EDD payment delay after first certification - Holiday impact?

First payments always take longer than regular ones, holiday or not. EDD has to verify everything on your first certification. Mine took 5 business days to hit my account when I first started in March. The holiday definitely isn't helping though - bank processing gets delayed too. I wouldn't worry unless it's been more than 7 business days since it switched to 'paid' status.

Thanks! That's reassuring. I think I was expecting it to be as quick as a regular paycheck. Guess I need to be more patient.

ya the holiday def delays it mines always like 3 days late after holidays sometimes even longer lol

Same! Every single holiday messes up the timing. So annoying.

The WHOLE SYSTEM is designed to make you wait!! I've been on unemployment 3 times in my life and it's ALWAYS the same garbage. They say

It's frustrating for sure, but I've found that payments are actually pretty reliable once you get past the first one. The system shows 'paid' when they've processed it on their end, but then banking systems take additional time, especially for first payments when they're setting up the account in their system. Holidays definitely add delays too.

Maybe YOU'VE had a good experience but that doesn't mean everyone does! I know PLENTY of people who've had payments randomly delayed for WEEKS with zero explanation!

If you selected the Money Network debit card option as your payment method, your first payment takes longer because they have to mail you the card first. It usually takes 7-10 business days to receive the card after your first payment shows as 'paid.' If you selected direct deposit, it typically takes 3-5 business days for the first payment, and then 1-2 days for subsequent payments. The holiday will add an extra day of processing time. \n\nOne thing to check - did you verify that your payment method is set up correctly in UI Online? Sometimes people think they've set up direct deposit but the system defaulted to the debit card option.

Oh wow, I didn't even think to check that! Just looked and it shows I'm getting the Money Network card. I thought I selected direct deposit during application but maybe I missed that step. Is there a way to switch to direct deposit now or do I have to wait for the card first?

You'll need to wait for the card to arrive first, then you can set up direct deposit for future payments. Once you have the card, you can log into the Money Network account and set up a transfer to your bank account for this payment. For future payments, log into UI Online, go to 'Profile' and then 'Payment Method' to switch to direct deposit. You'll need your bank routing and account numbers.

Perfect, thank you! That explains the delay. I'll keep an eye out for the card in the mail.

When I started getting unemployment last year I had the same thing happen. Took me like 10 days to get my first payment but then after that it was only 2-3 days each time. The holiday definitely messes up the timing tho. \n\nMy cousin had to call EDD about a totally different issue and he said he used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got him through to an actual rep in like 20 minutes. He showed me the video about how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km \n\nMight be helpful if you need to call about your payment not showing up after a week or so. But from what everyone's saying it sounds like you just need to wait a bit longer since it's your first payment.

Thanks for sharing! I've been trying to call EDD for days about my address change and can't get through.

Just to add some clarity on the timing: If your payment shows as 'paid' in the system and you're getting a Money Network card, here's the typical timeline:\n\n1. EDD processes payment (status shows 'paid') - Day 0\n2. Money Network processes the card creation - 1-2 business days\n3. Card is mailed - 5-7 business days for delivery\n\nSo in total, it's usually 6-9 business days from 'paid' status until you have the card in hand. Holidays add an extra day. Once you have the card, future payments are much faster - typically 1-2 days after certification shows as 'paid'.\n\nHang in there! The first payment is always the slowest.

ya but sometimes the mail is slow af too i had to get my card reissued and it took like 3 weeks

Oh no, I really hope mine doesn't take that long! Did you have to call them about it or did it just eventually show up?

after 2 weeks I had 2 call them they said they sent it but it got returned or somethin so they had to send a new one super annoying

That sounds like a nightmare! I just double-checked my address in the system and it's correct, so hopefully I won't run into that issue.

Since you're waiting for your card, one tip I wish someone had told me - as soon as you get it, create your Money Network account online right away. Then you can at least track when deposits hit the card. You can also set up automatic transfers to your bank account so you don't have to manually transfer each time.

That's great advice, thank you! Looking forward to getting this all sorted out. Seems like the first payment is the hardest part and then things should go more smoothly.