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!

Just went through this exact same situation a few months ago! Filed on a Wednesday and was so confused when my UI Online showed the previous Sunday as part of my claim period. What really helped me was thinking of it like this: EDD operates on a strict Sunday-Saturday schedule for EVERYTHING - your benefit year, your weekly certifications, your waiting period, all of it. So no matter what day you file during any given week, your claim automatically "snaps" to that week's Sunday as the official start date. It's like their system rounds down to the nearest Sunday. Once I understood that logic, everything else about the timing made sense!

This thread has been SO helpful! I was in the exact same boat last week - filed on a Thursday and was totally baffled when I saw Sunday listed as my claim start date. I kept thinking there was some kind of error in the system. Now I understand it's just EDD's way of standardizing everything to their weekly calendar. For anyone else reading this who's confused: think of it like EDD has these pre-set weekly "buckets" that run Sunday to Saturday, and whatever day you file, you automatically get sorted into the current week's bucket with Sunday as the start date. The waiting period is always your first bucket, no exceptions. Once you wrap your head around that, the whole system makes way more sense!

This whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm dealing with this exact situation right now - filed my claim on Monday and was completely thrown off when I logged into UI Online today and saw last Sunday listed as my claim start date. I kept refreshing the page thinking it was a glitch! The "weekly buckets" and "snapping to Sunday" explanations really clicked for me. It's frustrating that EDD doesn't explain this more clearly upfront, but at least now I know what to expect. So just to confirm my understanding: I'll need to certify for the waiting week starting from last Sunday (even though I hadn't even filed yet), and then my first potentially payable week will be this coming Sunday through Saturday? The system logic makes sense once you get it, but wow is it confusing at first!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm bookmarking it for future reference. One thing I learned the hard way is that even though the waiting period feels unfair (especially when it includes days before you could even access the system), it's actually required by California law, not just an EDD policy choice. The good news is that once you get through that first unpaid week and establish the routine of certifying every two weeks, the process becomes much more straightforward. For anyone just starting out: be patient with yourself as you learn the system, always certify even for the waiting week, and don't panic if the dates seem off at first - EDD's Sunday-Saturday calendar takes some getting used to but it's consistent once you understand it!

Just wanted to add my experience to this thread since I went through the same confusion recently! Filed on a Friday afternoon and spent the whole weekend worried that I had somehow messed up my claim when I saw Sunday listed as the start date. The "weekly buckets" explanation really helps - it's like EDD has these pre-set time slots that run Sunday to Saturday, and no matter when you file during the week, you get assigned to that week's Sunday slot. One tip that helped me: when you're looking at your UI Online account, try to think of those Sunday dates as "administrative start dates" rather than "when you actually became unemployed." EDD uses them for their internal scheduling, but it doesn't mean you did anything wrong or missed any deadlines. The waiting period will always be that first administrative week, and then you'll start getting payments for subsequent weeks (assuming you meet all the requirements). This community has been way more helpful than any official EDD resource!

This entire discussion has been a game-changer for understanding EDD's timing! I filed my claim this past Saturday and have been stressing all week about why my UI Online account shows last Sunday as my benefit year start date. The "weekly buckets" and "administrative start dates" explanations finally make it all click - EDD isn't trying to be confusing, they just have this rigid Sunday-Saturday framework that everything gets sorted into regardless of when you actually file. What really helped me was realizing that EVERYONE goes through this same confusion when they first file. Reading all these experiences shows it's totally normal to feel lost about the timing at first. The key takeaways I'm getting are: 1) Always certify for your waiting week even though it feels weird, 2) Don't panic if the dates seem "wrong" - that's just EDD's system, and 3) Once you get past that first certification, the whole process becomes much more routine. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories here - you've saved me from calling EDD 100 times like I was planning to do! This community knowledge is so much more valuable than anything on their official website.

This thread is absolutely incredible - I wish I had found it when I first filed my claim! I went through the exact same confusion about the waiting period timing. Filed on a Tuesday and couldn't understand why the previous Sunday was showing as my claim start date. I actually drove myself crazy for days thinking EDD had made an error with my application. The "weekly buckets" explanation is pure gold - it should honestly be the first thing EDD tells people when they file. Instead of all their confusing legal language about "benefit weeks" and "claim effective dates," they should just say "we use Sunday-Saturday buckets and you get sorted into whichever bucket covers the week you file." Would save everyone so much stress! One thing I learned that might help others: when you do your first certification (which will cover both your waiting week and your first payable week), don't be surprised if it feels overwhelming with all the questions. Take your time, answer honestly about any work or income during both weeks, and remember that even though the waiting week won't be paid, completing that certification is crucial for your overall claim timeline. The second certification is SO much easier once you've been through it once!

This thread has been absolutely life-saving! I just filed my claim this morning (Friday) and was already spiraling into anxiety when I logged into UI Online and saw this upcoming Sunday listed as my benefit year start date. I kept refreshing the page thinking there was a glitch or that I had somehow filed incorrectly. The "weekly buckets" explanation is brilliant - it finally makes sense why EDD uses these Sunday dates that seem to come out of nowhere. It's like they have these pre-made weekly containers running Sunday through Saturday, and no matter what day you actually file, you automatically get sorted into the current week's Sunday bucket. So my waiting period will start this Sunday even though I just filed today. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread because the official EDD explanations are absolutely useless compared to real people sharing their actual experiences. Thank you all for taking the time to break this down so clearly - you've saved me from what would have been days of stress and probably dozens of frustrated phone calls to EDD! Now I know to expect my first certification to cover both the waiting week and my first potentially payable week, and most importantly, not to skip certifying for that waiting week even though I won't get paid for it.