EDD penalty weeks - do they start from disqualification date or interview date?

the penalty weeks start from when u certified NOT from ur interview date. so if u certified on apr 8 then it started then. u should ask them exactly how many weeks u have left

I went through this exact same situation last year with penalty weeks. The way it works is the penalty weeks start from your FIRST eligible week that you would have received payment, not from your interview date. So if your claim started April 8, and you certified for weeks after that date, those weeks count toward your penalty weeks as long as you would have been eligible for payment otherwise. Basically, they make you go through 5 weeks where you would normally get paid, but you get nothing instead. It's super frustrating, but at least they don't make you pay anything additional if it's just penalty weeks.

penalty weeks suck, had them last year and was so confusing!!!! the EDD website is TERRIBLE at explaining this stuff. i still dont undrestand why they disqualify u instead of just saying "serving penalty week 1 of 5" or something clear

To clarify exactly how penalty weeks work: they begin with the first week you certify for that would otherwise be payable (meaning you meet all eligibility requirements). Each week you certify that you would normally get paid counts as one penalty week served. The weeks must be served consecutively, and you must continue certifying during this period. A key point many people miss - you must actually certify for these weeks! If you don't certify thinking "well I'm not getting paid anyway," those weeks won't count toward your penalty period. You need to keep certifying just like you normally would. Also, check your UI Online account. Sometimes they'll show "Disqualified - Section 1257(a)" which indicates penalty weeks. If you see this on weeks you've certified for, those are counting toward your penalty period.

i had same issue but with 10 weeks penalty back in january!! it suuuuucks but keep certifying even though ur not getting paid. my mistake was i stopped certifying for a couple weeks cause i thought what's the point?? then had to start all over ughhh

Has anyone tried using Claimyr to get through to an EDD rep for clarification on penalty weeks? I had a similar situation with penalty weeks and needed to know exactly how many I had already served. I was getting different answers from the automated system vs. what I thought was correct. After trying for days to get through on my own, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected to a rep in about 20 minutes. The rep was able to confirm exactly how many penalty weeks I had served and when I would start receiving payments again. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. Definitely helped clear up my confusion!

One important thing to note about penalty weeks: You need to meet ALL eligibility requirements during those weeks for them to count. This means you still have to be: 1. Able and available for work 2. Actively looking for work 3. Meeting all work search requirements 4. Reporting any part-time work correctly If you don't meet these requirements for any penalty week, that week won't count toward your penalty period. This is why it's crucial to keep certifying normally and maintaining your eligibility even though you're not receiving payments.

Just to update - I double-checked my experience with penalty weeks from last year. The weeks ARE retroactive to when you first certified and would have been eligible. So if you filed on April 8 and have been certifying since then, you're already several weeks into your penalty period. A tip: call EDD and specifically ask "How many penalty weeks have I served so far, and when will my benefits begin?" Get an exact date if possible. Write down the name of the rep who tells you this info.