How to claim unemployment benefits in California EDD – confused about the whole process

This is incredibly helpful thank you! So the biweekly certification - I do that through the same UI Online website? And when does it start, like right after I file the initial claim?

Yes, same UI Online portal. Your first certification period starts after your waiting week ends. California EDD will send you an email notification when it's time to certify. Don't wait for a letter in the mail, check your UI Online inbox too.

Also worth noting - you can certify by phone too if the website is giving you trouble. The EDD Tele-Cert line is available for weekly certifications. But UI Online is usually faster and you can see your payment status right there.

Oh wow I definitely would have gotten confused by that too. So I need to create both accounts or just one?

you need the myEDD account to log in, and then from there you access UI Online. just start at edd.ca.gov and click the UI Online button and it'll walk you through making the account. just have your SSN ready

This is accurate. The myEDD portal is the login system and UI Online is where the actual claim stuff happens. A lot of people get tripped up thinking they're two separate things but myEDD IS the gateway to UI Online basically.

I didn't know that at all, I thought if I did any work I'd lose my benefits completely. Good to know I can still pick up shifts if I need to.

YES this is so important. I made the mistake of not reporting some cash work I did during my claim period and got an overpayment notice months later. California EDD WILL catch it and then you owe the money back plus potentially get disqualified. Just report everything, it's not worth the risk.

The formula California EDD uses is that your earnings for the week get reduced by 25% and then that amount is subtracted from your weekly benefit amount. So if your WBA is $300 and you earned $100, they subtract $75 (75% of earnings) from your benefit, meaning you still get $225 that week. Better than nothing.

Oh interesting I've already been dreading having to call them. Good to know this exists just in case I get stuck.

i've heard of claimyr before! did it actually work or did you still end up waiting forever

It worked, I got the callback the same day I signed up. Way better than sitting on hold redial redial redial. The agent I talked to was able to see my whole claim status and explain why there was a hold on it.

gonna save this just in case, the edd phone system is absolutely brutal

What does adjudication mean exactly? I've seen that word a few times and I'm not totally sure what it means for my claim.

Adjudication means California EDD is reviewing some aspect of your claim before making an eligibility decision. It could be anything from verifying your separation reason with your employer to confirming your identity to reviewing your work history. It basically means your claim is on hold pending a decision. It can take anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months depending on the issue.

And if your claim goes into adjudication, keep certifying every two weeks even if you're not getting paid yet. If California EDD approves your claim later, they'll backpay all the weeks you certified for. If you stop certifying while in adjudication you lose those weeks permanently.

Great question and this is exactly the standby situation. If your employer has given you a definite recall date (meaning an actual date you're expected to return, not just 'maybe someday'), you can request standby status from California EDD. If approved, you're exempt from the job search requirement during that period - usually up to 8 weeks. You still have to certify and be able and available for work, but you don't need to make the 3 contacts per week. You request it when you certify by answering yes to the standby question.

oh my gosh nobody told me about this. the date isn't super definite though it's more like 'we think sometime in March.' is that enough to get standby approved?

For standby California EDD generally wants a reasonably specific recall date from the employer. 'Sometime in March' might work or might not - it depends on the interviewer. I'd recommend calling California EDD to ask directly about your specific situation rather than guessing. This is one of those things that's worth a phone call to make sure you're doing it right.

Not a dumb question at all. For California EDD job search requirements, one 'contact' can be any of the following: submitting an application (yes, online apps on Indeed, LinkedIn, company websites all count), attending a job fair, contacting an employer directly about openings, registering with a staffing agency, or participating in a workshop through America's Job Center. For each contact you need to log the employer name, contact method, date, and position you applied for. Keep this log because California EDD can request it at any time.

Ok so my Indeed applications totally count, that's a relief. I've been keeping a spreadsheet with all the details. Also didn't know about the America's Job Center workshops, that might be useful.

You also need to register on CalJOBS, that's California's official job search database. California EDD requires claimants to register there as part of the job search requirement. You can count that registration as one of your initial contacts. After that you can post your resume there and apply through it but it's the registration itself that fulfills the requirement initially.

Oh no, I filed about 5 days after my layoff, is that really bad? I'm panicking a little now

5 days isn't terrible, you probably only lost a few days. Not ideal but not catastrophic. For anyone reading this in the future though - file ASAP. You can always withdraw a claim if you end up not needing it

To add some reassurance - California EDD claim weeks start on Sunday. So if you filed on say a Wednesday, your effective claim start date is the Sunday of that week. You didn't necessarily lose 5 full days, possibly just a partial week at worst. Check your award notice when it comes to see your official benefit year begin date.

Mine was definitely a clear layoff, they let like 15 of us go at once due to the company downsizing. Should I be okay?

A mass layoff due to downsizing is about as clean as it gets for California EDD purposes. Your employer would have a hard time contesting that. You should be fine, just make sure what you put on your claim matches what your employer tells EDD.

This is good info. My adjudication was because my employer initially said I quit when I didn't, I was laid off with a two week notice. Took about a month of back and forth with California EDD before they sorted it out in my favor. Nightmare situation but I did eventually get all my backpay.

Yes this is a real concern. California EDD will never call you and ask for your full social security number, bank account numbers, or passwords. They also won't text you links asking you to verify your identity outside of the official ID.me verification process. If you get a suspicious call claiming to be EDD, hang up and call the official EDD number yourself to verify. The official phone number is on edd.ca.gov.

That's reassuring, thank you. I did the ID.me verification as part of my initial claim filing, is that different from what you're describing?

Yes, ID.me is California EDD's legitimate identity verification partner. That's part of the normal claim process. The scams are separate - random unsolicited calls/texts claiming there's a problem with your account that needs immediate verification. The real EDD sometimes sends notices by mail asking you to call them, but they won't cold-call you and demand sensitive info on the spot.

I was in the exact same spot as you a few months back, I feel your pain. This is actually exactly why I ended up trying Claimyr - after weeks of failed calls I was desperate. It navigates the EDD phone system and holds your place in line, then calls you when an agent is available. I finally got through and found out my claim had a simple issue that took 5 minutes to fix but nobody had told me. Site is claimyr.com if you want to check it out, there's a video demo at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 so you can see how it works before deciding.

okay I actually just watched that video and I'm gonna try it. at this point I have nothing to lose because my current strategy of screaming into the void isn't working

6 weeks in adjudication is rough but not unheard of unfortunately. hoping it gets resolved for you soon. and yes keep certifying every two weeks even with no payments coming in!!

I actually already did set up direct deposit when I filed so hopefully that's good!

perfect, you're ahead of the game. payments usually hit 3-5 business days after you certify once your claim is active

agreed the edd debit card is annoying. i had it for my first claim years ago and it was such a hassle

I really hope I don't end up needing this info but good to have it. Is the appeal process complicated to navigate on your own?

It's manageable for most people. California EDD sends you instructions with the denial letter. You submit an appeal form (DE 1000M) either online, by mail, or by fax. Then you get a hearing notice with a date and time for a phone hearing with an ALJ. You can represent yourself - it's not like going to regular court. Just bring documentation supporting your case.

From the employer side I can confirm the appeal process is real and worth using. I've seen claimants win appeals against initial denials when they presented documentation that contradicted the employer's account. The system isn't perfect but it does have a check on it.

Good question. California EDD eligibility requires that you earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period AND your total base period wages are at least 1.25x your highest quarter wages. The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed. There's also an alternate base period if you don't qualify under the standard one, which uses the last four completed quarters. Part-time workers can and do qualify as long as they hit these wage thresholds. It's not about how many hours you worked, it's about how much you earned.

oh interesting so even if you only worked part time you could qualify as long as you made enough money total. that makes sense

This actually makes me feel better. I worked part time for a while but before that I was full time for like a year so I probably have enough wages in the base period from that full time period

That's smart, I'm going to start doing this immediately

100% agree with this. I'd also add - print or save PDF copies of any determination letters or notices California EDD sends to your UI Online inbox. Those documents can disappear from your inbox after a period of time and you may need them later for an appeal or just for reference

yes exactly! the UI Online inbox doesn't keep messages forever. save everything to your own device as soon as you get it

oh man yeah the id.me stuff is rough. did she eventually get through it?

yes finally on the fourth video call it went through fine. we were on a laptop by the end and the camera quality was better which I think helped. the whole thing added about 10 days to when she actually got her first payment

The ID.me video call option (called 'video chat verification') is definitely the path for people who can't do the facial scan. It does take longer because you're scheduling with a live agent, but it works. California EDD also has physical America's Job Centers where some ID verification help is available if someone really can't get through the online process.

This is so reassuring to read, thank you! I'm about two weeks into my claim now and I think things are going smoothly. My only concern is I still haven't gotten my award notice but I can see my claim is active in UI Online.

If your UI Online shows the claim as active and your certification dates you're probably fine. The paper award notice is sometimes slow. Check your UI Online inbox for a digital version first.

UPDATE for anyone following: I tried Claimyr like someone suggested and actually got through to a California EDD agent yesterday. Turns out my adjudication was because there was an address discrepancy from an old address that got flagged. Agent fixed it on the spot and told me I should see my backpay within 5-7 business days. Genuinely cannot believe all those weeks of stress could have been resolved in a single phone call. If you're stuck in adjudication and can't get through on the phone please just try claimyr.com - it was worth it for me