EDD scheduled phone interview AFTER approving my claim and paying benefits - what gives?

Yes, this happened to me last year! Don't panic - it's actually pretty common. EDD sometimes does random eligibility checks even after you've been approved and receiving payments. In my case, they just wanted to verify some info about my previous employer because there was a discrepancy between what I reported and what my employer reported. The interview was quick (about 15 minutes) and I kept receiving payments without interruption. Just make sure you have all your employment documents handy - last paystub, layoff letter if you have one, and dates of employment.

That's such a relief to hear! Did they tell you what the discrepancy was beforehand or did you only find out during the call? I don't have a layoff letter, just an email from my manager. Will that be enough?

ya this is normal EDD stuff they do this to everyone randomly its like an audit kinda thing dont stress to much just be honest about everything and youll be fine

Not sure that's accurate. They don't do random interviews - there's always a specific reason they're investigating something.

This is actually fairly common and usually happens for one of these reasons:\n\n1. Your former employer contested your claim AFTER it was initially approved\n2. There was a discrepancy in your work or earnings information\n3. Something in your certification answers flagged their system\n4. You reported earnings that didn't match their records\n5. Random quarterly eligibility verification (yes, these do happen)\n\nThe most important thing is to be prepared. Have documentation ready showing your last day worked, reason for separation, and any communications about your layoff. Answer questions truthfully - the interviewer is just verifying facts, not trying to disqualify you. If you were truly laid off for lack of work, you should be fine.\n\nDon't stress too much - many of these interviews are just procedural and don't result in any payment interruptions. Just make sure you're available at the scheduled time because rescheduling can delay your benefits.

Thank you for this detailed explanation! I've been working for the same company for 5 years before they did mass layoffs in January. I'm wondering if it could be because I picked up a small side gig last month (just 8 hours total) and reported the earnings on my certification? Maybe that triggered something in their system?

THE EDD SYSTEM IS COMPLETE GARBAGE!!! They approve you, pay you, then randomly decide to investigate you months later! This EXACT thing happened to me and they ended up saying I was \

While I understand your frustration, I think this is unnecessarily alarming. Most eligibility interviews don't result in disqualification if you were legitimately laid off and have been truthful on your certifications. The EDD does have obligation to verify claims, even after initial approval, especially if new information comes to their attention.

Easy for you to say! Wait until you're the one who has to pay back $7,500 because of some technicality nobody explained to you!

hey did u report any earnings recently? that usually triggers these interviews. happened to me when i started doing doordash while on unemployment. they just wanna make sure ur reporting everything correctly.

Yes! I did some temporary work (just one day) at a convention center last month and reported the $160 I earned. That must be it.

Based on your responses, it sounds like the interview was triggered by your reported earnings from the side gig. This is actually very common - when you report new employment or earnings while on an active claim, EDD often conducts an eligibility interview to verify:\n\n1. That the work is truly part-time/temporary\n2. That you're still available for full-time work\n3. That you're accurately reporting all earnings\n\nDuring the interview, they'll likely ask about:\n- The nature of this new work (temporary vs ongoing)\n- How you found this work\n- Your availability for full-time employment\n- Whether you've turned down any other work opportunities\n\nJust be honest and straightforward. Since you only worked 8 hours total and properly reported the earnings, this should be a routine verification. Have documentation of those earnings ready just in case.

Thank you so much for breaking this down! I feel much better now. I'll make sure to have my pay stub from that one-day gig ready to show them. It was definitely just a one-time thing and I'm still actively looking for permanent full-time work.

One thing to add that no one has mentioned: when you get the call, WRITE DOWN the interviewer's name and ID number at the beginning of the call. Sometimes these interviews get disconnected or cut off, and having their direct information can save you from waiting weeks for another interview to be scheduled.

This happened to my sister back in November. The interview was scheduled for 10:30am but the EDD interviewer never called! She waited by the phone all day. Then they sent her a disqualification notice saying she

I've heard so many stories like this lately! If you're worried about actually connecting with them, I'd recommend using Claimyr.com - it's a service that helps you reach an actual EDD representative quickly instead of dealing with the constant busy signals and disconnections. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. I used it when I had issues with my phone interview being rescheduled and was able to get through right away. Just make sure you have your claim info ready when they connect you.

Oh thank you for this! I'm definitely worried about missing their call. Does this service help you talk to someone before your scheduled interview, or would it help if they don't call me during the scheduled time?

It helps you get through to an EDD rep before your interview so you can confirm everything is set up correctly, or after if they miss the scheduled time. It's basically a way to bypass the usual phone system nightmare when you need to speak with someone. They can also help clarify what your interview will be about if that wasn't specified in your notice.

Perfect, I might use this before my interview just to make sure everything is still on track. Thanks for the recommendation!

update us after ur interview plz! curious what happens

UPDATE: Had my interview yesterday and it went fine! The interviewer was actually really nice. She just wanted to verify the details about that one-day job I did last month - asked about the company, how many hours I worked, if it was a one-time thing or ongoing, and confirmed I'm still looking for full-time work. The whole call took maybe 10 minutes. My payment for this week is already showing as paid in the system. Thanks everyone for your help!

Great news! Glad it was straightforward and you're still on track with your benefits. This is the most common outcome for these verification interviews when everything has been reported correctly.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm going through something similar right now - got approved for benefits in January and have been getting payments, but just received a notice for an eligibility interview next week. Reading through everyone's experiences here really helps ease the anxiety. It sounds like as long as you've been honest and have your documentation ready, these interviews are usually just routine verification. Thanks for sharing your update @Aisha - knowing it only took 10 minutes and everything worked out fine is really reassuring for those of us facing the same situation!

Thanks for sharing your experience @Aisha! This thread is incredibly helpful for anyone dealing with these post-approval interviews. I went through something similar about 6 months ago - EDD scheduled an interview after I'd been receiving benefits for about a month. In my case, it was because my former employer had submitted some additional paperwork that created a discrepancy in their system. The interviewer just needed to clarify a few dates and confirm my separation reason. The whole thing took about 15 minutes and my benefits continued without interruption. The key thing I learned is that these interviews are often triggered by administrative updates in their system rather than any wrongdoing on your part. As long as you've been truthful on all your certifications and have your employment documentation ready, you should be fine. It's definitely nerve-wracking to get that notice, but it's much more routine than it seems!

I just wanted to add another perspective for anyone finding this thread who might be worried about these interviews. I work as a benefits counselor at a workforce development center, and I see clients go through EDD eligibility interviews fairly regularly. The vast majority are exactly what everyone has described here - routine verification calls that don't result in any benefit interruptions. The most common triggers I see are: reporting new earnings (like Aisha's situation), employer-submitted corrections to wage/separation info, and periodic random audits (yes, these do exist despite what some say). My advice is always the same: be honest, have your documents ready, and don't volunteer extra information beyond what they ask. Answer their questions directly and clearly. If you were legitimately laid off and have been truthful on your certifications, these interviews are usually just a formality. I've only seen benefits get suspended when there were actual eligibility issues that should have disqualified the person from the start. Thanks for sharing your positive outcome, Aisha - it's exactly what I would expect for someone in your situation!

I'm scheduled for one of these interviews next week too, and this whole thread has been incredibly helpful! I was panicking when I got the notice because I thought I'd done something wrong, but it sounds like these are much more routine than they seem. My situation is a bit different - I've been on unemployment since December and haven't reported any additional earnings, so I'm wondering if mine might be one of those random audits that @Freya Johansen mentioned. Has anyone here gone through an interview where they didn't report new work? I'm curious what kinds of questions they ask in those cases. I have all my original layoff paperwork saved, so hopefully that will be sufficient. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's made me feel so much less anxious about this!