EDD claim stuck on pending after certification - approved but no payment?

its normal for first payment to take longer than the others. mine was stuck on pending for like 10 days before it switched to paid. just wait a few more days

Actually, if it's been more than 7 days since certification and you're still stuck on pending, that usually indicates an eligibility issue that needs resolution. Common reasons include identity verification, separation reason review, or work search requirements. I'd recommend checking if there's an alert under "Notifications" on your dashboard that you might have missed, and looking for any outstanding tasks in the "History" section.

If there are no pending tasks and your claim is approved but stuck on pending payment, you're in what's called 'payment limbo.' Unfortunately, this is becoming common with first-time claims in 2025. The system automatically flags many new claims for manual review - especially if you were terminated rather than laid off. You'll need to speak with a tier 2 specialist at EDD to lift the pending status and release your payment.

OMG i went through EXACT same thing in January!!! my first payment was stuck 4 WEEKS!!! i called like 57 times got hung up on by the stupid robot voice every single time. eventually i just stopped trying and it randomly switched to paid. EDD IS THE WORST

I had this same issue back in January. After wasting days trying to get through on the regular line, I finally used Claimyr to connect with an EDD agent. Took about 20 minutes instead of days of redialing. My pending payment was resolved in one call - turned out there was a flag on my account because my employer contested the termination. The agent was able to remove the hold immediately after I explained my situation. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km or just go to claimyr.com. Totally worth it compared to the stress of not knowing what's happening.

DONT WAIT!! If its in pending for more than 5-7 days you NEED to call, especially for first payment. Something is flagged on your claim. Might be simple, might be complicated, but it won't resolve itself. I waited 3 weeks thinking it would fix itself last year and when I finally got through, the agent fixed it in 2 minutes. Turned out my employer had reported different wages than what I claimed. Could be anything!

Here's what to do when you call: 1) Call early (8:01am), 2) Select the option for existing claims, 3) When asked why you're calling say "payment status", 4) If you get a tier 1 rep, politely explain you need a tier 2 specialist to resolve a pending payment on an approved claim. Only tier 2 agents can actually release payments. Remember to ask for a reference number for your call in case you need to follow up.

One more thing to try before calling: check if you have any notifications in your UI Online account that might indicate why your payment is pending. Also, sometimes resubmitting your certification can help. Go to History, find your certification, and see if there's an option to resubmit or correct it. Sometimes there's a simple error in how work search requirements were reported.

typical EDD... they approve u then make u wait forever for the actual money 🙄 good luck getting through on the phone... let us know if that claimyr thing actually works

UPDATE: I finally got through to EDD this morning! Used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and got connected within 15 minutes. The agent said my claim had been flagged for an eligibility interview because my employer reported I was terminated for attendance issues (which isn't true - I had documented medical reasons for all absences). She removed the pending status and said my payment should process within 24-48 hours! She also scheduled me for a phone interview next week to resolve the eligibility question permanently. So relieved to have answers finally!

Congrats on getting it resolved! This is exactly why I always tell people not to wait too long when payments are stuck on pending - there's usually a specific issue that needs to be addressed, and it rarely fixes itself. Your situation is a perfect example of how employers sometimes report things differently than what actually happened. Good luck with your eligibility interview, and thanks for updating us with the outcome!

This is such a great example of why persistence pays off with EDD! @Hailey O'Leary I'm so glad you got it resolved. Your situation really shows how important it is to actually speak with someone rather than just waiting and hoping. The fact that your employer misrepresented the reason for termination is unfortunately pretty common - they sometimes try to avoid having their unemployment insurance rates go up by making it seem like it was the employee's fault. Having that documentation of your medical reasons will definitely help in your eligibility interview. Thanks for sharing the update and showing others that these pending payment issues can actually be fixed relatively quickly once you get the right person on the phone!

This is such an encouraging thread to read! As someone who's been lurking here trying to figure out my own EDD issues, seeing @Hailey O'Leary get her pending payment resolved so quickly after calling gives me hope. I've been hesitant to try that Claimyr service but hearing multiple success stories makes it seem worth it. The fact that employers sometimes misreport termination reasons to avoid higher unemployment insurance costs is something I never knew about - definitely something to keep in mind. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips here, this community really helps cut through all the confusion of dealing with EDD!

This entire thread is a perfect case study in why you should never just wait and hope when dealing with EDD! @Hailey O'Leary your experience really highlights how the system is designed to make people give up - they approve your claim but then secretly flag it for review without telling you why. The fact that your employer tried to make your medical absences look like attendance issues is unfortunately super common. Employers know that if they can get EDD to deny or delay benefits, it keeps their unemployment insurance rates lower. For anyone else reading this with pending payments: don't wait more than a week. There's almost always a specific flag that needs manual removal, and it WILL NOT resolve itself. Thanks for sharing your resolution - stories like this give hope to everyone stuck in EDD limbo!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm in a similar situation - been stuck on pending for 8 days now after my first certification and was starting to panic. Reading everyone's experiences, especially @Hailey O'Leary's successful resolution, gives me so much hope. I had no idea that employers could misreport termination reasons to keep their insurance costs down - that's honestly infuriating but explains a lot. I was laid off due to "restructuring" but now I'm wondering if my employer reported something different. Definitely going to try calling tomorrow morning using all the tips shared here (8:01am, ask for tier 2, have documentation ready). The Claimyr service sounds worth trying too if the regular line doesn't work. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's amazing how much clearer this all becomes when people actually explain what's happening behind the scenes!

Wow, this entire thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone who's been dealing with EDD for the first time and feeling completely lost in their system, reading @Hailey O'Leary's journey from panic to resolution really gives me hope. The fact that what seemed like a mysterious "pending" status actually had a specific cause that could be fixed with one phone call is both reassuring and frustrating - why doesn't EDD just tell us these things upfront? The employer misreporting issue is something I never would have thought of, but it makes so much sense given how the unemployment insurance system works. I'm bookmarking this thread for future reference and will definitely be more proactive about calling if I run into similar issues. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and practical tips - this community is honestly more helpful than EDD's own website!

This thread is absolutely golden! As someone who just filed for unemployment last week and is anxiously waiting for my first certification, reading @Hailey O'Leary's complete journey from pending panic to quick resolution is incredibly reassuring. I had no clue that employers could basically lie about termination reasons to protect their insurance rates - that's honestly disgusting but explains so much about why the system seems stacked against us. The practical tips everyone shared (calling at 8:01am, asking specifically for tier 2, having documentation ready) are exactly what I needed to know. I'm saving this entire thread as my EDD survival guide! It's crazy that this community provides clearer guidance than EDD's actual resources. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their real experiences - you're literally helping people keep their lights on and rent paid during some of the most stressful times in their lives.

This thread has been such an incredible resource! I just went through a very similar situation last month - my first payment was stuck on pending for 12 days and I was absolutely panicking. Like @Hailey O'Leary, I had no idea that employers could essentially rewrite the story of your termination to protect their own costs. Turns out my former employer reported that I "abandoned my job" when I was actually let go during a company downsizing. It took one call with a tier 2 specialist to clear it up, but those 12 days of not knowing what was wrong were torture. The worst part is that EDD gives you absolutely no indication of what the actual problem is - just that vague "pending" status that tells you nothing. Reading everyone's tips about calling early, asking for tier 2 immediately, and having documentation ready would have saved me so much stress if I'd known them earlier. This community is honestly doing EDD's job better than EDD does!

This entire thread should honestly be required reading for anyone filing for unemployment in California! As someone who just started my claim process this week, I'm blown away by how much more I learned here than from EDD's actual website or representatives. @Hailey O'Leary, your journey from that initial panic to getting everything resolved is so inspiring and shows exactly why we can't just passively wait for the system to work. The employer misreporting issue is absolutely mind-blowing - I had no idea they could basically rewrite history to protect their insurance rates while leaving us hanging in limbo with no explanation. The practical advice everyone shared (8:01am calls, tier 2 specialists, documentation prep, even that Claimyr service) is gold. It's honestly sad that we have to crowdsource basic information about how to navigate a system designed to help unemployed people, but I'm so grateful this community exists. Saving this thread as my EDD bible!