How long after being fired can you file for unemployment in California EDD?

So I literally don't need to wait at all? I was told by someone at the warehouse that I had to wait two weeks before I could even apply. That sounds like it was completely wrong then.

Completely wrong. Whoever told you that probably confused it with something else - maybe the waiting week that every claim has, which is a one-week unpaid period EDD builds in automatically. But that's not about when you apply, it's just part of how claims work. Apply today.

The two week thing is a myth that gets passed around constantly. File as soon as you're out of work, that's always the answer.

Did having the phone interview delay your payments a lot? That's what I'm worried about - I need money coming in fast.

Mine took about two and a half weeks from filing to first payment hitting the Money Network card, the interview itself was pretty quick and straightforward. The agent said to keep certifying through the whole process even while things were pending.

Good to know about the interview process. I have a DE 4800 sitting on my counter right now for a different termination situation and I've been dreading it.

Wait I thought if you get fired you automatically don't qualify? My cousin told me that's how it works.

That's a really common misunderstanding. Getting fired doesn't disqualify you automatically - EDD looks at whether there was actual misconduct involved. A layoff, a company going 'in a different direction,' or even some firings where the employee wasn't doing anything intentionally wrong can still result in benefits being paid. EDD decides after hearing from both sides.

Yeah the misconduct bar is higher than most people think. 'Not performing well' and 'committed misconduct' are different things in EDD's eyes.

The base period thing is confusing me - does that mean my most recent pay doesn't count? I got a raise about four months ago.

The standard base period looks at the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed. So your very most recent quarter might actually fall outside of it. The good news is if the standard period doesn't get you a valid claim, EDD automatically looks at the alternate base period which uses the last four completed quarters instead - that could pick up your raise period.

Took me a while to understand that too. The DE 429Z made a lot more sense once I read it knowing what the base period meant.

This is making me panic a little. I got fired last Friday and it's now Monday. Am I okay or did I already lose days?

Friday and Monday are still in the same benefit week if Sunday is the start. File today and you should be fine for this week. Go go go.

To add to that - even if you miss a week, the most important thing is filing as soon as you realize it. Each week you delay is just one more uncollectable week. File today and stop worrying about Friday.

Do I need to have a polished resume to post on CalJOBS or will a rough one do? I haven't updated mine in years.

Rough is fine, the requirement is that something is posted and your profile is active. You can update it later. The deadline is what matters, not perfection.

The CalJOBS thing caught me off guard too. I thought applying for EDD was all I needed to do and then the DE 8405 showed up and I had 11 days left to do it.

What if the employer lies during their interview? I'm worried they'll say I was fired for misconduct when really they just wanted to cut costs.

EDD hears conflicting stories all the time. Tell your side clearly and factually. If the decision goes against you, you have 30 days from the date on the Notice of Determination to appeal in writing. The process continues from there.

My interview after my firing was about 15 minutes. They asked when I started, what my job was, what happened on my last day, and whether I was warned. Very straightforward if you're just telling the truth.

Filing right away was correct. Severance paid under a company plan or policy isn't counted as wages for unemployment purposes, so it doesn't delay your eligibility. You still report it when you certify because EDD asks, and they decide from there, but it doesn't mean you had to sit and wait.

That's a relief. The HR person at my old company told me to wait until my severance ended and I had a feeling that was wrong advice.

HR at your old company has an incentive to delay your claim, honestly. Always better to file immediately and let EDD sort out the specifics.

Pending after the interview is normal for a few more days while EDD processes the decision. The agent's notes from the interview have to get reviewed and a determination made. Keep certifying and check UI Online daily.

Okay good. I was starting to spiral a little. Kept thinking I said something wrong in the interview.

If EDD decides against you, they mail a Notice of Determination (DE 1080CZ) with an appeal form. If weeks start paying out, that means they ruled in your favor. No approval letter comes - you just see the payments.

Vacation pay is on EDD's list of income to report when you certify, so you report it. How it actually affects your payment amount is EDD's call - they look at which week the pay corresponds to and go from there. Don't skip reporting it.

So I report it but I don't necessarily know the impact until after I certify? That's a little nerve-wracking.

That's basically right. Report it accurately, let EDD do the math, and if the result seems wrong you can reach out through UI Online's message system or call to ask about the specific week.

How did you get a live agent? Every time I've called it's been impossible.

Phone line at 1-800-300-5616 is 8 to 5 weekdays. It can be tough to get through. That service I mentioned handled the hold time for me so I actually reached someone.

Good luck on Thursday. Having the interview done is such a relief - the waiting before it is worse than the actual call.

I did apply online - does ID.me verification happen during the application or is it separate?

It's a separate step you do through ID.me's own process - you create an account, take a photo of your ID, and allow them to share your info with EDD. If EDD can't verify you right away they mail the DE 1326C telling you to do it. Worth checking your spam folder too for ID.me emails.

The ID.me step took me about 20 minutes total. Once I did it my claim started moving forward within a couple of days.

EDD doesn't say one is faster than the other. Online certifications tend to process quickly and payments often post within about 24 hours of certifying that way, whichever method you chose. Payment info updates daily in UI Online and you can check status on the automated line at 1-866-333-4606 anytime, it runs 24 hours.

Okay so the method matters less than how I certify. Good to know.

Wait so the first week is always unpaid no matter what? Even if EDD decides everything in my favor?

Yep, every claim has one waiting week that doesn't get paid. It's just how the program is structured. Your claim can still pay up to 26 weeks of actual benefits on top of that.

26 weeks total is the max? I didn't realize it had a cap. I was hoping for more since my field takes a while to find work in.

How does the training extension thing work exactly? My field is shifting and I've been thinking about going back to school anyway.

You'd need to be enrolled in an EDD-approved training program and apply for it through EDD before week 16. The benefit is that you can keep collecting without having to do your normal work search. Worth looking into on edd.ca.gov if you're seriously considering it.

California Training Benefits is definitely underused. Most people don't hear about it until they've already missed the window to apply.

Wage claim for underpayment goes through the California Labor Commissioner's office - that's completely separate from your EDD claim. For EDD purposes you report wages for the weeks they were earned, not when they hit your bank, so your certifications should reflect what you actually earned those weeks regardless of what the check said.

So two separate processes running at the same time? That's annoying but good to know they don't interfere with each other.

Pending that long after a termination interview usually means the adjudication decision is still being processed. The UI Online live chat through the Help button is open weekdays 9 to 2 if you can't get through on the phone - sometimes that's faster for a quick status check.

Didn't know about the live chat option in UI Online. Going to try that today.

Ask EDD through the online contact form is another way to get a question in writing when the phone isn't working. Slower but at least it's documented.

EDD mails the former employer a notice when you file and they have 10 days from the date on that notice to respond. If they don't respond in time, EDD makes its decision based on what you provided, and the employer loses the ability to appeal EDD's decision. So in some ways a non-responsive employer actually works in your favor.

Interesting - so not responding hurts the employer more than me. That's good to know since my relationship with them ended badly.

My former employer didn't respond within the window and my claim processed a lot faster than I expected. The process moved quickly once that deadline passed.

EDD cross-references your earnings with what your employer reported to the state, so they'll have accurate numbers on their end regardless of what you estimated. Put your best honest estimate and don't stress about being off by a little. The official amount comes from EDD's records anyway.

Oh that's such a relief. I was worried I had somehow messed up the application by not having exact numbers.

EDD also mails you the DE 429Z showing the official weekly benefit amount based on what they verified. If something looks way off on that, you have 30 days from its mailing date to appeal it in writing.

Updating through myEDD is the right move. Mailing address is important because EDD sends a lot of documents by mail - the DE 429Z, the DE 4800 if there's an interview, and any Notice of Determination. If mail starts bouncing back to EDD it creates real headaches.

Good, glad I did that before filing. The timing of the move and the firing in the same week was overwhelming.

This is so reassuring. I've been waiting around for them to send me something official and that was apparently wasting my time.

Exactly. File now, sort out the paperwork details later. The claim date is the thing that actually matters.

Same experience here. Had zero documents when I filed, everything sorted itself out through EDD's own process.

Benefits are taxable at the federal level but California doesn't tax them at the state level. When you certify you can choose to have 10 percent withheld for federal taxes. EDD mails a Form 1099G in January, and it's also in UI Online under Payments if you need it before it arrives.

Wish someone had told me that during my first claim. Owed a surprising amount in federal taxes that spring.

The 10 percent withholding option is easy to miss - it's just a yes/no question during certification but it makes a big difference at tax time.

Seven years of wages means your base period earnings are probably solid. The calculator estimate tends to be pretty close to the actual DE 429Z amount in most cases. Good job filing quickly.

Thank you. This thread is the reason I didn't wait around for paperwork that was apparently never coming.

The seven years actually works in your favor for the benefit calculation - higher consistent earnings usually mean you're at or near the maximum weekly amount. The DE 429Z will tell you for sure.

For the interview, if they do schedule one, the DE 4800 that comes in the mail lists exactly what they're going to ask. Read it twice and write out your timeline of events beforehand. The interviewer phones at the time listed on that notice, so keep your phone nearby at that time.

Great outcome. And if the interview results in a denial for some reason, you have 30 days from the date on the Notice of Determination to file a written appeal. Keep certifying no matter what - that's how EDD can pay back weeks if anything gets resolved in your favor later.

Claimyr is worth bookmarking for if your claim goes into extended pending status and you need to reach an agent to find out what's holding it up. Got to an agent that way when my own claim stalled out post-interview. It's at claimyr.com if you need it down the line.