EDD claim filing after layoff - question about pending severance pay
Just got laid off from my accounting job on Monday and I'm trying to figure out the timing for filing my unemployment claim. My company is paying out my severance package on May 15th (about 2 weeks from now). I know I need to report this severance when filing, but I'm hesitant to enter an amount I haven't actually received yet, even though the EDD application seems to want me to include it. Is there a specific deadline for how soon I need to file after being laid off? Will waiting until after I receive the severance check cause problems with my claim? I don't want to mess anything up or have my claim denied because I waited too long. Any advice appreciated!
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JaylinCharles
You should file your claim immediately! There's no benefit to waiting. When you file, you'll report the severance as income for the week you RECEIVE it, not when you file. So file now, and when you do your bi-weekly certification that includes May 15th, that's when you'll report the severance amount. This way your claim is established sooner and you won't lose any potential benefits. The EDD can take 2-3 weeks to process new claims anyway, so better to get in the system now.
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Brianna Muhammad
•Thank you! That makes a lot more sense - I think I was confusing the initial application with the certification process. So I can file the claim now without putting in the severance, and then just report it when I certify for that specific week?
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Eloise Kendrick
you should wait til after u get the money tbh. thats what i did last year when i got laid off and got a severance. EDD is so confusing and they might count it twice if u report it now AND when u certify. just my 2 cents
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Lucas Schmidt
•NO! This is incorrect advice! Waiting to file can potentially cost you benefits. Your claim start date is based on when you file, not when you lost your job. The severance is only reported during certification for the week you receive it.
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Freya Collins
Filing immediately is the correct approach. I dealt with this exact situation last September. Your claim will be backdated to the Sunday of the week you became unemployed, but that only happens if you file within 14 days of your last day worked. If you wait longer, you could lose benefits. On the application where it asks about severance, you need to indicate you WILL receive severance and the ANTICIPATED date (May 15th). Then during certification for the week that includes May 15th, you'll report the actual amount received. Don't worry about entering an amount you haven't received yet - the initial application just wants to know IF you're getting severance, not the exact amount. The certification process is where the specific amount matters.
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Brianna Muhammad
•Thanks for the detailed explanation! I didn't realize there was a 14-day window that could affect my benefits. I'll definitely file right away then. One more question - if my severance is split into two payments (half on 5/15 and half on 6/15), do I just report each payment during the week I receive it?
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LongPeri
I GET SO MAD when I see bad advice about waiting to file!! DO NOT WAIT! File immediately, waiting can LITERALLY COST YOU MONEY! That 14-day window the other person mentioned is REAL. The EDD backdates to when you became unemployed but ONLY if you file promptly!! And YES, you only report severance during certification for the SPECIFIC WEEK you receive the money. The initial application just needs to know that severance is coming. The actual amounts are handled during your bi-weekly certifications.
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Oscar O'Neil
•Exactly right. And to add another detail - severance pay is considered wages, so on the certification for the week you receive it, you'll need to answer "Yes" to the question about whether you received wages/income. Then enter the amount in the field provided. This will likely reduce or eliminate your UI payment for that week only, but your claim continues normally after that.
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Sara Hellquiem
when i was in ur situation i just waited cuz i was 2 confused and then we had that bad storm in january and i couldnt get to the library to use the internet for like 4 days and then it was past the 14 days and i lost a whole week of benefits so dont be me lol file now
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Brianna Muhammad
•Oh no, that's awful! Thanks for sharing your experience - definitely don't want to lose any benefits because I waited too long.
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Eloise Kendrick
Has anyone here tried calling EDD directly? I spent 3 hours yesterday trying to get through just to ask a simple question and kept getting the "we're experiencing high call volume" message. So frustrating!
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JaylinCharles
•I had the same issue trying to reach EDD about my claim status. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to a rep in about 20 minutes. They have this system that keeps dialing EDD until they get through, then call you when an agent is on the line. Saved me hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km
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Freya Collins
To answer your follow-up question about split severance payments - yes, you report each payment separately during certification for the specific weeks you receive them. So report the first payment during certification that includes May 15, and the second payment during certification that includes June 15. Each will only affect benefits for those specific weeks. One last piece of advice: take screenshots of EVERYTHING. The EDD system can be glitchy, and having documentation of what you submitted and when can save you a lot of headaches if there are any issues with your claim later.
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Brianna Muhammad
•That makes perfect sense, thank you! And great tip about the screenshots - I'll definitely do that throughout the process. Really appreciate everyone's help clearing this up for me!
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