decision?
I just filed my appeal with EDD last week after being disqualified for 'voluntary quit' (which is totally wrong - I was laid off!). The letter says they'll schedule a hearing, but doesn't give ANY timeframe. I'm seriously stressing because my savings are almost gone and I've already been waiting 6 weeks without payments. Has anyone gone through the appeal process recently? How long did it take from filing the appeal to actually getting a hearing date? And then how long after the hearing until you got a decision? I'm trying to figure out if I need to max out credit cards or borrow money from family while waiting... This whole system is so frustrating!
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Steven Adams
I went through an appeal last year and it took about 4-5 weeks to get a hearing date after filing the appeal. Then they scheduled my hearing for 3 weeks after that notification. The judge made his decision pretty quickly - I got the determination letter in the mail about 10 days after the hearing. So all in all, it was about 8-9 weeks from appeal to final decision. Make sure you gather ALL your documentation now - termination letter, emails, texts, anything proving you were laid off. Also prepare a clear timeline of events to present at your hearing.
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Grace Durand
•Thank you! That's actually helpful to have a timeline. Did you get backpay for all the weeks once you won your appeal? I'm worried about covering bills for the next 2 months if that's how long it'll take.
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Alice Fleming
mine took forEVER!!!! like 3 months to even get a hearing date and then another month for the actual hearing. but i think im an outlier bc this was during that weird time when edd was super backlogged with all the fraud stuff. hopefully yours is faster than mine was lol
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Hassan Khoury
•OMG 3 months?? That's insane! I'm in the same boat waiting for an appeal date and this is stressing me out SO much. Did you try calling them to speed things up at all?
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Alice Fleming
•yea i called like 20 times but it didnt help. they just kept saying 'its in process' whatever that means lol
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Victoria Stark
I successfully appealed a 'voluntary quit' disqualification back in March. Here's a detailed breakdown of my timeline: - Filed appeal form DE 1000M on March 2nd - Received hearing notice on March 25th (23 days later) - Hearing scheduled for April 12th (18 days after notice) - Received favorable decision on April 22nd (10 days after hearing) - Payments for all back weeks released on April 28th Total time: 57 days from appeal to payment My advice: 1) Gather every piece of documentation proving you were laid off. 2) Submit everything to the appeals board before your hearing. 3) Prepare a clear, chronological statement of events. 4) During the hearing, stay calm and stick to facts without emotional arguments. 5) If your employer makes any statements that aren't accurate, politely but firmly correct them with evidence. The judge primarily focused on whether I had good cause to leave employment, so focus your evidence on proving you didn't voluntarily quit.
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Grace Durand
•This is incredibly helpful, thank you! When you say 'submit everything to the appeals board before the hearing' - how exactly do you do that? The appeal form I submitted only had limited space to explain my situation.
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Victoria Stark
•You can fax or mail additional evidence to the Office of Appeals that's handling your case. Once you receive your hearing notice, it will include the address and fax number. I recommend faxing if possible since it's faster - just include your appeal case number on every page. Also, bring 3 copies of everything to your hearing (one for you, one for the judge, one for your employer if they attend).
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Benjamin Kim
ive been in ur exact situation! my timeline was diff from others here - took 6 weeks 2 get hearing date, then hearing was set 4 weeks later. SO FRUSTRATING waiting that long!!! my advice: CALL THEM!!!! dont just wait around. i kept hitting redial for HOURS trying to get thru to check status & finally got someone who found a problem w/ my appeal (they had wrong address!) & fixed it. would've been delayed even longer if i hadnt called!!!!
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Samantha Howard
•I'll second this advice about calling to check your appeal status. But good luck actually reaching someone at EDD! I spent 3 days trying every number I could find before giving up. Has anyone had luck with those services that call EDD for you? I'm wondering if they're legitimate or just scams.
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Megan D'Acosta
The EDD appeals system is DELIBERATELY designed to wear you down and make you give up. I waited 11 weeks for a hearing date and then they scheduled it when I was out of town and REFUSED to reschedule!!! Then they ruled against me because I wasn't there. THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED against workers!!!
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Victoria Stark
•That's unusual - the appeals board is generally willing to reschedule if you have a valid reason and request it in advance. Did you submit a written request to reschedule with documentation of why you couldn't attend? You might be able to request a reopening of your case if you had good cause for missing the hearing.
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Hassan Khoury
anyone know if the hearings are still being done by phone? or did they go back to in-person? i have an appeal pending too and wondering what to expect
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Steven Adams
•Mine was by phone in December, and I believe they're still doing most hearings remotely. The notice you receive will specify whether it's phone or in-person. If it's by phone, make sure you're in a quiet place with good reception and have all your documents in front of you. They'll call you at the scheduled time.
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Grace Durand
Thanks everyone for the responses! Sounds like I should prepare for a 2-3 month process. I'll start gathering all my documentation and preparing my case. One more question - did anyone have their employer actually show up to contest the appeal? My former boss is pretty vindictive and I'm worried they'll make up stuff at the hearing.
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Victoria Stark
•My employer did participate in my hearing. The important thing to remember is that the judge will make their decision based on evidence, not just verbal claims. If your employer makes statements without documentation to back them up, and you have evidence supporting your position, you'll be in good shape. Be factual and professional, even if your employer gets emotional or makes false statements. The judges have seen it all and can usually tell who's being truthful.
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Alice Fleming
does anyone know if u need a lawyer for these appeal hearings? i keep getting mail from lawyers offering to represent me but idk if its worth the $$$
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Steven Adams
•You definitely don't need a lawyer for a standard EDD appeal hearing. The process is designed to be navigated without legal representation. The Administrative Law Judge will guide you through the hearing and ask questions to get the information they need. That said, if your case is unusually complex or involves special circumstances (like allegations of fraud), legal help might be beneficial. But for a typical voluntary quit/layoff dispute like the OP described, representing yourself with good documentation is usually sufficient.
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