EDD payment schedule confusion - is it exactly every 2 weeks after first payment?

congrats on getting ur first payment! EDD pays biweekly after u certify. u need to certify every 2 weeks on UI online. they give u certification dates based on ur SSN i think. check ur UI homepage, it should tell u exactly when to certify next. usually every other sunday

The payment schedule isn't exactly based on your first payment date, but rather on your certification schedule. EDD assigns everyone a certification group (either Group 1 or Group 2). You certify every two weeks on Sunday, and if everything is in order, payment typically processes within 24-48 hours after certification. So if you certified right before your April 26th payment, your next certification would be Sunday, May 8th, with payment likely arriving May 9th-10th. Check your UI Online homepage - it will display your next certification date prominently at the top.

Its NOT every 2 weeks from when u got paid!!! I made that mistake and was freaking out when nothing came. You have to CERTIFY first then they pay you. Theres a specific schedule for when u need to certify based on ur SSN. Login to UI Online and look at the homepage, it tells u exactly when to certify next. After u certify it usually takes 1-2 days to get paid if ur claim is clean. IF THERES ANY ISSUES it can take way longer!! Make sure u answer the certification questions correctly!!

my payment comes exactly 2 days after i certify. i certify sunday morning and money hits my account tuesday morning like clockwork. unless there's a holiday then it might be wednesday.

Like others said, payments don't follow your first payment date - they follow your certification date. One important thing: make sure you're enrolled in either the Money Network debit card or direct deposit for quickest payment. If you haven't set up your payment preference yet, log into UI Online, go to 'Payment Preferences' and choose. Direct deposit is faster in my experience. Also, if you ever need to speak with an EDD rep (which you probably will at some point - most claims hit issues eventually), I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) last month when my payments were stuck pending. They got me through to an EDD agent in about 20 minutes when I had been trying for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km

I went through this EXACT same confusion when I first started getting benefits! The EDD system is super confusing. Here's how it actually works: 1. You certify for benefits every 2 weeks on your assigned date (check UI Online) 2. After certification, payment processes in 24-48 hours if no issues 3. You get paid for the PREVIOUS two weeks you just certified for So if you got paid April 26th, you probably certified April 24th or 25th. Your next certification would be May 8th, with payment around May 9th-10th. One important tip: always look for your next certification date on your UI Online homepage! That's your most reliable guide for when to expect payments.

maybe a stupid question but does anyone know if memorial day will delay payment? my next cert is may 22 which means payment would normally hit may 24 but wondering if the holiday will push it to like may 25/26?

Just want to add my experience - I've been on EDD for about 4 months now and the certification schedule becomes second nature after a few cycles. The key thing that helped me was setting up text alerts through UI Online (go to Profile > Contact Preferences). They'll send you a reminder 2 days before your certification date so you never miss it. Also, if you're in construction like me, make sure you understand the work search requirements. You need to do 3 job search activities per week you're claiming benefits. I keep a simple spreadsheet with company names, dates, and what I did (applied online, called, etc.). During slow construction seasons this can be tricky but it's required. One last tip - if you ever have weeks where you do some part-time or odd jobs, report that income accurately when you certify. It's better to report it and have them reduce your benefit amount than to not report it and potentially get hit with an overpayment later.

Really appreciate this detailed thread! I'm new to unemployment after being laid off from my tech job last month. One thing I'm still confused about - when you certify every 2 weeks, are you certifying for the 2 weeks that just passed, or the upcoming 2 weeks? I want to make sure I'm thinking about this correctly when I answer the work search and availability questions. Also, has anyone had experience with how EDD handles severance pay? I got a small severance package and I'm worried it might affect my benefits timing or amount. Should I report this when I certify or is there a separate process for that?

Construction worker here too! Been through the EDD system twice now (2019 and 2023). Everything everyone said about certification dates is spot on - ignore your first payment date and focus on your certification schedule. One thing I learned the hard way: during construction slow seasons, document EVERYTHING for your work search. I use the CalJOBS website (required anyway) plus keep screenshots of job applications. EDD can audit your work search records anytime and construction jobs can be sparse in certain areas/seasons. Also since you mentioned budgeting - heads up that your benefit amount might change if you had varying income during your base period. EDD recalculates periodically and sometimes people get surprised by adjustments. Keep an eye on your payment history in UI Online. The certification process gets automatic after a few cycles. Just stay consistent with your answers and never skip a certification period even if you think you might not qualify that week. Let EDD make that determination.

Hey Jackson! I went through the same exact confusion when I first started getting benefits. Everyone here gave you great advice - definitely focus on your certification date, not your payment date. One thing that really helped me was downloading the EDD mobile app (if you haven't already). It makes checking your certification dates and payment status way easier than logging into the website every time. You can even certify through the app. Since you're in construction like a few others here, I'd also recommend joining some of the local construction worker Facebook groups in your area. During my unemployment periods, I found a lot of good job leads through those groups that I could count toward my work search requirements. Plus the guys in those groups often share tips about which contractors are hiring. The budgeting part gets easier once you know your schedule. I always planned my rent and big expenses around the certification cycle - like if I knew my next payment was coming May 10th, I'd schedule rent for May 12th just to be safe. Good luck with everything!

As someone who's been on EDD benefits for about 6 months now, I can confirm everything others have said about the certification schedule being key. One thing I'd add that saved me a lot of stress - set up email notifications in your UI Online account under Profile > Contact Information. They'll email you when it's time to certify AND when payments are processed. Also, since you mentioned being in construction, make sure you understand how to report any odd jobs or day work correctly during certification. Even if it's just a one-day gig, you need to report the gross earnings for that week. I learned this the hard way when I did some handyman work and didn't report it properly - ended up with an overpayment notice months later. The system really does become routine after a few cycles. Your May 8th certification date sounds right based on what others calculated. Just remember to certify early in the day on Sunday if possible - the system can get slow/crash later in the day when everyone's trying to access it at once.

Been on EDD for about 8 months now and want to echo what everyone's saying about the certification schedule being everything. One thing that might help with your budgeting - EDD payments typically hit your account at the same time each week once you're in the rhythm. For me it's always Tuesday around 3am. Also, since you mentioned construction work, keep in mind that EDD sometimes flags construction workers for additional eligibility reviews because our work is seasonal. Don't panic if this happens - just respond quickly to any requests for info. I had to do a phone interview around month 3 just to confirm my work history and availability. Pro tip: if you ever can't access UI Online on certification day (system crashes happen), you can certify by phone using the automated system. The number is on your award notice. Saved me once when the website was down all Sunday. Good luck and congrats on finally getting that first payment! The hardest part is behind you.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who's been through this recently. I was also super confused about the payment timing when I first started getting benefits after being laid off from my warehouse job. The key thing that finally made it click for me was understanding that EDD operates on a "certification first, then payment" system rather than just automatically sending money every two weeks. Once I started thinking of it as "I need to check in with EDD every two weeks to confirm I still qualify, and THEN they pay me," it made way more sense. One thing that helped me stay organized was creating a simple calendar reminder that said "EDD Certification Day" for every other Sunday. I also wrote down my certification group info and next due date on a sticky note and put it on my bathroom mirror so I'd see it every morning. Also, don't stress too much about the exact timing - as long as you certify on your assigned date and answer the questions accurately, the payments will come. I was overthinking it at first and checking my bank account obsessively. Now after several months it's just part of my routine. You've got this! The first payment is always the hardest to get, and now that you're in the system it should be much smoother going forward.