EDD payments stuck on pending for 5 weeks after reporting severance - will I ever get paid?
So frustrating! I got laid off from my marketing job on August 15th and immediately filed for unemployment. I've been certifying every two weeks like clockwork but my payments have been stuck on 'pending' for 5 weeks now with absolutely no explanation. I received a pretty substantial severance package (about $7,500) which hit my account on August 30th. I reported this on my certification form because I didn't want to get in trouble, but now I'm wondering if that's what's holding everything up? The EDD website gives zero information and I can't get through on the phone. I'm starting to panic because my rent is due next week and my savings are basically gone. Has anyone dealt with severance pay messing up their claim? How long should I expect this 'pending' status to continue?
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Zara Ahmed
Yes, your severance payment is definitely what's causing the pending status. Severance is considered wages by EDD, and they have to review your claim manually when you report it. When you get severance, EDD has to determine if you were "overpaid" for those weeks. Since you got paid on August 30th, they're likely reviewing if that covers just the last two weeks of August or if it extends into September depending on how many weeks of severance you received. This is completely normal but unfortunately can take 4-6 weeks to resolve.
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Sean O'Donnell
•Thanks for explaining! The severance was just a lump sum for 3 weeks of pay, not ongoing payments. Do I need to call them to explain this or will they figure it out on their own? And will I eventually get backpay for all these pending weeks?
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StarStrider
pnding 4 5 weeks is nothing tbh. my claim was pnding for 11 weeks last year. EDD moves slow af
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Sean O'Donnell
•11 weeks?! That's insane. Did you eventually get all your money or did they disqualify you?
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Luca Esposito
This is actually very common with severance payments. Here's what's happening: When you report severance pay, your claim gets flagged for review because EDD needs to determine what weeks that severance should be applied to. They treat severance as wages for specific weeks, which means you weren't technically "unemployed" during those weeks in their system. Based on your $7,500 severance for 3 weeks of pay, they're likely allocating that across 3-4 weeks after your layoff date. Once their review is complete, they should automatically approve payments for weeks after your severance period. You DO need to keep certifying every two weeks during this review period. You will get backpay for any weeks they determine you were eligible. But until they complete their review, everything will show as pending.
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Sean O'Donnell
•This is really helpful, thank you! So if my severance was for 3 weeks, does that mean I won't get unemployment for those 3 weeks but should eventually get it for weeks 4 and 5? The waiting and uncertainty is killing me.
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Nia Thompson
Omg I'm in nearly THE EXACT same situation!!! Got laid off Aug 10, got severance Sept 1, and now everything's stuck in pending. So frustrating!!!
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Sean O'Donnell
•It's awful, right? Let me know if yours starts moving. I'll update here if mine does too.
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Mateo Rodriguez
The EDD system is completely BROKEN!!! I had the same issue last year and calling them was IMPOSSIBLE. Spent hours dialing just to get disconnected. They should be ASHAMED of how they treat taxpayers who are just trying to get benefits they EARNED. My severance caused a 9-week pending nightmare and no one at EDD would help!
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Aisha Abdullah
•I had similar frustrations trying to get through to EDD about my severance issue. After wasting days trying to call, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent. They basically call EDD for you and connect you when they get through. Saved me so much frustration! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The agent I spoke with was able to review my severance documentation and clear my pending payments while I was on the phone with them. Worth considering if you're desperate to get this resolved quickly.
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Ethan Wilson
severences r considered earned wages 4 the time period they cover. so if u got 3 wks severence u cant get ui for those 3 wks. but after that ur fine
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Sean O'Donnell
•So I basically have to wait for them to figure that out on their own? There's no way to speed it up?
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Zara Ahmed
To clarify what others have said: 1. Your 3-week severance package will be allocated to the first 3 weeks after your layoff (Aug 15 - Sep 5 approximately) 2. You won't receive unemployment benefits for those 3 weeks 3. You should be eligible for benefits for any weeks after your severance period 4. The pending status should eventually change to paid for eligible weeks and disqualified for the severance weeks 5. Keep certifying for all weeks regardless of pending status One suggestion: if this continues beyond 6 weeks total, you may need to contact EDD directly. Sometimes these reviews get stuck in their system and need manual intervention.
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Sean O'Donnell
•This is super helpful and clear, thank you! I'll keep certifying and give it another week before I try calling. Fingers crossed it resolves itself.
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Nia Thompson
My friend had this exact problem and said she had to do an "Affidavit of Wages" form to prove when her severance was for. Did anyone send you that form?
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Luca Esposito
•EDD only sends the Affidavit of Wages form if they have conflicting information about your wages. In a straightforward severance situation like this, they typically don't need additional verification unless there's a discrepancy between what the employer reported and what the claimant reported. The system is just slow processing these reviews.
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Sean O'Donnell
UPDATE: You all were right! Just checked my UI Online account and my status changed from pending to paid for weeks 4 and 5, and weeks 1-3 now say "disqualified - excessive earnings" which makes sense because of the severance. Thank you all for the explanations and help!
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Zara Ahmed
•Great news! Glad it worked out. This is exactly how the system is supposed to work with severance, even if it takes way too long. Make sure you keep certifying on time for future weeks.
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