How do I get a unemployment number for California EDD?

wait so you actually got through to someone real? every time i try calling i just get the automated thing and then it hangs up on me

the identity verification piece is huge, so many people get stuck there without realizing thats why everything is pending

the agent confirming your ID.me was done is actually really useful info because thats a step a lot of first timers miss completely

thank you!! so theres just the one number for everything? i was worried id have to find like five different lines for different problems

yeah pretty much one number covers it, though getting through is a whole other story lol

EDD also has live chat through the Help button when you're logged into UI Online, works Monday through Friday 9am to 2pm. sometimes that's faster than calling

oh okay so i get a claim number FROM filing, its not like a separate thing i have to call for. that makes more sense

yes exactly, the claim number comes out of the application itself. a lot of people think they need to call first to register but the online application handles all of that

and file as soon as possible because the claim starts from the Sunday of the week you apply, not the week you got laid off. waiting even a few extra days can cost you a week of benefits

ugh thats what i was afraid of. so its not just me, the lines are actually that backed up?

calling right at 8 is the move, some people swear by calling right at 8:01 because the initial rush is a tiny bit lighter. honestly just keep trying

the hold situation is real. i waited almost 90 minutes once and then the line just dropped. it's one of the most frustrating parts of the whole process

is ID.me part of the myEDD application itself or is it a separate website? i dont want to miss a step

it's a separate site but EDD sends you to it during or right after you apply. just follow where they point you and you'll get there

the ID.me step took me about 20 minutes total, they walk you through taking the photos, it's annoying but pretty straightforward once you know it's coming

so that DE 429Z is not an approval letter right? like getting that doesnt mean i've been approved to collect?

correct, the DE 429Z shows what the claim could pay based on your wages, it's not EDD saying you're eligible. eligibility is figured out when you certify and EDD processes those weeks

i thought the award notice meant i was good to go and skipped some steps, that mistake cost me two weeks. read every piece of mail EDD sends you

your cousin might be thinking of a different state's system. California EDD has you certify every two weeks, not every week. the first time you certify it's usually two weeks after EDD processes your application

oh okay that makes sense, she might have been dealing with a different state's unemployment awhile back. thanks for clearing that up

the two week certification schedule trips a lot of people up at first. you're not doing anything wrong if you don't have anything to submit after the first week, the system is just built that way

so i need to actually be applying to jobs each week even while waiting for payments to come through?

yes, work search is a requirement for every week you certify. EDD can ask you to show your activity if there's a question about it

CalJOBS also comes into the picture early on. most people have to register and post a resume in CalJOBS within 21 days of getting a Notice of Requirement to Register for Work, the DE 8405. if you don't do it EDD can stop payments

yeah that's a really common misconception. EDD's rules say severance paid under a company plan isn't counted as wages for unemployment purposes, so you can file right away. you still report it when you certify and EDD sorts out how it applies, but it doesn't stop you from filing

wish i'd known that two weeks earlier, i delayed my claim for no reason. filed as soon as i found out and EDD processed it without any issues

the reporting part matters a lot though, don't just not mention it. whatever EDD asks on the certification about wages and other pay, answer it honestly and let EDD decide how it counts

oh thats actually really helpful, i would have been confused by a random card too

payment info updates every day in UI Online and you can also check it through the automated line at 1-866-333-4606, that one runs 24 hours

the automated line at that number is genuinely useful for checking payment status at weird hours when you can't sleep from stress

would i need one of those since i was laid off? or is it just for people who quit?

layoffs usually don't trigger one but it depends on how EDD looks at the separation. if your employer contests it or there's something unusual EDD might still schedule one

if you get a DE 4800 and you can't make the scheduled time, contact EDD at least one day before to change it. missing it without reaching out first means EDD decides your case with only the info it already has, and payments can get delayed or denied

i didn't even think about that, honestly every bit helps right now. thanks for mentioning it

211 is also worth calling or texting if you need to find other local resources fast. they can point you toward rental help, food banks, utilities assistance depending on your area

so if i do any freelance work while on unemployment i have to report it even if the client pays me late?

exactly right, it goes by when you did the work, not when the money lands in your account. EDD has a Report Wages section in UI Online you can use to work out a week's earnings before you certify

and partial work doesn't necessarily disqualify you for a week. EDD has an earnings formula that lets you keep some benefits even when you earn something, as long as you're not working full time that week

what happens after you send in the appeal? does EDD just reverse it or is there like a whole hearing?

EDD reviews it first, and if they don't reverse it they send it to the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. an administrative law judge holds the hearing and mails you the decision afterward

keep certifying the whole time an appeal is going on. EDD can only pay you for weeks you actually certified, so if you stop certifying while waiting for an appeal outcome you lose those weeks

your employer can respond and provide their side of the story, but they can't deny your claim themselves. EDD is the one that makes the actual decision. the employer just has 10 days to respond to that notice if they want to weigh in

that's genuinely reassuring, i was stressed about my employer being difficult and blocking everything

an employer that doesn't even respond to EDD's notice loses the ability to appeal EDD's decision later, so not responding hurts them more than it hurts you

wait the state doesn't tax it but the federal government does? that's kind of weird but good to know upfront

yeah the federal 1099G shows up in UI Online under Payments if you need it before the mail arrives, EDD makes it available there by January 31st

i skipped withholding my first year and owed a few hundred dollars at tax time. turned on the 10 percent option as soon as i found out and it made a huge difference

an overpayment notice sounds absolutely terrifying. glad you got an actual answer about what to do

the 30 day appeal window applies to overpayment notices too, so anyone who gets one should not wait around before deciding what to do

the waiver is worth asking about if the overpayment wasn't your fault and paying it back would be a real hardship. EDD considers both things together

okay adding that to the list of things to watch for in the mail. EDD sends a lot of different forms it sounds like

the CalJOBS site is caljobs.ca.gov and the registration is free. it's not complicated, just takes some time to fill out your profile and upload a resume

EDD's website does say if you don't have to register they'll tell you, but most people filing a standard unemployment claim do have to do it. better to assume you need to and do it than to assume you're exempt and find out the hard way

so the total i can collect is still based on the full 26 weeks even though the first week is unpaid? that's actually a relief

exactly, the waiting week is separate from the benefit weeks. your maximum benefit amount is still calculated from your wages and the weekly benefit amount like normal

i thought the waiting week reduced what i'd get and was so annoyed about it. good to know it doesn't eat into the 26

HR at a company isn't always up on the details of how EDD timing works. the right move is to apply as soon as you're out or as soon as your hours are cut, because the claim starts from the Sunday of the week you apply

yeah definitely learned that the hard way. applied on a Thursday and my claim started the Sunday before, so i didn't even lose the full week at least

and if you get laid off mid week the same thing applies, apply that same week if you can. waiting until the following week just means you're not covered for those days

so the agent could literally see your wage records on their end? that's really useful to know

yes, she had the quarterly breakdown right in front of her. told me exactly which quarter didn't match and that the written appeal was the right path

catching a wage error before that 30 day window closes is critical, that's exactly the kind of thing worth calling in about

good to know UI Online has all that detail broken down by week. i'll definitely use that to keep track as i go

keeping your own running record of what you certify and what posts to your card is worth doing too, makes any discrepancy easy to spot fast

and the 1099G in UI Online is available by January 31st each year for the prior year's benefits, so you don't have to wait for the mail if you're trying to file taxes early

pending weeks with no explanation are so stressful, glad there was an actual answer and you didn't have to redo anything

identity verification holding up specific weeks is more common than people realize, the agent being able to pinpoint that is exactly the kind of thing a phone call is good for

yes, the UI Online screen just said Pending with nothing else, there's no way to know from the screen alone what's actually causing it