EDD scheduled phone interview after weeks of receiving benefits - should I panic?

This happened to me in January. Don't panic! These interviews are pretty standard - sometimes EDD randomly selects claims for verification even after they've been paying you. In my case, they wanted to double-check that my layoff was legit and not a voluntary quit. Bring all your documentation to the phone interview - your layoff letter, any emails about the company downsizing, contact info for HR if possible. The interview is usually quick, about 10-15 minutes of basic questions. And yes, they'll backpay you for any weeks on hold as long as the interview goes well. One tip: prepare a one-minute explanation of your layoff situation. They'll ask you to describe what happened, and being clear and concise helps a lot.

First off, definitely keep that documentation handy. EDD randomly does these eligibility interviews - sometimes triggered by your former employer responding to their notice or sometimes just random verification. I went through this too. In my experience, they're checking one of these things: 1. Making sure it was truly a layoff/reduction in force 2. Verifying you're actively seeking work 3. Double-checking your availability for work 4. Following up on any discrepancies in your certifications If your employer confirmed the layoff reason, it should be straightforward. Just answer honestly and provide those layoff documents. The interview is actually a good sign - means they're processing your claim fully.

dont worry 2 much, they probly just wanna check ur work search efforts. make sure u can list the jobs u applied to!!! happened to me in decmeber

Thanks everyone for the input. I'm still nervous but feeling a bit better. I've got my layoff letter, final paystub, and I've been keeping a detailed job search log (just in case). Really hope this is just routine like some of you mentioned.

my sister works for edd (not telling me anything specific about claims don't worry) but she says they're super backed up on interviews still from covid backlog lol. so ur probably just coming up in the queue now even tho they started paying u. as long as everything u told them is true ur good

Update: I actually got a letter in the mail today explaining the interview. They're verifying my reason for separation, and it says my former employer reported that I was terminated for performance reasons??? This is absolutely FALSE - we had an entire department layoff with documentation stating restructuring/downsizing! Now I'm even more stressed!

Now that you've received the letter, you know exactly what to prepare for. This happens more than you'd think - HR systems often have different codes in their system versus what they tell employees. Bring your layoff letter, any emails discussing the layoff, and names of others laid off if possible. Keep your explanation simple and consistent: "I was part of a mass layoff where our entire department of X people was eliminated due to company restructuring." I'd also recommend calling your old HR department to ask about this discrepancy before your interview. There might have been a simple coding error on their part when responding to EDD.

EMPLOYERS DO THIS ALL THE TIME to avoid their unemployment rates going up!!!! They're LYING to pay less in unemployment insurance!!!! Make SURE you fight this with ALL your documentation and DON'T back down!!!! They're counting on you getting scared and giving up!!!!

If I were you, I'd try using Claimyr to reach an EDD rep right away instead of waiting for the interview. I had exactly this situation (employer claimed misconduct when it was clearly a layoff). The rep I reached through Claimyr was able to note my account and even release one of my payments while waiting for the interview. Their system got me through to someone in about 20 minutes when I had been trying for days: claimyr.com - worth checking their demo video: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km

Final update: Had my phone interview today! The EDD interviewer was actually really nice and understanding. I explained the mass layoff situation, sent her my documentation during the call, and she immediately said she could see it was a legitimate layoff. She even mentioned they've had several others from my company recently. Payments have been released and she said I should see the money in my account within 48 hours. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for the advice and support through this stressful week.

So happy to hear it worked out! This is exactly why I tell people not to panic when they get these interviews - most of the time it's just routine verification and everything gets resolved quickly. Your experience is a perfect example of how having your documentation ready makes all the difference. Congrats on getting through it and getting your payments released!

Congratulations on getting through that stressful situation! Your experience is really helpful for others who might face similar issues. It's frustrating that your employer initially reported the wrong separation reason, but it sounds like having all your documentation ready made the difference. The fact that the interviewer mentioned several others from your company confirms this was likely just a coding error on their end. Thanks for sharing the positive outcome - it's reassuring to know that EDD does work things out when you have proper documentation!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - got my first EDD interview scheduled after receiving benefits for about 3 weeks. Reading through everyone's experiences, especially Nina's positive outcome, is really reassuring. It sounds like having documentation ready is absolutely key. I've been keeping my layoff letter and separation paperwork organized, but this thread made me realize I should also gather any emails about the company downsizing and maybe reach out to my former HR department proactively. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so valuable to hear real stories from people who've been through this process!

What a rollercoaster of emotions you must have gone through! I'm so relieved to read your final update that everything worked out. Your experience is incredibly valuable for this community - it shows how important it is to stay organized with documentation but also not to panic when these interviews get scheduled. The fact that your employer initially reported the wrong separation reason is infuriating, but it's a good reminder that these discrepancies happen and can be resolved with proper evidence. Thanks for taking the time to update us throughout the process, especially sharing the positive outcome. This thread is going to help so many people who find themselves in similar situations!

This entire thread is incredibly reassuring! I'm currently dealing with my first EDD interview scheduled for next week after receiving benefits for about a month, and I was absolutely panicking until I found this discussion. Nina, your detailed updates throughout the whole process are so helpful - from the initial anxiety to the positive resolution. It's particularly valuable that you shared how your employer initially reported the wrong separation reason, because I suspect something similar might be happening in my case. I was laid off in a company-wide restructuring, but now I'm wondering if they coded it differently in their system. Your advice about having all documentation ready and staying calm during the interview is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you for taking the time to update everyone with the final outcome - it gives me so much hope that this will work out fine as long as I'm prepared!

This is such a valuable thread for anyone dealing with EDD interviews! Nina, thank you for sharing your entire journey and being so transparent about the stress and uncertainty. Your experience really highlights how these interviews can seem scary but often turn out to be routine verification processes. The key takeaways I'm getting are: 1) Keep ALL documentation organized, 2) Don't panic if your employer reported something incorrectly - it can be resolved, and 3) The EDD interviewers are generally fair when you have proper evidence. It's also really telling that your interviewer mentioned several others from your company had similar interviews - clearly this was just a systematic review triggered by your employer's response. Thanks for taking the time to update us with the positive outcome - these real success stories are so much more helpful than generic advice!

What an incredibly helpful thread to stumble upon! As someone who just received their first EDD interview notice yesterday, I cannot tell you how much Nina's detailed experience has helped ease my anxiety. I was literally up all night worrying about what this could mean, especially since I've been receiving payments for 4 weeks without any issues. Reading through everyone's experiences - from the initial panic to the positive resolutions - really shows that these interviews are often just routine verification rather than something to fear. I'm taking all the advice here to heart: organizing my layoff documentation, preparing a clear explanation of my separation, and staying calm during the process. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories, especially Nina for providing such thorough updates throughout her journey. This community support makes such a difference when you're dealing with financial stress and uncertainty!

This thread has been an absolute godsend! I'm currently waiting for my EDD interview scheduled for next week and have been stressed beyond belief. Nina, your detailed journey from panic to resolution is exactly what I needed to read. What really stands out to me is how you stayed organized with documentation and kept updating us throughout the process - that's incredibly helpful for those of us going through similar situations. I'm in a very similar boat - was laid off in February from a tech startup that had to downsize their entire product team, have been receiving benefits for about 5 weeks, and suddenly got hit with this interview notice. Reading how your employer initially reported the wrong separation reason but everything worked out once you provided proper documentation gives me hope that mine will too. Already reaching out to my former manager to confirm what was reported to EDD, and I've got all my layoff paperwork organized thanks to everyone's advice here. It's amazing how this community comes together to support each other through these stressful situations!