Finally finished EDD penalty weeks but 'waiting period served' message - will I get paid next certification?

Good news! The 'waiting period served' message means you've completed your penalty weeks AND your standard one-week waiting period (which everyone has to serve when starting a new claim). The waiting period is unpaid for everyone, regardless of penalties. Your next certification should result in payment as long as you meet all other eligibility requirements. The system processes it this way because technically your claim benefits can only begin after both penalty weeks AND the waiting period are completed.

ya thats what happened to me last year. waiting period is the normal 1 week everyone has to do before getting paid. ur done with penalty weeks now so next time u certify u should get $$

I had to serve 6 penalty weeks last year and was so confused by all the different messages on my account! The 'waiting period served' definitely means you're done with penalties. But just a heads up - sometimes there can be a delay with your first payment after penalties. Mine took an extra 4 days to process compared to normal payments after that. Don't panic if it's not immediate!

WAIT did u say penalty weeks from YEARS ago?? they can do that??? im about to apply and now im scared

the edd system is SO CONFUSING with all these different messages! i had something similar and thought i was done with penalties but then had ANOTHER week that said 'disqualified' which is different from penalty week apparently??? make sure all your weeks say 'waiting period' or 'paid' and not 'disqualified' or 'pending' or some other status.

I've dealt with penalty weeks and the waiting period before. Here's how EDD processes them: 1. Penalty weeks must be served first (these are unpaid) 2. Then the standard one-week waiting period (also unpaid) 3. After both are completed, normal benefit payments begin So yes, your next certification should result in payment as long as you continue to meet eligibility requirements. The waiting period message is actually good news - it means you've completed your penalties and the standard waiting week that everyone has to serve. The system is confusing because it processes these sequentially rather than concurrently.

idk my cousin had to wait like 3 more weeks after her penalty weeks before she got paid something about an eligibility interview they randomly scheduled

UPDATE: You guys were right!! I just certified for my new weeks and both show PAID status now! What a relief after months of certifying with no payment. Thanks everyone for the help and clarification!

That's awesome Connor! 🎉 So glad to hear you finally got paid after going through all those penalty weeks. Your story gives me hope - I'm currently serving penalty weeks myself (week 4 of 8) and was starting to wonder if the system actually works properly. It's encouraging to see that once you complete everything, the payments do come through as expected. Hope things start looking up for you financially now!

Congratulations Connor! This is such great news and really helpful for others going through the same situation. I'm currently on week 3 of penalty weeks myself and was getting anxious about whether the system would actually transition properly to payments afterward. Your experience confirms what others have said about the "waiting period served" message being the signal that you're finally done with both penalties and the standard waiting week. Did you notice any difference in the payment amount or timing compared to regular unemployment payments, or was it exactly the same once it kicked in?

This is such a helpful thread! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation where I just finished my penalty weeks and saw the "waiting period served" message for the first time. Reading through everyone's experiences here really helped clarify what that means - I was worried it was another delay but now I understand it's actually good news! Connor, so glad you got your payments sorted out. For anyone else going through this, it seems like the key takeaway is that "waiting period served" = you're done with penalties AND the standard one-week waiting period that everyone has to serve. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge about how EDD processes these transitions!

This is such an encouraging thread to read! I'm currently on week 2 of my penalty weeks and was starting to feel really anxious about whether I'd ever actually see payments. Connor, your update about getting paid is exactly what I needed to hear right now. The whole process feels so uncertain when you're in the middle of it, especially with EDD's confusing messaging system. It's really helpful to see that the "waiting period served" message is actually the light at the end of the tunnel rather than another obstacle. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge here - this community has been invaluable for understanding how EDD actually works behind all the bureaucratic language!

This whole thread has been so reassuring to read! I'm actually dealing with a similar situation right now - just got done with my penalty weeks and seeing that "waiting period served" message for the first time. I was honestly panicking thinking it meant yet another delay, but reading everyone's explanations here has been a huge relief. Connor, congratulations on finally getting your payments! It gives me so much hope that the system actually does work once you get through all the hoops. For anyone else going through penalty weeks, this thread is proof that there really is light at the end of the tunnel - just gotta push through those unpaid weeks and trust the process. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences!

This thread is incredibly valuable! I'm bookmarking it for future reference. What strikes me is how many people are going through penalty weeks right now - it really shows how common these situations are, yet EDD's messaging system makes everyone feel like they're the only one dealing with it. Connor, your persistence in continuing to certify every two weeks even during penalty weeks was smart - I've heard of people who stopped certifying thinking it didn't matter, only to have their claims get messed up later. For anyone currently serving penalty weeks, this thread is proof that the system does eventually work as intended, even if the communication is terrible. The "waiting period served" message really is the golden ticket you're looking for!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently on week 4 of my penalty weeks and was starting to lose hope, but seeing Connor's success story and everyone's detailed explanations about the "waiting period served" message gives me so much encouragement. It's amazing how EDD makes this process so confusing with their messaging - I had no idea that the "waiting period served" status actually meant you were DONE with penalties rather than facing another delay. The fact that so many people are dealing with penalty weeks from old claims they barely remember is eye-opening too. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - this community knowledge is way more helpful than anything on EDD's official website! Can't wait to see that magical "waiting period served" message myself in a few more weeks.

This thread is such a lifesaver! I just applied for unemployment last week and had no idea that old penalty weeks could come back to haunt you from previous claims. Reading Connor's journey from penalty weeks to finally getting paid gives me hope, but also makes me nervous about what might be lurking in my EDD history. The explanation about "waiting period served" being good news rather than another delay is so helpful - EDD's messaging system really is terrible at communicating what these statuses actually mean. It's crazy how many people are going through similar situations right now. Definitely bookmarking this thread in case I run into any issues with my claim. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and knowledge!

Wow, this entire thread has been so educational! I'm new to this community and currently waiting for my unemployment application to be processed. Reading through Connor's journey from penalty weeks to finally getting paid, plus all the detailed explanations from experienced members about what "waiting period served" actually means, has given me so much insight into how EDD's system really works. It's honestly shocking how poorly EDD communicates these different statuses - "waiting period served" sounds like you have to wait MORE, not that you're finally done! I'm bookmarking this thread for sure. The community knowledge here is invaluable, especially since EDD's official resources are so unclear. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences - it really helps newcomers like me understand what to expect and not panic if we encounter confusing messages during the process.

This thread has been incredibly reassuring for me! I'm currently on week 6 of 8 penalty weeks and was getting really anxious about whether the transition to actual payments would work smoothly. Connor, seeing your update about getting PAID status on both weeks after the "waiting period served" message is exactly what I needed to hear! It's so frustrating how EDD makes this whole process feel like a mystery when really it's just poorly communicated. The explanation that "waiting period served" means you've completed BOTH the penalty weeks AND the standard one-week waiting period everyone has to serve makes perfect sense now. Only 2 more weeks to go for me - this thread gives me so much hope that there really is light at the end of the tunnel! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here, especially the detailed breakdowns of how the system actually processes these transitions.

Just wanted to add my experience to this incredibly helpful thread! I went through something very similar to Connor last year - had penalty weeks from an old claim I barely remembered, served them all while certifying every two weeks, then saw that confusing "waiting period served" message. Like everyone here has explained, it really does mean you're completely done with both penalties AND the standard waiting week. The relief when I got my first payments was incredible! One tip for anyone currently serving penalty weeks: I found it helpful to keep a simple calendar marking off each penalty week as I completed it, just so I could track my progress and know exactly when I should expect to see that "waiting period served" status. It made the waiting feel more manageable. Connor, so happy you finally got paid - I know how exhausting that whole process is both financially and emotionally!