EDD sending certification reminders but husband's claim already denied - what's happening?

This is actually really common with EDD's automated system. The certification notices are automated and often continue even after a denial has been issued. I recommend he should still certify for those weeks. Here's why: if he successfully appeals the denial (which he can do within 30 days of receiving the denial notice), having those weeks already certified will mean he gets paid faster if the appeal is successful. Is the denial letter specifically a "Notice of Determination"? If so, there should be appeal instructions at the bottom.

certify anyway!!!! my cousin had SAME EXACT THING happen and he certified every week even tho he got denied. then 5 weeks later edd reversed their decision and he got ALL THE MONEY for those weeks he certified! if u dont certify and they reverse decision later u might not get those weeks

I work with unemployment cases regularly, and I can help clarify this situation. The automated certification emails are indeed separate from the eligibility determination system, which is why they continue even after a denial. Your husband has two potential options: 1) If he believes there's an error in how his wages were calculated, he should file an appeal. This is worth doing if he had other W-2 employment within the last 18 months that might not have been counted. 2) If he truly doesn't have sufficient wages in the regular base period, he might qualify under the Alternate Base Period (ABP), which looks at more recent wages. He would need to specifically request this. Has he created an account on UI Online? If so, he should log in and check his claim status and monetary determination details. This will show exactly what wages EDD is seeing in their system.

the SAME EXACT THING happened to me last year and it was SO FRUSTRATING!!! 😡 i was getting all these certify emails but was denied. i called like 50 times and could never get through. the whole system is broken if u ask me. they should update their stupid system so it doesnt send those emails after ur denied!!

If you're trying to reach EDD to get this sorted out, I had a similar issue last month. After days of calling and getting the "we're experiencing high call volume" message, I found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an EDD rep in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The rep explained to me that the system sends certification notices automatically regardless of claim status. But they were able to review my file and tell me exactly what was going on. Sometimes you just need to talk to a human! Their website is claimyr.com if you're interested.

To address your original question directly: Your husband should definitely continue to certify for benefits despite the denial. Here's why this happens: When someone files a claim, EDD's system automatically schedules all the biweekly certifications for the entire benefit year (52 weeks). This automated scheduling happens before the monetary eligibility determination is complete. Regarding the Alternate Base Period someone mentioned: If his regular base period didn't have enough wages, but he had good earnings in the most recent completed quarter, the ABP might help. He would need to specifically request EDD to calculate his eligibility using the ABP instead of the standard base period. For self-employment: If his previous self-employment was affected by the pandemic and was between 2020-2021, that would have qualified under PUA, but those programs ended. Regular state unemployment doesn't typically count self-employment income.

To request the Alternate Base Period calculation, your husband needs to specifically contact EDD and request it - it's not automatic. The best way is to speak with a representative directly. The ABP uses the four most recently completed calendar quarters instead of the standard base period. For example, if he filed in April 2025, the standard base period would be January 2024 through December 2024, while the ABP would be April 2024 through March 2025. If his construction job was during those most recent quarters, the ABP could potentially qualify him. And yes, definitely continue certifying while pursuing this!

good luck getting thru to anyone on the phone tho... took my brother like 197 calls once lol not even exaggerating

One final point that might help others finding this thread: Certifying while a denial is being appealed or reconsidered is important because EDD cannot pay benefits for weeks that weren't certified, even if eligibility is later established. You have 14 days from the certification date to complete each certification without it being considered late. If you miss certifications and your claim is later approved, you'll have to go through an additional process to certify for those back weeks, which can significantly delay payment. For anyone facing a similar situation: Always certify while pursuing appeals or reconsiderations. The worst case is you spent a few minutes certifying unnecessarily; the best case is you'll receive payments much faster if your claim status changes.