EDD 'waiting period' week not paid - normal or should I be concerned?

This is completely normal! The first week of every NEW unemployment claim is a 'waiting period' week. You won't get paid for that specific week - it's basically a deductible week. The good news is you only serve one waiting period per benefit year, so all your future weeks will be paid (assuming you meet all other eligibility requirements). You didn't do anything wrong with your certification.

yep waiting period is standard, sucks but everyone has to go thru it. its like the edd taking a week from everyone lol

The waiting period is a standard part of the unemployment process and has been around for decades. It's actually mandated by California law as a cost-saving measure for the UI system, not something EDD made up to frustrate claimants. Here's what you need to know: - It's ALWAYS the first week you're eligible for benefits - You must still certify for it even though you won't get paid - You only serve one waiting period per benefit year - If you return to work and then file a new claim within the same benefit year, you won't serve another waiting period And just to be super clear: you will never receive payment for that waiting period week. It's not delayed money that comes later.

I HAD THE EXACT SAME QUESTION when I first filed!!! The EDD website is so confusing and they don't explain this ANYWHERE that's easy to find. I spent hours trying to figure out why I only got paid for one week and was totally panicking. Why can't they just put a simple explanation on the UI Online dashboard?? So frustrating!

Just wanted to add that if you received any type of wages during your waiting period week (even partial), you'll still need to report them when you certify. The waiting period requirement is about serving an unpaid week, not necessarily having zero income that week. It's a subtle but important distinction for some people's situations.

If you're having trouble reaching EDD to ask questions like this (took me 43 calls to get through last month!), check out this service called Claimyr - https://claimyr.com. They have this callback system that helps you get through to an actual EDD rep. Saved me hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km

My fren said the waiting period is cuz they need to verify ur eligibility before paying u. But then why do they call it a "waiting period" instead of "verification period" or something? EDD makes everything more confusing than it needs to be lol

Thanks everyone for your help! I understand now that the waiting period is normal and I won't get paid for that week. Definitely wish the EDD website explained this more clearly. At least now I know all my future weeks should be paid as long as I certify correctly and remain eligible. One less thing to stress about!

sorta related but my waiting period was like 6 months ago and i still see it when i look at my payment history. does it stay there forever or does it eventually go away from the payment history screen?

Just wanted to share my experience since I went through this exact same confusion a few months back! The waiting period really caught me off guard too - I kept refreshing my UI Online account thinking there was some kind of glitch. What helped me was understanding that California is actually one of the more generous states when it comes to unemployment benefits overall, so the waiting period is kind of their way of balancing the system costs. Also, pro tip: make sure you keep certifying even during that waiting period week because if you don't, it can mess up your whole claim timeline. The system treats it like any other week for certification purposes, just without the payment.

I went through this same exact situation about 8 months ago and it's totally normal! The waiting period is basically California's way of saying "you get one free week that we don't pay you for" - think of it like a deductible on insurance. It's frustrating because when you're unemployed, every week of income matters, but it's just how the system works. The important thing is that you only have to do this once per benefit year, so all your future certifications should result in payments (assuming you meet all the other requirements). Don't stress about it - you didn't do anything wrong and this happens to literally everyone who files for unemployment in California!

I'm going through this exact same thing right now! Filed my claim two weeks ago and just got my first certification results - one week paid, one week showing "waiting period." I was literally about to call EDD thinking something went wrong with my application. This thread is so helpful because the EDD website really doesn't explain it clearly at all. It's such a relief to know this is completely normal and that I only have to deal with it once. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it makes navigating this whole unemployment process feel way less overwhelming when you know other people have been through the same confusion!

I'm dealing with this right now too! Just filed my first claim last week and was so confused when I saw "waiting period" on one week and "paid" on the other. I actually called my friend who went through unemployment last year and she explained it to me, but honestly, EDD should make this way more obvious. Like, put it right on the main page when you log in or something - "Hey, your first week is a waiting period and you won't get paid for it." Would save everyone so much stress! At least now I know it's normal and I can budget around only getting paid for future weeks. Thanks to everyone who explained this - really helps us newbies understand the system!

Same thing happened to me when I first filed! I was so confused seeing one week marked "paid" and the other as "waiting period" - thought maybe I'd filled out something wrong during certification. It's really frustrating that EDD doesn't make this clearer upfront. Like others have said, it's basically a one-week deductible that everyone has to serve on their first claim. The good news is you're done with it now and all your future weeks should be paid normally as long as you keep certifying and meet the requirements. I wish someone had told me about this before I filed because that first week's payment would have really helped with bills! But at least now you know what to expect going forward.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Just certified for my first two weeks yesterday and was totally panicking when I saw one week marked as "paid" and the other showing "waiting period" with $0. I thought I had somehow messed up my certification or that there was a glitch in the system. This thread is such a lifesaver - I was about to spend my entire day trying to get through to EDD on the phone (which we all know is basically impossible). It's so frustrating that they don't explain this anywhere obvious on their website. Like, a simple note during the certification process saying "Your first eligible week is an unpaid waiting period - this is required by law" would prevent so much unnecessary stress. Thanks everyone for confirming this is totally normal! At least now I know I can count on getting paid for all my future certifications.

I'm literally going through this exact same situation right now! Just got my first certification results this morning and was completely freaking out seeing "waiting period" on one week with no payment. I thought I had screwed something up during the application process or that there was some kind of system error. Reading all these responses is such a huge relief - I can't believe EDD doesn't explain this basic requirement anywhere that's easy to find! I spent like an hour clicking through their website looking for answers before finding this thread. It's so frustrating that we all have to figure this out through trial and error or community forums instead of clear communication from EDD. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - knowing this is completely normal and happens to literally everyone makes me feel so much better about my situation!

Just wanted to jump in and say this thread is incredibly helpful! I'm brand new to unemployment and filed my claim about a week ago. Reading through everyone's experiences with the waiting period is making me feel so much more prepared for when I get my first certification results. It sounds like pretty much everyone goes through this same confusion and panic when they see "waiting period" for the first time. I really appreciate how supportive this community is - it's clear that EDD's lack of communication about basic requirements like this affects tons of people. At least now I'll know not to freak out when I see that unpaid week on my account! Thanks to everyone who took the time to explain their experiences.

I'm so glad I found this thread! I literally just filed my unemployment claim yesterday and was already worried about what to expect. Reading everyone's experiences with the waiting period is honestly a lifesaver - now I won't panic when I see that unpaid week on my first certification. It's crazy how many people go through the exact same confusion because EDD doesn't explain this basic requirement clearly. You'd think they'd have a simple FAQ or notification that says "Hey, your first eligible week won't be paid - this is normal and required by law!" Instead we all have to figure it out through community forums like this. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories and making this whole unemployment process feel less scary for us newbies!

This thread is such a goldmine of information! I'm about to file my first unemployment claim next week and had no idea about the waiting period. Reading through everyone's experiences is honestly preparing me so much better than anything on EDD's actual website. It's pretty shocking how consistently confusing this seems to be for literally everyone - you'd think after all these years they'd figure out how to communicate this basic requirement clearly. I'm bookmarking this thread to reference when I get my first certification results so I don't have that same panic attack everyone describes when seeing "waiting period" with $0. Thanks to this community for being way more helpful than the actual agency we're dealing with!