How long to receive EDD appeal decision after ALJ hearing in 2025?

In my experience, appeal decisions typically take 2-3 weeks to arrive after the hearing. The judge has to review all evidence and testimony before making a determination. The decision will come in the mail (not just on UI Online), so keep an eye on your mailbox. Calling EDD probably won't speed things up since the appeals department is separate from regular EDD operations.

Thanks for the info! Do you know if they ever notify people faster when approving vs denying? I thought I made a really strong case and the judge seemed to get that my situation wasn't misconduct.

dont stress it took me about 17 days to get my decision in the mail after my hearing. my UI account didnt update until AFTER i got the letter!! which was super annoying. btw u should win ur case since losing funding isnt misconduct, thats what happnd to me too. good luck!

That's reassuring to hear you were in a similar situation and won your appeal! Did they backpay you for all the weeks you certified during the appeal process?

yep got all my backpay but took another 10 days after the decision letter. make sure u kept certifying every 2 wks during the whole process!!

I went through this last month! Decision came in exactly 14 days but then my UI Online still showed disqualified for another week after that. Had to call EDD 43 times before getting through to have someone manually update my account status. The whole system is broken!!

Try using Claimyr instead of calling EDD directly. I was in a similar situation with my appeal decision not reflecting in the system. I used claimyr.com and they got me connected to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km - it saved me days of repeated calling.

That would've saved me so much time! I literally wasted an entire day hitting redial. Will definitely use this if I ever have to deal with EDD again.

FWIW the appeal process is TOTALLY separate from regular EDD operations. The California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board (CUIAB) handles appeals, not EDD directly. My decision took 23 days which is apparently on the longer end. The waiting is absolutely brutal. Make sure you watch for mail from CUIAB, not just EDD.

This is exactly right - and I'll add that most decisions in 2025 are taking 14-21 days based on what I've seen with clients. The judge often makes their decision much faster, but there's administrative processing time. Also, if you win, there's additional time for EDD to process payments after receiving the decision from CUIAB.

what does ALJ stand for? i have an appeal too but mine's just a phone interview next week and now im worried ill have to go see a judge too????

ALJ stands for Administrative Law Judge. There's a difference between an eligibility interview (which is what you have scheduled) and an actual appeal hearing. The phone interview is with an EDD representative determining initial eligibility. Only if they disqualify you and you disagree would you then file an appeal, which would eventually lead to a hearing with an ALJ.

oh thank god!! i was stressing out thinking i had to talk to a judge. thanks for explaining!

Each appeal timeline varies, but the current average is 14-21 calendar days from hearing to written decision. A few things to note:\n\n1. The decision is sent by mail first, UI Online updates later\n2. If favorable, your payment won't process automatically - might take 7-10 additional days\n3. Decisions stating you were laid off due to lack of work (not misconduct) have a high approval rate\n4. The judge can expedite decisions in hardship cases, but rarely do\n\nSince you mentioned rent concerns, if your decision isn't received within 21 days, you can contact the CUIAB office where your hearing was held to inquire about status.

This is super helpful! I didn't know I could contact CUIAB directly if it takes too long. My hearing was held over Zoom - does that change which office I should contact?

For Zoom hearings, contact the CUIAB office that was listed on your hearing notice paperwork. You should have received documents showing which office is handling your case regardless of whether the hearing was virtual or in-person. The same office managing your case preparation handles post-hearing administration.

I went through this whole nightmare last year! My appeal was for a different reason (they claimed I didn't report income correctly), but the timeline probably applies. In my case the decision arrived EXACTLY on the 14th day after the hearing. But then it took EDD another THREE WEEKS to actually process my payments after I won! So even after winning there was more waiting. The system is designed to wear you down!

Three MORE weeks after winning? That's terrifying. Did you have to do anything to push them to process the payment or did it eventually just happen automatically?

After 2 weeks of nothing happening I started calling. First they said

Update: I just wanted to let everyone know I finally got my decision in the mail today - exactly 15 days after the hearing. I WON! The judge ruled that a company running out of funding constitutes a layoff due to lack of work, not misconduct. Now I'm just waiting for my UI Online account to update and hoping the payments process quickly. Thanks everyone for your advice and sharing your experiences!

Congratulations! That's great news. Make sure to keep certifying for benefits while waiting for your account to update. Sometimes you need to call to have them push the payment through after a favorable appeal decision.

Thank you! Yes, I've been certifying every two weeks even during the disqualification. I'll give it a few days and then call if nothing updates automatically.

congrats!! told ya you'd win! startup funding issues are totally not misconduct. glad the judge saw it that way!