I just got fired, can I get unemployment? California EDD question

Wait so the employer actually has to prove something? I always thought if you got fired you were automatically disqualified. That changes everything for me honestly.

Exactly right. My layoff was completely smooth but my coworker got fired and still collected. It really does come down to whether they can show you did something wrong on purpose.

Filing the same week is key too. Your claim starts on the Sunday of whatever week you apply, so waiting even a few days pushes your start date back.

So I shouldn't try to spin anything, just tell them exactly what went down?

Straight facts, your own words. They've heard everything. Trying to dress it up usually makes things messier.

The interview notice is a form called DE 4800 and it'll have the exact date and time on it. The time also shows up on your UI Online homepage once your claim is in the system. Keep your phone on you at that time because that's when the interviewer phones.

I literally have my laptop open right now. Going to start the application tonight.

Get your last employer's full address ready, your Social Security number, your last day worked, and all your wages from the past 18 months if you can find them. The application asks for all of it.

Also do the ID.me verification as soon as EDD prompts you. That step hung up my claim for almost a week because I didn't realize it was holding everything up.

That's really reassuring to hear. Mine feels similar - no written warnings, nothing on paper.

Document everything you remember right now while it's fresh. What was said, by who, on what date. You may need it.

The DE 429Z is the letter that shows what your weekly benefit amount will be, by the way. It's not a guarantee you'll be paid - EDD still has to decide eligibility after the interview - but it shows your claim is in the system.

I actually hadn't even thought about whether my company would respond or not. Interesting.

Same thing happened to mine. My old company was huge and I think they just didn't bother with the paperwork. Got approved without a full interview even.

Worth noting though: you can't count on that. File, go through every step, do the interview if scheduled, certify every two weeks. Don't assume anything.

Oh I had no idea about this. So the first week is just... gone?

Unpaid, yeah. Every claim has it no matter what. After that first cert you should see payment for the second week.

My first cert covered the waiting week and then the payment for week two hit the Money Network card within about a day of certifying online. The debit card EDD sends is through Money Network now, not the old bank it used to be.

Wait there are multiple things I have to do just to keep getting paid? This is a lot.

Filing the claim, doing the interview, certifying every two weeks, and CalJOBS if the notice says so. That's basically it. It sounds like a lot but each piece is pretty quick once you know what it is.

CalJOBS is actually decent for job hunting too. Resume is right there and some employers post directly on it.

Just make sure you understand certifying - it's every two weeks, not weekly. You answer questions about those two weeks together. UI Online walks you through it.

How did you get through the waiting without losing your mind? I'm already checking UI Online every hour.

Honestly I just kept certifying on schedule so I wouldn't miss a week if it did flip. And I stopped checking every day, more like every couple days.

pending status just means EDD hasn't made the call yet. doesn't mean no or yes

I'm going to run that calculator tonight. At least I'll have a rough number in my head.

Just know the calculator is an estimate. The actual number is on the DE 429Z when it comes in the mail, and that's what EDD uses.

My estimate was pretty close to the real number, within about $20. Run it with your pay stubs if you have them.

They gave me nothing in writing at all. Just verbal. Is that a problem?

If anything that works in your favor. If they claim misconduct later and have no documentation, that's on them to prove, not you to disprove.

Accurate. No write-ups, no documented warnings, no paper trail - that's going to be hard for them to overcome in the phone interview process.

How do I know if the application actually submitted? I'm paranoid I'll hit send and it'll just disappear.

UI Online shows a confirmation screen after you submit and the claim should appear in your account within a day or two. If nothing shows after 48 hours, that's when I'd call or use the live chat.

The live chat through the Help button in UI Online runs Monday to Friday 9 to 2 Pacific. Good for quick status questions without sitting on hold.

Mine is similarly vague. The 'moving in a different direction' thing with no specifics at all.

Vague with no documentation is about the weakest case an employer can bring. Tell EDD exactly what was said and let them work it out.

This is a good reminder that the phone interview is not an interrogation - they're genuinely collecting information from both sides. Answer what they ask, stay calm.

So I should do that the moment it asks me to, not put it off?

Do it the second you see it. Take the photos in good light, make sure the ID is flat and readable. It held me up longer than the actual eligibility question did.

Had the same issue. The Request for Identity Verification is a form they call a DE 1326C. You might get it in the mail too if the online verification doesn't clear right away.

Four weeks feels like forever when you've got bills stacking up. How did you manage?

Stretched my last paycheck as far as it could go and leaned on a family member for one bill. Not ideal but it got me through.

EDD's resource list also points to CalFresh for food assistance while you're waiting. Apply at BenefitsCal and unemployment benefits count as income for it. It's not a lot but it helps.

That's honestly such a relief to hear. I've been dreading it like it's going to be some kind of trial.

Just know the exact date of your last day, what was said to you and by who, and whether you received any written discipline. That's basically all they asked me.

Keep the DE 4800 notice nearby when the interview time comes around. It lists the questions likely to be covered so you can think through your answers ahead of time.

I actually thought the deduction on my check was for unemployment. Learned something new.

The CASDI deduction you might see on your stub is for State Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave. Unemployment is funded on the employer's side entirely.

Good to get that cleared up. See it confused constantly in threads like this.

Good tip on the address - I would have just guessed at it.

An old pay stub or the offer letter usually has it. If you're unsure you can look up the company's registered address too.

Also have the last four quarters of wages roughly in mind if you can. The form asks for each employer over the past 18 months with start and end dates and approximate earnings.

I'm hoping I won't need the appeal part but good to know it exists.

Keep certifying even if you have to appeal. EDD can only pay back weeks that were certified, so don't stop just because there's a dispute.

The appeal goes to an administrative law judge - actual hearing with testimony under oath. I had to go through one and it was more formal than the phone interview but still manageable if you're honest and have your dates right.

I hadn't even thought about that scenario but it's good to know in case I pick up something temporary.

Just report everything for the week you earned it, not when you get paid. That's the part people mess up - if you worked Wednesday, that goes in the week of Wednesday even if the check comes two weeks later.

yeah i made the mistake of reporting by pay date and had to contact EDD to sort out a week. do it by when you earned it like the person above said

How did it work for you practically - did you just go to the site and start from there?

Went to claimyr.com, went through the steps, and ended up talking to an EDD agent about my pending weeks. Straightforward from my end.

Four days of busy signals is brutal. I hit a wall like that too around week three of my claim.

$387 a week sounds like it could actually cover my basics while I look. I'm going to run that calculator tonight.

Pull your last few pay stubs so you're using real numbers in the calculator. The estimate is pretty close to actual in my experience.

The CalJOBS resume doesn't have to be perfect - it just needs to be posted and visible. Put in your work history and skills and you're done. The DE 8405 gives you 21 days from when it's mailed to get it done.

The reporting wages thing genuinely confuses me - is it separate from certifying or part of it?

Report Wages in UI Online is for checking how a week's earnings would be calculated before you certify. The actual reporting happens during the certification itself when it asks what you earned. The agent made that distinction clear for me.

To add to that: Report Wages doesn't fix a week you already certified wrong. If you reported something incorrectly in a past certification you have to contact EDD through a message in UI Online or by phone.

I didn't know I could change to direct deposit. I'll set that up right away.

Change it in myEDD before your first payment processes. Once a payment is already issued to the card it goes to the card, but future ones can go to your bank.

Setting up direct deposit early is smart. Payments often show up within 24 hours of certifying online once the account is set.

This is the clearest summary of what I need to do. Thank you. Filing tonight.

Good. The hardest part is usually the waiting, not the actual steps. Keep records of everything and you'll be fine.

Also check your mail every day once you file. EDD mails things that are time-sensitive - the DE 4800 for the interview, the DE 8405 for CalJOBS, the DE 1080CZ if there's a denial. Missing a mail piece and missing a deadline are very different problems.

And if you disagree with anything on the DE 429Z when it arrives, you have 30 days from the date on it to appeal in writing. Usually it's fine but worth a quick check when it shows up.