Just certified for week 2 - how long until EDD changes 'pending' to 'paid' status?

For most people, the pending to paid transition happens within 24-48 hours after certification. Since you're new, your first payment might take a bit longer as the system processes your claim fully, but by the second certification it should be quicker. Did you set up your payment preference (Money Network card or direct deposit)? That needs to be done for funds to be released.

8 DAYS IS TOO LONG!!! Something's wrong with your claim if it's been pending that long. When I was on unemployment last year, anything more than 3 days pending meant there was an issue. You probably got flagged for an eligibility interview and they haven't even notified you yet. The EDD is TERRIBLE about communication. Check your UI Online inbox every day because they might have sent you something you missed.

Don't panic just yet. While 8 days is longer than ideal, there could be simple explanations. First-time claims often have a verification period. Double-check your UI Online homepage for any alerts or tasks. Sometimes you need to verify identity through ID.me or there might be additional documentation needed. Also make sure you reported any part-time earnings correctly - inconsistencies there can trigger reviews.

my first payment took 12 days to change from pending to paid last month. didnt do anything special just waited. second week only took 2 days tho so maybe just wait a bit longer?

When I was on EDD last year, I had the same issue and called them. Lady told me there was a "stop payment alert" on my account that wouldn't fix itself. They had to manually remove it. Had something to do with my previous employer contesting something. Only way I found out was by calling though - nothing showed up online!

I had the exact same issue a couple months ago! After trying the EDD phone lines for a week with no luck, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes. They basically call EDD for you and when they reach an agent, they connect you. It saved me WEEKS of waiting. My pending payments were resolved the same day I talked to the rep - turned out there was a simple flag on my account that needed to be removed. Check out their demo video: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km or their website claimyr.com. Definitely worth it when rent is on the line!

It's completely legitimate. They're just using technology to keep calling EDD until they get through. The EDD reps don't even know you used the service - to them it's just a regular call transfer. I was skeptical too but I was desperate after trying 30+ calls myself. The payment was processed literally the same day after the rep fixed the issue on my account.

One more thing to check: log into your UI Online account and go to the "Contact Us" section. Send a message specifically asking about the pending status on your weeks. Sometimes this can prompt them to review your claim. Be sure to include your claim ID number and the specific weeks that are pending. This has worked for some people as an alternative to calling. But if it's been more than 10 days, calling is definitely your best option to get it resolved quickly.

Just to give you some peace of mind - even if your payment is delayed, EDD will eventually pay you for all certified weeks that you're eligible for. The money isn't lost, it's just delayed. So while it's stressful waiting, especially with bills due, know that you will receive your full benefits. Make sure to keep certifying every two weeks on time, even if previous weeks are still pending. This keeps your claim active and prevents further delays.

UPDATE????? Did your payments go through? I'm curious because mine just got stuck in pending too and I'm freaking out!!

Glad to hear everything worked out! This is really helpful for others going through the same thing. It sounds like EDD does have a longer verification period for first-time claims, which makes sense from a fraud prevention standpoint. For anyone else reading this thread - seems like 7-10 days for the initial payment isn't uncommon, but definitely worth contacting them if it goes beyond that. The key takeaway is to keep certifying on schedule even when payments are pending, and don't panic if the first payment takes longer than expected.

As someone who went through this exact situation about 6 months ago, I can confirm that the 7-10 day wait for the first payment is unfortunately pretty standard. What helped me was setting up text alerts through UI Online so I got notified the moment my status changed to "paid" - saved me from obsessively checking the website every few hours! Also, if you're really tight on cash, some food banks and local assistance programs can help bridge the gap while you're waiting for that first payment to come through. The stress is real when bills are due, but it does get resolved. Hang in there!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I just filed my first unemployment claim in California last week and I've been stressed about what to expect with the payment timeline. Reading through everyone's experiences here is incredibly helpful - it sounds like that 7-10 day wait for the first payment is just part of the process, even though it's nerve-wracking when you're counting on the money. I really appreciate how supportive this community is and how people share practical tips like setting up text alerts and knowing about local resources. It's reassuring to know that even when payments are delayed, EDD does eventually pay out all eligible weeks. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world information that newcomers like me need!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation - just certified for my first two weeks and both are showing as pending. It's been 5 days for my first certification and I was starting to panic, but reading Diego's experience and everyone else's responses is really reassuring. I had no idea that 7-10 days was normal for first-time claims. I'm definitely going to set up those text alerts that Isabella mentioned and send a message through the Contact Us section like Anastasia suggested. It's amazing how much stress can be relieved just by knowing what's normal vs. what's actually a problem. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space for people navigating the EDD system!

As someone who works in unemployment benefits (though not specifically for CA EDD), I wanted to add some context about why first payments often take longer. New claims go through additional verification steps including cross-referencing with other state databases, verifying employment history with your previous employer, and sometimes waiting for employer responses to separation notices. The 7-10 day timeframe everyone's mentioning aligns with what we see across most state systems. One tip that might help future claimants: when you first file, the system assigns you a "waiting week" which is unpaid, but after that your benefit year clock starts ticking. So even if payments are delayed, you're not losing potential benefit weeks - they're just processing slower than you'd like. The most important thing is to keep certifying on schedule as Diego did!