EDD holding weeks 'under review' while receiving severance - can I collect both?

Severance and unemployment is always confusing! In California, severance payments are considered wages for unemployment purposes. When your severance exceeds your weekly benefit amount, EDD considers you to have 'excessive earnings' for that week, which is why your first week showed that. The system automatically deducts your waiting period week (unpaid). The 'under review' status for weeks 3-4 is common when the system detects you're receiving other income. You'll need to report your severance pay on your certifications. EDD will calculate if your severance amount disqualifies you from receiving benefits during those weeks.

same thing happened to me last yr! my weeks stayed 'under review' for like 3 wks then suddenly changed to 'excessive earnings'. they dont tell u anything lol. u probably wont get paid till ur severance runs out sorry

THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE YOU! I went through this exact nightmare in January. Those "under review" weeks will sit there FOREVER unless you talk to a specialist who can override it. Regular tier 1 reps can't help. I wasted 6 WEEKS trying to figure this out and couldn't get through to anyone who knew what they were doing. EDD's computer system doesn't properly handle severance reporting - it flags your account for manual review but then NOBODY ACTUALLY REVIEWS IT unless you call and push them!!

Since your weeks are stuck in review status, you definitely need to speak with an EDD specialist. The key distinction is how your severance is being paid out. If it's biweekly payments like you mentioned, EDD typically treats each payment as wages for those specific weeks. But there are exceptions based on your separation agreement and weekly benefit amount. I was in a similar situation last month and used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to EDD after trying for days on my own. They have a system that calls EDD for you and connects you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km Once I reached a tier 2 specialist, they manually reviewed my severance documentation and released my payments for the weeks where my severance was below my benefit amount.

hey just wondering, is ur severance being paid as a lump sum or in regular payments like a paycheck? cuz that makes a difference. lump sum usually only affects 1 week but regular payments count as income for each week ur paid. at least thats what happened w/ me

You need to understand how EDD calculates partial benefits. For each certification week, if you earn more than $599, you're automatically disqualified for that week (assuming your weekly benefit amount is around $450). Since you're getting $1,900/week in severance ($3,800 biweekly), you're over the threshold. The confusion with the 'under review' status happens because: 1. Week 1: System automatically calculated excessive earnings 2. Week 3-4: Something in your certification triggered a manual review - could be how you answered questions about available for work, looking for work, etc. You should still certify every two weeks even if you're receiving severance. Once your severance ends, your benefits should start automatically if you've been certifying correctly.

Anyone telling you to just wait is WRONG!! If those weeks stay "under review" too long they can EXPIRE and then you'll have to appeal to get them fixed! Call EDD NOW and get those weeks processed correctly - even if they're denied for excessive earnings, that's better than stuck in review limbo!!!

btw did u calculate how much ur weekly benefit amount is? if ur severance divided by week is less than ur wba + $25 u might get partial benefits

I went through this exact thing when I got laid off from Amazon last year!! The EDD website is sooooo confusing about severance. Keep certifying every two weeks even if you think you won't get paid. Once your severance runs out, you'll start getting payments automatically if you've been doing the certifications correctly.

To address the original question more directly: Yes, you can technically collect unemployment while receiving severance in California, but only if your weekly severance amount falls below certain thresholds. Given your biweekly amount of $3,800 (which equals about $1,900/week), you're likely exceeding the threshold for receiving benefits. The 'under review' status means a manual review is needed. Call EDD to have a representative properly categorize those weeks. Even if they're ultimately determined to be 'excessive earnings' weeks, having this correctly recorded is important for your claim history and benefit calculation.

I'm going through something similar right now! Filed my claim 2 weeks ago after getting laid off with a 6-week severance package. My first week also showed "excessive earnings" but my second week is stuck on "under review" just like yours. It's so frustrating not knowing what's happening or how long it will take. I've been reading through all these responses and it sounds like calling EDD is really the only way to get answers, even though getting through seems nearly impossible. Have you tried the early morning call strategy? I've heard 8:00 AM sharp sometimes works better than calling later in the day.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! Got laid off from my marketing job 3 weeks ago with an 8-week severance package. My first two weeks showed "excessive earnings" which I expected, but week 3 is stuck on "under review" with no explanation. I've been certifying on time and reporting my severance correctly, but it's so stressful not knowing what's happening. After reading through all these responses, it sounds like the system automatically flags accounts with severance for manual review but then nobody actually does the review unless you call and push them. I'm going to try the 8 AM calling strategy tomorrow - has anyone had success with that timing? Also considering the Claimyr service since trying to get through to EDD on my own has been impossible. Thanks for posting this question - it's helpful to know I'm not alone in this confusing process!

I just went through this exact situation last month! Had 12 weeks of severance from my software company and the same "under review" nightmare. Here's what I learned: EDD's system automatically flags any account reporting severance income for manual review, but then those reviews sit in a queue indefinitely unless you call and specifically ask for a tier 2 specialist to process them. The regular customer service reps can't touch accounts in review status - you need someone with override privileges. I finally got through using the 8:01 AM call strategy (not 8:00 exactly - call one minute after they open when the lines aren't as jammed). Took me 6 tries over 2 weeks but eventually connected with a specialist who cleared all my pending weeks in about 10 minutes. Even though they were ultimately denied for excessive earnings, at least they were properly processed and I could move forward with my claim. Don't just wait - those weeks can sit in limbo for months if you don't advocate for yourself!

I'm currently dealing with this exact same issue! Filed my claim 5 weeks ago after getting laid off from my finance job with a 7-week severance package ($2,100 biweekly). My first week showed "excessive earnings" as expected, but weeks 2-4 have been stuck on "under review" with absolutely no movement or explanation. I've been certifying on time every two weeks and accurately reporting my severance, but it's like my claim just disappeared into a black hole. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it's clear this is a widespread problem with EDD's system - they flag severance accounts for manual review but then never actually do the reviews unless we call and demand action. I'm going to try the 8:01 AM calling strategy that @Cedric mentioned tomorrow morning. It's so stressful not knowing what's happening, especially when you're trying to plan your finances during unemployment. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - it helps to know this isn't just me and that there are potential solutions!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Filed my claim 4 weeks ago after getting laid off from my consulting firm with a 6-week severance package ($4,200 biweekly). My first week showed "excessive earnings" which I expected, but weeks 2-4 are all stuck on "under review" with absolutely no movement. I've been certifying perfectly on time and reporting my severance accurately, but it feels like my claim just vanished into thin air. After reading everyone's experiences here, it's crystal clear that EDD's system is fundamentally broken when it comes to severance - they automatically flag these accounts for manual review but then nobody actually does the review unless we call and fight for it. I'm definitely trying the 8:01 AM calling strategy tomorrow morning since multiple people have had success with that specific timing. It's infuriating that we have to become experts at gaming EDD's phone system just to get basic customer service, but at least this thread shows there are solutions. The stress of not knowing what's happening with your claim while you're already dealing with job loss is just awful. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it really helps to know this is a systemic problem and not something we're doing wrong!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Filed 3 weeks ago after getting laid off from my marketing agency with a 10-week severance package ($3,200 biweekly). Week 1 showed "excessive earnings" as expected, but weeks 2-3 are stuck on "under review" with zero explanation or movement. I've been certifying on time and reporting everything accurately, but it's like my claim just disappeared. After reading through all these responses, it's clear EDD's system automatically flags severance accounts for manual review but then nobody actually performs the review unless we call and push them. The 8:01 AM calling strategy sounds promising - I'm definitely trying that tomorrow morning. It's incredibly frustrating that we have to become experts at gaming their phone system just to get basic service when we're already stressed about unemployment. Thanks for posting this question - it's so helpful to know this is a widespread system problem and not something we're doing wrong! The fact that multiple people are experiencing identical issues with the "under review" status really shows how broken EDD's severance handling process is.

I'm currently experiencing this EXACT same issue! Filed my claim 6 weeks ago after getting laid off from my software company with an 11-week severance package ($3,600 biweekly). My first week showed "excessive earnings" which I expected, but weeks 2-6 have ALL been stuck on "under review" with absolutely zero movement or explanation from EDD. I've been religiously certifying every two weeks and accurately reporting my severance amounts, but it's like my claim fell into a black hole. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both frustrating and relieving - frustrating because it's clear EDD's system is fundamentally broken for severance situations, but relieving because I now know this isn't my fault or something I'm doing wrong. The pattern is so consistent: EDD automatically flags any account with severance for "manual review" but then those reviews just sit in a queue forever unless we call and specifically demand action from a tier 2 specialist. I'm definitely going to try the 8:01 AM calling strategy that several people mentioned - the logic of calling exactly one minute after they open makes perfect sense to avoid the initial rush. It's absolutely insane that we have to become experts at gaming EDD's broken phone system just to get basic customer service during an already stressful time. But thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - at least now I have a clear action plan instead of just waiting helplessly!