EDD backdating claim after severance - can I get UI benefits from January instead of June?

Sorry to say this, but your coworker was incorrect. Severance pay IS considered wages in California for unemployment purposes. EDD specifically requires you to report severance pay when filing your claim, and those payments delay your eligibility to receive benefits. You actually did the right thing by waiting until your severance ended to file your claim. You can view the official EDD guidance here: https://edd.ca.gov/en/uiben/types/Severance They calculate your benefits based on a specific base period (usually the 5 quarters before filing), so your claim is properly set beginning when you filed in June. I wouldn't waste time trying to backdate a claim when you were receiving severance - it would likely be denied anyway.

nope your coworker is 100% wrong. severence counts as wages in CA. your benefits would have been reduced dollar for dollar anyway so you did it right. dont worry.

Actually, it's not quite as simple as the other responses suggest. The EDD treats different types of severance payments differently: 1. If your severance was paid as a LUMP SUM all at once, it only affects the week in which you received it 2. If your severance was paid as ONGOING PAYMENTS (which sounds like your case since it lasted until May 28), then yes, it counts as wages during those weeks So the real question is: how was your severance structured? If it was ongoing payments that replaced your regular salary, then you did the right thing by waiting. If it was a single lump sum payment in January, you might have been eligible for UI starting shortly after that. Regarding calling EDD - in my experience, Tuesday through Thursday between 8:15-9:30am is slightly better than other times, but it's still a nightmare trying to get through.

I had a similar situation last year. My severance came as continued payments for 3 months, and the EDD rep I spoke with confirmed I had to wait until they ended to receive UI benefits. Your coworker probably got confused between severance and vacation/PTO payouts (which don't delay benefits eligibility). If you're still trying to verify this with EDD directly, I recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a representative. It finally worked for me after weeks of failed calling attempts. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km They'll connect you with an EDD rep who can confirm everything about your specific claim situation, typically within 1-2 hours instead of days of frustrating busy signals.

I'm in HR and deal with this frequently with laid-off employees. Your coworker is WRONG and gave you terrible advice. In California, severance payments are absolutely considered wages and offset UI benefits. There's no point in filing earlier when receiving severance - you either would have been denied or had your benefits reduced by the amount of severance you were receiving. The EDD actually asks you specifically about severance when you file for this exact reason. You handled this correctly by waiting until your severance ended before filing.

OMG I literally made the same mistake but the opposite way!!! I filed for UI right away after getting laid off even though I was getting severance for 8 weeks. Had to report the severance income each certification and got ZERO benefits until the severance ran out. Such a waste of time certifying every 2 weeks just to get $0. Should have just waited like you did!!!

EVERYONE HERE IS GIVING WRONG INFO!! You CAN backdate your claim up to 30 DAYS from the day you apply without a phone call! Anything more than 30 days requires calling. Login to UI Online and look for "Claim History" then "Backdate Claim". If you don't see this option then your only choice is to CALL THEM. THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO FILE THE MINUTE YOU LOSE YOUR JOB EVEN IF YOU GET SEVERANCE!!!!!!!

To summarize what everyone is saying: 1. Severance typically counts as wages in California for UI purposes 2. How your severance was paid matters (lump sum vs. ongoing payments) 3. You likely did the correct thing by waiting until severance ended to file One additional point: your benefit year is still 12 months from when you filed in June, so you're not losing any potential weeks of benefits - you're just receiving them over a different timeframe. The maximum number of weeks you can collect in California is still 26 weeks within your benefit year. Since you're already receiving payments, focusing on maximizing your current benefits and job search is likely the best use of your time rather than trying to backdate the claim.