EDD waiting period confusion - when exactly does the unpaid week start?

ya the waiting period is always the 1st week after u file no matter when u can log in. so if u filed on friday, the waiting period is the week starting on that sunday. u wont get paid for that week but u still gotta certify for it

The one-week waiting period is always the first week of your claim. EDD uses a Sunday-Saturday calendar for unemployment weeks. So if you filed on Friday, the waiting period would indeed start from the upcoming Sunday. The system access timing doesn't affect this schedule - it's based on claim filing date and their calendar weeks. You'll need to certify for this waiting week even though you won't be paid for it. Your benefit year technically starts from the Sunday of the week you filed your claim, not from when you first accessed UI Online.

When I filed last month, I got TOTALLY confused about this too!!! My claim was backdated and I couldn't figure out if I had to serve the waiting period for the backdated week or the current week when I actually filed. Called EDD like 97 times and always got the stupid "we're experiencing high call volume" message. AGGGHHHH!!!

Something similar happened with my roommate's girlfriend's brother. He filed on a Thursday but couldn't log in until the next Wednesday and they still counted the Sunday in between as part of his waiting period. EDD is so picky about these weekly periods it's ridiculous.

The way EDD handles the waiting period is actually pretty consistent once you understand their system: 1. EDD uses Sunday-Saturday as their benefit week 2. The waiting period is ALWAYS the first week of your claim 3. Your claim starts on the Sunday of the week you filed, regardless of which day of that week you actually submitted your application 4. You must certify for the waiting week even though you won't be paid for it 5. If you don't certify for the waiting week, it will delay your payments So yes, the Sunday before you gained system access is absolutely part of your waiting period if you filed on Friday. UI Online access timing has nothing to do with when your claim/waiting period starts.

Exactly! Your first certification will cover two weeks - the waiting week (unpaid) and your first potentially payable week. When you certify, you'll see both weeks listed, and you need to complete the questions for each week separately. You should receive payment for that second week shortly after certification, assuming you meet all eligibility requirements and there are no issues with your claim.

i think the lady on the phone told me the waiting period is also supposed to like discourage people from filing for unemployment for super short periods? like if ur only gonna be out of work for a week it's not even worth filing cuz of the waiting period. or something like that idk

Thanks everyone for the helpful answers! I understand now that my waiting week started on the Sunday before I could access the system, and that's just how their calendar works. I'll make sure to certify for both weeks when it's time. This forum has been way more helpful than the EDD website!

One thing that helped me understand the waiting period timing better was realizing that EDD essentially "backdates" your claim to the beginning of the week you filed, regardless of what day you actually submitted it. So if you file on any day from Sunday through Saturday, your claim effectively starts on that Sunday. This is why the waiting period can seem to start "before" you even had access to the system - because EDD is using their standardized weekly calendar structure rather than your actual filing date. Just make sure you don't miss certifying for that waiting week, even though it feels weird to certify for a week you won't get paid for!