If someone gets fired can they collect unemployment in California EDD?

That's actually really reassuring. So they're going to hear both sides before deciding? I was afraid they'd just take the employer's word for it.

Yeah exactly, EDD isn't just going to side with whoever fired you. The whole point of the interview process is to get the full picture from both sides.

Worth adding that if EDD decides you don't qualify after everything, they mail you a Notice of Determination and you have 30 days from that mailing date to appeal in writing. So even a denial isn't necessarily the final word.

Wait so there's a formal phone interview that gets scheduled? I had no idea about that. Is that the same as the appeal or is it a different thing?

Different things entirely. The phone interview is how EDD collects information from you before making any decision on your claim, since there's a question about why you stopped working. An appeal is what you do after EDD has already made a decision and you disagree with it. You'd appeal by using the form that comes with the denial notice, the DE 1000M.

Oh okay that makes more sense now. So I could have an interview and still get approved, the interview isn't a sign that something's wrong?

Exactly, the interview is just standard for fired or quit situations. It doesn't mean your claim is in trouble, it just means EDD needs more information before it can decide.

Pending weeks showing in Claim History just means EDD is still working out eligibility or verifying something. It doesn't mean denied. It moves eventually.

Yeah I know that now but the first time it scared me half to death. Nobody tells you what Pending actually means.

I haven't heard of CalJOBS yet. Is that something everyone has to do?

EDD's notice will tell you if you need to or not. For most people who file, yes, it's required. The site is caljobs.ca.gov and you create an account and upload a resume there. The 21-day clock starts from the date on that DE 8405 notice, not from when you get the letter.

Yep same thing happened to me, got the DE 8405 and completely glossed over it at first. Set a reminder on your phone for before the 21 days are up once you get it.

So the first certification covers two weeks? I didn't know there was a waiting week involved at all.

yeah every claim has one week that doesn't get paid, it's just part of how it works. so your first certification usually covers that waiting week plus one actual paid week. the weekly amount is on a notice EDD mails called the DE 429Z.

To add to that, the DE 429Z shows what your weekly benefit amount is and the maximum total your claim can pay. It's based on your earnings in the highest quarter of your base period. The EDD website has a calculator you can use to get an estimate before the notice arrives.

This is an important point. EDD decides, the employer just gets to respond. Even if the employer claims misconduct, EDD still evaluates whether that actually meets the standard for disqualification.

My supervisor made it sound like there was no way I'd get unemployment, so this is good to hear.

Supervisors say that sometimes because they don't understand the process, or because they're hoping you won't file. File anyway and let EDD make the actual call.

What if the time doesn't work for me? Can it be rescheduled?

You can contact EDD at least one day before the scheduled time to try to change it, but they can only give you an open time slot, so it depends on availability. Better to try to make the original time if at all possible.

Also the interview time should show up on your UI Online homepage in addition to being on the DE 4800, so you have two places to check.

That's a common misconception but it's not accurate. Being laid off is the clearest path because there's no dispute about why you stopped working. Getting fired is more complicated because EDD looks at whether there was misconduct. But plenty of people who were fired do receive benefits, the outcome depends on what the firing was actually for.

oh wow okay. i told my coworker that before i really knew and probably scared him out of filing. he should file!

Yeah tell him to file. The worst that happens is EDD says no and he has 30 days to appeal. Not filing means definitely getting nothing.

How do I even know when to certify? Does EDD tell me?

UI Online will show when your next certification is due. It's every two weeks after EDD processes your application and you've completed your first one. You can also certify over the phone using EDD Tele-Cert at 1-866-333-4606 if you don't want to do it online.

and when you certify make sure you report any work or wages accurately for the week they were actually earned. even a few hours of part time work somewhere needs to be reported.

That's exactly what I needed to hear. It wasn't that I was refusing to work or doing something deliberately wrong, they just set targets nobody could realistically hit.

Document that if you can. If you have any emails, messages, or records showing what the targets were and how everyone on the shift was affected, hold onto those. You might be able to reference them during the interview.

SAVE EVERYTHING. I didn't save any of my work communications the first time and had a much harder time making my case. Anything in writing is gold.

I hadn't even thought about CalFresh. Good to know that's an option.

Also 2-1-1 is worth calling if you need help finding other local resources, food banks, rental assistance, that kind of thing. It's free and covers most of California.

I'd rather have direct deposit. I'll change that in myEDD now before anything comes through.

Good call, go into myEDD and you can update your payment preference there. Better to have it set up before the first payment processes.

That tracks. Documentation and whether the employer followed their own policies can matter a lot in how the interview goes. It's worth having your own account of events clearly laid out in your head before the call.

yeah he said he just explained everything calmly and answered all the questions and that was it. didn't try to make the employer look bad, just said what happened.

That's a nice bonus I didn't expect. I'll check if there's a center near me once things settle down a bit.

AJCCs are free and they also have job referrals sometimes. Worth looking into once you're in the job search phase anyway.

I was wondering what the confirmation email meant. So that just means the application went through, not that I'm approved?

Exactly. The application being received and the eligibility decision are two completely separate steps. The DE 429Z shows the potential weekly amount based on your wages, and EDD still has to decide if you actually qualify before any money moves.

And even a denial isn't permanent if you appeal within 30 days of the mailing date on the Notice of Determination. The Appeal Form is the DE 1000M and it comes with any denial notice.

EDD doesn't take taxes out automatically, you have to choose it. Each time you certify there's an option to have 10 percent withheld for federal taxes. Benefits are taxable federal income but California doesn't tax them at the state level. EDD mails a Form 1099G in January showing what you received during the year, and it's also available in UI Online under Payments.

Good to know, I'll opt into the withholding so I don't get surprised at tax time.

i didn't opt in my first time and ended up owing money. definitely choose the withholding if you can swing it.

Thank you for the clear summary. I feel a lot better about where I stand going into this.

Apply, go to the interview prepared, and certify on schedule once things get moving. That's really the whole process in a few words.

Writing it all down is a good idea. I remember the meeting pretty clearly right now but I want to make sure I don't forget details by the time the interview actually happens.

Do it now while it's fresh. Even notes on your phone. The interview could be a few weeks away and memories get fuzzy.

Good clarification. EDD decides after hearing from both sides, and both sides give their account separately, usually through the phone interview and employer response. It's not an adversarial hearing, just an information gathering process at that stage.

Right, it's not a courtroom. The interview is EDD trying to understand what happened so it can make a fair decision. Most people find it pretty straightforward if they just explain what actually happened.

That's encouraging to hear it resolved that quickly after the interview. I keep checking my Claim History and not seeing much yet.

Pending in Claim History is normal before the interview happens. Once EDD makes its decision the pending weeks get processed if you've certified them. Keep certifying no matter what.

The year minimum isn't accurate. What matters is how much you earned during your base period, which covers roughly 12 to 18 months before your claim, depending on which quarter it starts. You need at least $1,300 in one quarter of that period, or $900 in your highest quarter with your total base period wages being at least 1.25 times that. How long you worked at any single job doesn't have a minimum by itself.

Oh interesting, so it's about the earnings amount not the length of employment? That changes things.

Exactly. EDD's site has an Unemployment Benefit Calculator where you can punch in your quarterly earnings and get an estimate. Worth checking before you assume you don't qualify.

Three weeks is doable. I was imagining months. That's a relief.

The interview was what added most of the time for me since there was a question about the firing. Straightforward layoffs can go faster. But three weeks is a reasonable ballpark for fired situations where EDD needs to do the full interview and review.

Freight forwarding job termination took me about the same, right around three weeks after the interview before the pending weeks cleared. Certify on schedule and don't skip any weeks even if things look quiet.

ID.me is something I haven't done yet actually. Is that required right away?

EDD asks you to verify identity through ID.me, you create an account, take photos, and let ID.me share the info with EDD. If EDD can't verify you automatically you might get a letter called the DE 1326C asking you to do it. Better to get it done early.

The DE 1326C is the Request for Identity Verification. If you get one, follow the instructions on it promptly. Pending weeks related to identity don't move until that's resolved.