EDD sent Eligibility Questionnaire after filing UI - is my employer contesting my claim?

This is completely normal and doesn't mean your employer is contesting anything. Everyone gets the eligibility questionnaire when they file a new claim - it's just part of EDD's standard process to determine why you're unemployed. Answer truthfully about being laid off and you should be fine. Your employer told you they won't contest because that means when EDD contacts them to verify the separation reason (which they always do), they'll confirm what you said.

yep got same thing when i filed back in january, its just what edd does for everyone. just make sure ur answers match whatever ur employer is gonna say about why u left

I got the same questionnaire when I filed after being laid off from my accounting position. The questionnaire is part of EDD's standard process - EVERYONE gets it regardless of whether your employer is contesting or not. They need to determine if you were laid off (eligible), quit (possibly eligible depending on circumstances), or fired for misconduct (potentially not eligible). Make sure your answers match what your employer will tell EDD. If you were truly laid off and your employer confirmed they won't contest, you should be fine. But expect further delays - EDD will still contact your employer to verify separation details, and that's where backups happen. My claim took about 3 weeks to process after filling out that questionnaire.

i got laid off in dec & had 2 fill out same thing!!! then nothing happened 4 like 2 weeks. then i got ANOTHER form about why i was seperated from my employer!!! sooo frustrating!!!

Don't stress about this questionnaire - it's standard procedure. I think a lot of people get confused about what "not contesting" actually means. Your employer isn't filing anything against you - they're just saying when EDD contacts them (which they ALWAYS do), they'll confirm you were laid off. However, be prepared for potential delays. EDD is notoriously slow at processing claims right now, especially new ones. After you submit the questionnaire, you'll likely need to wait for EDD to verify your information with your employer. This can take anywhere from 2-6 weeks depending on how quickly your employer responds. I'd recommend calling EDD directly if you don't see movement on your claim after 2 weeks. Getting through to them is nearly impossible though using the regular number.

I had the exact same experience last month! Got that eligibility questionnaire immediately after filing. I answered it all truthfully (laid off due to company restructuring), and my claim was approved about 10 days later. But then it sat in "pending" payment status for almost 3 weeks with no explanation. Couldn't get through to anyone at EDD despite calling literally 50+ times. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an EDD rep who fixed my pending payments in minutes. They have a demo video if you want to see how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. Totally worth it when you're desperate to get your claim moving.

The Eligibility Questionnaire is absolutely standard procedure for all UI claims in California. Here's what's happening: 1) You file your initial claim 2) EDD sends you the questionnaire to gather separation details 3) EDD sends a notice to your employer to verify the separation reason 4) If both stories match (laid off), your claim processes normally 5) If stories conflict, you'll get scheduled for a phone eligibility interview Your employer saying they "won't contest" means when they get the verification form, they'll confirm you were laid off rather than terminated for cause. It doesn't mean you get to skip the standard claim process. My advice: Answer the questionnaire promptly and accurately. Use the exact same wording your employer will likely use ("laid off due to [whatever reason they gave you]"). After that, certify for benefits as instructed and keep an eye on your UI Online account for updates. Most clean, uncontested claims take 2-3 weeks from filing to first payment.

theres no way to know what ur employer is REALLY doing!! my boss told me the same thing then i found out they told edd i was fired for being late!! had to fight it for monthsssss

I went through this exact same thing last year! The eligibility questionnaire is 100% standard - I got it within 24 hours of filing my claim even though my employer had already told me they wouldn't contest. It's just EDD's way of collecting the basic info about your separation before they contact your employer to verify. The key thing is to be consistent with whatever your manager told you about the reason for the layoff. If they said "company restructuring" or "position elimination" or whatever, use those exact words. EDD will send your employer a form asking them to confirm the separation reason, and as long as your stories match, you should be good to go. One heads up though - even with an uncontested claim, the whole process still took about 3 weeks for me from filing to getting my first payment. The questionnaire was just the first step. Stay on top of certifying for benefits every two weeks even while your claim is still being processed, because you'll get backpay once it's approved.

I just went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! Got laid off from my tech job and literally had the same panic when I saw that eligibility questionnaire pop up the next day. My HR manager had also assured me they wouldn't contest, so I was like "what the heck is this??" Turns out it's just their standard operating procedure - they send it to EVERYONE who files a new claim regardless of the circumstances. I filled it out honestly (laid off due to budget cuts), and my claim was approved without any issues about 2.5 weeks later. The questionnaire is basically just EDD's way of getting your side of the story before they reach out to your employer to verify. Since your manager already told you they won't contest, you should be in good shape. Just make sure your answers on the form match exactly what your employer will tell EDD when they get contacted for verification. Hang in there - I know the waiting is stressful when bills are coming due, but if it's truly an uncontested layoff, you should be fine!

Hey Maya! I totally get the panic - I had the exact same reaction when I got that questionnaire after filing my claim a few months ago. It definitely feels scary when you're already stressed about money and then EDD immediately sends you more paperwork to fill out. Everyone here is absolutely right that this is completely standard procedure. EDD sends this questionnaire to every single person who files a new UI claim, regardless of whether the employer is contesting or not. It's just their way of collecting your version of events before they contact your employer to verify the separation details. Since your manager specifically told you they won't contest and to apply right away, that's actually a really good sign. When EDD contacts them (which they do for every claim), your employer will confirm that you were laid off rather than terminated for cause. Just make sure you use the exact same language on the questionnaire that your manager used when explaining the layoff reason. The whole process is still going to take a few weeks unfortunately, but you should be able to get your benefits before rent is due if you submit the questionnaire promptly. Make sure you keep certifying for benefits every two weeks even while your claim is processing, because you'll get backpay once it's approved. You've got this!

I can totally relate to that panic feeling! I went through the same thing about 8 months ago when I got laid off from my retail management position. Got that eligibility questionnaire within hours of filing and immediately thought my employer was going back on their word about not contesting. Just to echo what everyone else has said - this questionnaire is 100% routine and has nothing to do with whether your employer is contesting. It's literally just EDD's standard first step in processing ANY new unemployment claim. They need your side of the story before they reach out to verify with your employer. Since your manager explicitly told you they wouldn't contest and to apply right away, you're in a really good position. When EDD contacts them for verification (which happens for every single claim), they'll confirm what you said about being laid off. One tip that helped me: keep a copy of whatever you write on the questionnaire so you remember exactly what you said if EDD has any follow-up questions later. Also, don't be surprised if it takes 2-4 weeks total to get your first payment even with everything going smoothly - that's just how long their process takes unfortunately. But you should definitely have benefits before your rent is due if you submit everything promptly!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my claim on Tuesday after getting laid off from my customer service job, and got that eligibility questionnaire email yesterday. I was so confused because my HR rep also told me they wouldn't contest my claim, so seeing that form immediately made me think something went wrong. Reading through everyone's responses here is such a relief - I had no idea this was just standard procedure for ALL claims. I was literally losing sleep thinking my company had lied to me about not contesting. For anyone else who might be panicking about this like I was: the questionnaire really is just EDD collecting your side of the story before they verify with your employer. It doesn't mean anything bad is happening with your claim. I'm going to fill mine out today using the exact language HR used when they explained my layoff. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is a lifesaver when you're navigating this stressful process for the first time!

I just wanted to jump in as someone who's been through this process multiple times (unfortunately!) - that eligibility questionnaire is definitely standard procedure and not a sign that your employer is contesting anything. I've gotten it every single time I've filed, whether it was for a layoff, company closure, or even when I quit for good cause. The thing that helped me the most was understanding that EDD has to ask these questions for legal/compliance reasons - they're required to determine the exact reason for separation for every single claim they process. Your employer saying they won't contest just means when EDD sends them their verification form (which happens automatically), they'll confirm you were laid off rather than disputing it or claiming you were fired for misconduct. One thing I learned after my first claim is to submit that questionnaire as quickly as possible - don't sit on it for days like I did the first time! The sooner you get it back to them, the sooner they can move to the next step of verifying with your employer. And definitely keep checking your UI Online account regularly because sometimes they'll update your claim status there before sending you any emails or mail notifications.

Maya, I totally understand that panic! I went through the exact same thing when I filed my claim after being laid off from my nursing job last fall. Got that eligibility questionnaire the very next day and immediately thought "Oh no, what did my manager really tell them??" But everyone here is absolutely right - this is just EDD's standard process for ALL new claims. They legally have to collect your version of events before they can process anything. Your manager telling you they won't contest is actually a really good sign because it means when EDD sends them the employer verification form (which they do automatically for every claim), your employer will confirm the layoff instead of claiming you were fired for cause. The key is just being consistent with whatever reason your manager gave you for the layoff. Use their exact wording on the questionnaire. Since you filed yesterday and it's still early in the process, if you submit that form quickly you should hopefully have your benefits sorted out before rent is due. The waiting is definitely the worst part, but hang in there - you've got this! And don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions as things progress.

Don't worry at all - that eligibility questionnaire is absolutely routine! I went through this exact same situation about 4 months ago when I got laid off from my graphic design position. My supervisor had also assured me they wouldn't contest, but when I saw that questionnaire pop up immediately I had the same panic attack thinking they'd changed their mind. It's just EDD's standard process - they literally send it to every single person who files a new UI claim, whether it's contested or not. They need your side of the story before they contact your employer for verification. Since your manager explicitly told you they won't contest and to apply right away, you're in great shape! When EDD reaches out to them (which they do for every claim), your employer will simply confirm that you were laid off. Just fill it out honestly using the same terminology your manager used during your exit interview. If they said "laid off due to restructuring" or whatever specific reason they gave you, use those exact words. After I submitted mine, my claim was approved in about 2 weeks and I started receiving payments. You should definitely have your benefits before rent is due if you get that questionnaire submitted quickly!

Hey Maya! I can totally relate to that immediate panic when you see unexpected paperwork from EDD - I went through the exact same thing when I got laid off from my warehouse job about 6 months ago. Got that eligibility questionnaire within like 12 hours of filing and was convinced my employer had gone back on their word about not contesting. But everyone here is spot on - this questionnaire is 100% standard operating procedure for every single UI claim filed in California, regardless of whether it's contested or not. EDD is legally required to collect your version of the separation details before they can process your claim. Your manager telling you they won't contest is actually really good news because when EDD sends them the employer verification form (which happens automatically for all claims), they'll confirm the layoff instead of claiming misconduct or that you quit. Just make sure you answer the questionnaire using the exact same language your manager used during your exit interview. If they said "laid off due to company restructuring" or whatever specific reason they gave you, use those identical words. The consistency between your answers and what your employer tells EDD is key to keeping things moving smoothly. I know the waiting is super stressful when rent is coming due, but if you submit that form quickly you should hopefully get your first payment within 2-3 weeks. Hang in there - you've got this!

I just want to echo what everyone else has said - that eligibility questionnaire is completely standard and not a red flag at all! I went through this same exact situation when I got laid off from my admin job about 3 months ago. My HR manager had also told me they wouldn't contest, but when I saw that questionnaire pop up the next day I immediately thought they had changed their mind. Turns out EDD sends this form to literally every person who files a new claim - it's just their way of collecting your side of the story before they reach out to your employer for verification. The fact that your manager specifically told you they won't contest and to apply right away is actually a really positive sign! When EDD contacts them (which they do automatically for every claim), your employer will confirm the layoff details instead of disputing anything. Just fill it out honestly using the exact same wording your manager used when explaining the layoff. I used the same "position eliminated due to budget constraints" language my HR gave me, and my claim was approved in about 18 days with no issues. You should definitely have your benefits before rent is due if you get that questionnaire submitted quickly. The waiting is nerve-wracking but you're on the right track!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Filed my UI claim on Monday after getting laid off from my restaurant management position, and that eligibility questionnaire showed up in my email Tuesday morning. I had the same immediate panic thinking my employer had gone back on what they told me about not contesting. Reading through all these responses has been such a relief - I had no idea this was just standard procedure for everyone who files. My general manager specifically said during my exit that they "definitely wouldn't fight the unemployment claim" and that I should file right away, but seeing that questionnaire pop up so fast made me second-guess everything. I'm going to fill it out today using the exact wording they gave me about "position elimination due to operational restructuring." It's so comforting to know from everyone's experiences that this really is just EDD's way of collecting your side before they verify with your employer. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines too - knowing it typically takes 2-3 weeks helps me plan around my upcoming bills. This community is amazing for helping newcomers understand what's actually normal versus what feels scary when you're already stressed about finances!