How does EDD actually contact you after submitting an unemployment claim?

They'll typically send you something in the mail first - look for an envelope from EDD within 7-10 business days. It'll contain your claim confirmation and award letter showing your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings. They'll also mail you your EDD Customer Account Number which you'll need to fully register for UI Online. After that, most communication happens through your UI Online inbox, so make sure you check it every few days. You'll get emails notifying you when there's a new message, but sometimes those go to spam. In some cases, they might call you for an eligibility interview if there are questions about your claim, but they'll usually schedule that through your UI Online account first.

LOL they sent my stuff to my old address even tho i updated my address in the system!! check ur mailing address on ur account NOW before its too late like what happened to me

EDD's communication process is fairly structured. After submitting your claim: 1. Within 10 days, you'll receive your claim confirmation and award letter by mail 2. You'll also receive your EDD Customer Account Number by mail (separate letter) 3. Your UI Online inbox will start receiving notices about certification periods 4. You'll get email notifications when new messages arrive in your UI Online inbox They rarely call unless there's an eligibility issue that requires an interview. Even then, they'll notify you in advance through UI Online and mail with the scheduled date/time. Make sure to certify for benefits every two weeks once your claim is established, even if you haven't received your first payment yet. The certification periods will appear in your UI Online account.

THEY DON'T CONTACT YOU AT ALL!!! Been waiting 6 weeks and NOTHING in my inbox, no phone calls, nothing in the mail after the initial letter. My claim is stuck in pending and I can't get through to anyone. The system is completely BROKEN and they leave you hanging without any information. I've called 127 times in the last two weeks and haven't spoken to a single human being.

they sent me a txt message telling me to check my ui online account. then i had paperwork in the mail like 5 days later. make sure ur phone # is updated in ur contact info

To answer your question about certifying - you should wait until you get your award letter which will tell you when your first certification period is. After that, you'll need to certify every two weeks. The UI Online system will show your certification weeks once your claim is processed. Just as a heads up, the first payment often takes 2-3 weeks after you submit your initial claim, assuming there are no issues. If you have any special circumstances (like working for multiple employers, having a job lined up, working part-time, etc.), they might schedule an eligibility interview.

check ur spam folder too!! my edd emails always go to spam for some reason

I had to wait almost 3 weeks for my first letter, then everything came at once - 3 different pieces of mail on the same day. The system is weird sometimes. Just make sure you're checking both your physical mail AND your UI Online inbox every day.

One important thing to remember is that while waiting for your claim to process, you should be keeping records of your work search activities. Even before you start certifying, EDD may ask for evidence of your job search efforts from the beginning of your claim period. The current requirement is to make at least 3 work search activities per week (applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking, etc.). Keep detailed records of all these activities including company names, positions, application dates, and any contact information. EDD has been conducting more eligibility interviews in 2025 compared to previous years, so it's important to stay prepared with documentation.

Just wanted to add - since you mentioned being laid off from your warehouse job after 5 years, that's actually a pretty solid work history that should help your claim go smoothly. EDD tends to process claims faster when there's a clear layoff situation with steady employment history like yours. One thing I'd suggest is setting up email notifications in your UI Online account if you haven't already. Go to your profile settings and make sure all notification boxes are checked. This way you'll get an email whenever there's a new message in your inbox. Also, while you're waiting for that first letter, you might want to start gathering any documentation you have from your layoff (like a termination letter or WARN notice if your company provided one). Sometimes EDD asks for these during processing, and having them ready can speed things up. The good news is that straightforward layoff cases like yours usually don't require an eligibility interview, so you should be able to get through the process without too much hassle. Just stay on top of checking your mail and UI Online account!

Hey Ezra! I went through this exact same process about 6 months ago after getting laid off from my manufacturing job. Here's what actually happened in my case: I got my first piece of mail (the Notice of Unemployment Insurance Claim Filed) about 8 days after submitting online. Then about 3 days later I got the award letter with my weekly benefit amount. The EDD Customer Account Number came in a separate envelope a few days after that. One thing nobody mentioned yet - make sure you're checking your UI Online account daily even before you get anything in the mail. Sometimes important messages show up there first, and I've seen people miss time-sensitive requests because they were only waiting for mail. Also, since you mentioned being laid off after 5 years at the same job, your claim should be pretty straightforward. That's exactly the kind of situation EDD processes fastest. Just make sure when you do start certifying (which will be after you get your award letter), you're honest about any severance pay or vacation payout you might have received - that can affect your first few weeks of benefits. The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking, but with your work history you should be in good shape. Keep us posted on how it goes!

Hey Ezra! I just went through this process a couple months ago after being laid off from my retail job. Here's what I experienced: The mail timeline everyone mentioned is pretty accurate - I got my first letter about 9 days after filing online. But here's something that might help while you wait: you can actually track some of your claim status by looking at the "History" section in your UI Online account. Even before you get the mail, you'll sometimes see updates there showing that your claim is being processed. Also, since you mentioned you're anxious about missing notifications - I'd recommend adding EDD's email addresses to your contacts so they don't end up in spam. The main one is noreply@edd.ca.gov. I almost missed an important message because it went straight to my junk folder. One last tip: when you do get that first letter, read it carefully! It'll have your weekly benefit amount and also tell you exactly when your first certification week starts. Don't stress too much though - with 5 years at the same job and a clear layoff situation, your claim should go pretty smoothly. The horror stories you hear are usually from more complicated cases with multiple employers or eligibility issues. You got this! The waiting is the hardest part, but it sounds like you're doing everything right.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who recently went through this process - the waiting period is definitely stressful but it sounds like you're in a good position with your steady work history. One thing I'd add to all the great advice here: make sure to keep your phone accessible during business hours once you've been waiting about 2 weeks. While most communication happens through mail and UI Online, if they do need to call you for any reason (like a quick verification), they typically don't leave detailed voicemails and may mark your claim as needing follow-up if they can't reach you. Also, if you haven't already, I'd suggest taking screenshots of your UI Online claim submission confirmation and any status updates you see. It's probably overkill, but having that documentation can be helpful if any issues come up later. The fact that you're staying on top of this and asking questions shows you're being proactive, which is exactly the right approach. With a straightforward layoff situation like yours, you should be getting that first letter any day now!

Hey Ezra! I'm actually going through the exact same thing right now - just filed my claim last Monday after being laid off from my office job. It's so stressful not knowing what to expect! Reading through all these responses has been super helpful for me too. I had no idea about checking the spam folder or making sure my address was updated. Just double-checked everything in my account and added that EDD email to my contacts. One thing I'm wondering - has anyone had experience with how long it takes to actually receive the first payment after you start certifying? I know everyone's saying 2-3 weeks for the initial processing, but I'm curious about the timeline from first certification to money in the bank account. Thanks for asking this question - this whole thread has been like a crash course in what to expect from EDD!

Hey Ezra! Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me when I was in your situation - make sure you're keeping track of all your important dates. I created a simple note on my phone with the date I filed, when I should expect mail (around day 7-10), and when I'll need to start looking for certification periods. Also, since you mentioned anxiety about missing something - EDD actually has a pretty good track record of sending multiple notifications for truly time-sensitive stuff. So while it's good to stay on top of everything, try not to stress too much about missing one single communication. The fact that you're asking these questions and being proactive tells me you're going to navigate this process just fine. Your warehouse job situation sounds straightforward, and 5 years of steady employment history is exactly what EDD likes to see. Hang in there - that first letter should be arriving any day now!

Hey Ezra! I just wanted to add something that might help ease your mind a bit - I went through this exact process about 4 months ago after being laid off from my logistics job (also after several years with the same company). The timeline everyone's mentioned is pretty spot on, but here's something that really helped me: once you do get that first letter with your award amount, take a photo of it with your phone and keep it handy. Sometimes the UI Online system can be glitchy when you're trying to access your account, and having that info readily available can save you stress if you need to reference your claim details quickly. Also, I noticed you mentioned checking your UI Online inbox - make sure you're not just looking at "Unread" messages. Sometimes important updates show up in your general inbox but don't get flagged as unread for some reason. I almost missed a certification reminder because of this. Your situation with the warehouse layoff after 5 years sounds really similar to mine, and my claim went through without any hiccups. The hardest part really is just the initial waiting period, but once things start rolling, the process becomes much more predictable. You're definitely on the right track by staying informed and asking questions here!

Hey Ezra! I just went through this process myself about 2 months ago after getting laid off from my manufacturing job. The anxiety is totally normal - I was checking my mailbox twice a day for the first week! Here's what actually happened with my timeline: Filed on a Tuesday, got my first letter (Notice of UI Claim Filed) exactly 9 days later, then the award letter came 3 days after that. The EDD Customer Account Number arrived separately about a week later. One tip I wish someone had told me: once you get that award letter, you'll see your first available certification date listed on it. Mark that date in your calendar right away! I almost missed my first certification period because I was still waiting for some other paperwork and didn't realize I could already start certifying. Also, with your 5-year work history at one employer and a clear layoff situation, you're in really good shape. Those are exactly the kinds of claims that EDD processes fastest with the fewest complications. The horror stories you hear are usually from people with more complex situations - multiple jobs, voluntary quits, or eligibility issues. Just keep checking your UI Online account daily and your mailbox. You should see that first letter any day now! The waiting is definitely the hardest part, but you're doing everything right.

Hey Ezra! I'm actually in a really similar situation - just got laid off from my retail job last month and went through this exact same process. The anxiety about not knowing what to expect is so real! Here's what happened with my timeline: I filed online on a Thursday, and got my first piece of mail (the claim confirmation) exactly 8 days later. The award letter came about 4 days after that. What really helped my anxiety was setting up a simple tracking system - I made a note in my phone with the date I filed and then marked off each day so I knew roughly when to expect things. One thing that caught me off guard was that EDD sent me a text message about 5 days after I filed, just telling me to check my UI Online account. It wasn't anything urgent, just a general reminder, but I'm glad I had my phone number updated correctly! Your situation sounds really straightforward - 5 years at the same warehouse job with a clear layoff is exactly the kind of claim that EDD processes smoothly. I had a more complicated situation with overlapping part-time jobs and even mine went through without major issues. The waiting definitely sucks, but from everything I've experienced and seen in this thread, you should be getting that first letter very soon. Just keep checking your mail and UI Online account daily, and try not to stress too much. You're being proactive by asking questions here, which is exactly the right approach!