EDD denied my claim after relocating to care for dying parent - waiting for appeal hearing

First, I'm sorry about your dad and the situation you're in. The appeal process is unfortunately taking 6-8 weeks right now just to get a hearing date scheduled, and then another 2-4 weeks until the actual hearing. When you filed your appeal, did you submit any documentation about your father's medical condition and your caregiving role? That's going to be crucial for your case.

my sister got approved for something kinda like this but she was taking care of our mom after a stroke not cancer. she had to do the phone hearing thing with a judge and it took FOREVER like 3 months from when she appealed till she got money. good luck!!

I went through an appeal last year (different reason), and the whole process took about 12 weeks from filing the appeal to getting a decision. The most important thing is to KEEP CERTIFYING EVERY TWO WEEKS even while you wait! If you win your appeal, they'll only pay for weeks you properly certified. For your situation specifically, you need to focus on proving that relocating to care for your terminally ill father constitutes "good cause" under EDD regulations. Make sure you have documentation of: 1. Your father's medical condition (which you have) 2. Why YOU specifically needed to provide care 3. That you couldn't reasonably continue employment while providing care 4. That you remain able and available for work in your new location The judge will be looking at whether your decision to leave was one a reasonable person would make in the same situation.

The EDD system is BRUTAL on people going through family emergencies!! I had a somewhat similar situation and ended up DENIED even after appeal because they said I "could have asked for a leave of absence instead of quitting." Did you specifically ask your employer for a formal leave of absence or remote work accommodation before quitting? This could be the difference in your case.

I successfully appealed a similar situation last year. The key is proving your situation meets the "compelling family circumstances" exemption. In your hearing: 1. Be extremely specific about why YOU had to be the caregiver (no other family members available, specific care needs you could provide) 2. Explain why continuing your job was impossible (distance made commuting impossible, no remote options in your field) 3. Show you've been looking for work in your new location I waited about 7 weeks for my hearing date, and the judge was actually very understanding once I explained everything clearly. They ruled in my favor and I received back pay for all certified weeks. If you're struggling to reach EDD to check on your appeal status, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual person in about 20 minutes instead of spending days redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km - was definitely worth it to get a real update on my appeal timeline.

quick question - r u still certifying for benefits every 2 weeks even tho ur waiting for appeal? u absolutely need to keep doing that!!

This hapened to me and I won my appeal!!! But it took 9 1/2 weeks to get a hearing date!!! When you get to the hearing make sure you talk about how you had no choice but to quit, the judge is looking for you to prove you had absolutely no alternative. Don't just focus on your dad needing care (which is obviously important) but explain why continuing your job was literally impossible under the circumstances. Good luck!

One more important thing: if your former employer is willing to provide a letter stating they understand why you had to leave and support your claim, that can be EXTREMELY helpful. Since you said you're still on good terms with them, it's worth asking. The fact that they kept you on their on-call list shows they didn't consider your departure problematic.

Just to answer your original question more specifically - the current timeline I'm seeing for appeals is: - 6-8 weeks from appeal filing to receiving a hearing date - Usually the actual hearing is scheduled 2-4 weeks after that notification - Decision typically comes 1-2 weeks after the hearing So unfortunately, you're looking at potentially 9-14 weeks total from appeal filing to having a decision. If you win, you'll get backpay for all weeks certified. One last piece of advice - when you have your hearing, be very calm, factual, and organized. Judges respond well to clear, logical explanations without excessive emotion (even though this is obviously an emotional situation). Frame your decision as the only reasonable choice you could make under the circumstances.