EDD eligibility interview followed by certification prompt - am I approved?

Yes, this is definitely good news! When your account shows weeks available to certify after an interview, it typically means they've made a favorable determination on your claim. The EDD rarely sends explicit 'approved' notifications - instead, they just allow you to start certifying. Go ahead and certify right away for those weeks, and if all goes well, you should see a payment within 2-3 days after certification if you have Bank of America direct deposit set up, or 5-7 days for the Money Network card.

good sign 4 sure but don't spend $ yet lol. i had same thing happen then got hit with 'pending' for another week after i certified. edd is weird like that sometimes

In my experience, being able to certify DEFINITELY means you passed the interview! The EDD system won't even let you certify if there's still an eligibility issue on your claim. I was in your exact situation back in December, got nervous about the same thing, and everything went through perfectly fine. Just make sure you answer all the certification questions accurately - especially the work search activities! One thing to keep in mind - your first payment might take a little longer to process since it's your first time certifying. But after that initial payment, they usually process within 24-48 hours once you certify.

Congrats! Thats exactly what happened with me. Interview → waited 2 weeks nervously → certification option appeared → money came 2 days after i certified. Your all set!

I agree with most people here saying it's probably good news, but just to be safe, you might want to check your inbox on UI Online for any messages. Sometimes they send determination notices there instead of mail. Also, make sure you're ready to certify properly - mark YES that you were looking for work and have at least 3 job search activities per week ready to list.

If you want to be 100% sure about your claim status, you really need to speak with an EDD representative directly. I was stuck waiting forever trying to call until I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they got me through to an EDD agent in under 25 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km When I finally got through, the rep confirmed my eligibility and explained exactly what was happening with my claim. Totally worth it for peace of mind, especially when you're waiting on money you need for bills.

To answer your follow-up question - just certify normally for those weeks. The system is designed to handle retroactive certifications, and many people end up certifying for weeks that occurred before their interview. Just be honest about your work search activities and any income/hours for those weeks. The most common certification mistake people make is reporting income incorrectly. Remember that you report income for the week you EARNED it, not when you were paid. And if you had any vacation or severance pay during those weeks, make sure to report that too.

btw make sure u don't accidentally say NO to looking for work or you'll mess up your whole claim

UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know that I certified yesterday evening and woke up this morning to see both weeks changed from 'pending' to 'paid'!!! The money isn't in my account yet but the claim history shows the payment was processed. Thank you all for your help and reassurance - this group is amazing! 🙏

That's fantastic news! 🎉 So happy to hear it worked out for you. Your experience is exactly what most people go through - the anxiety of waiting after the interview, then the relief when certification opens up, and finally seeing those "paid" statuses. You handled everything perfectly by documenting your work search activities and being honest on your certification. Enjoy having that financial stress lifted off your shoulders, and thanks for coming back to update us - it really helps other people in similar situations!

Congratulations on getting through the process! 🎉 Your story is exactly why I always tell people that being able to certify after an interview is the best sign you can get. The EDD system is pretty good about not letting you certify if there are still eligibility issues hanging over your claim. For anyone else reading this who might be in a similar situation - the key things that helped Natasha succeed were: 1) Being honest and thorough during the eligibility interview, 2) Keeping detailed records of job search activities, 3) Answering certification questions accurately, and 4) Not panicking when the system doesn't give you an explicit "approved" message. The EDD process can be nerve-wracking, but most people who are legitimately eligible do get approved eventually. Thanks for sharing your positive outcome - it's really encouraging for others going through the same uncertainty!

This whole thread is so helpful! I'm in a similar boat - had my eligibility interview last week and have been checking UI Online obsessively every day since then. Reading about everyone's experiences really helps manage the anxiety of waiting. One question for those who've been through this: did anyone else feel like their interviewer was kind of neutral/hard to read during the call? Mine asked all the standard questions about my job separation but gave me absolutely no indication of how things went. I keep second-guessing whether I explained everything clearly enough about the company restructuring that led to my layoff. It's so stressful when you need the money for basic expenses but have no idea where you stand in the process. Fingers crossed I see that certification option appear soon like Natasha did! 🤞

I'm going through something very similar right now! Just had my eligibility interview 5 days ago and have been refreshing UI Online constantly waiting for any sign of what's happening with my claim. Reading through everyone's experiences here is so reassuring - especially seeing that most people who are legitimately laid off do eventually get approved even when the interviewer doesn't give clear signals during the call. My situation was a company closure due to financial issues, and like others mentioned, the interviewer was completely neutral and professional but didn't hint at all about their decision. It's nerve-wracking when you're depending on these benefits to pay rent and bills! Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and outcomes - it really helps to know what's normal in this process. Natasha, so glad everything worked out for you! Hopefully I'll be posting a similar success update in a week or two 🤞

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! I'm currently waiting for my eligibility interview to even be scheduled (filed my claim about 3 weeks ago) and the uncertainty is driving me crazy. It's so comforting to read success stories like Natasha's and see that the process does work, even when it feels like you're stuck in limbo. One thing I'm curious about - for those who've been through the interview process, how much detail did you go into about your job separation? I was laid off due to budget cuts at my marketing agency, and I'm wondering if I should prepare specific documentation or if a straightforward explanation is usually sufficient. Also, should I be worried that I haven't heard anything about scheduling my interview yet after 3 weeks? Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences here - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating this confusing process! 🙏