Started new job but won't get paid for 3 weeks - will EDD still pay benefits during this gap?

congrats on the job! i think ur supposed to report when u actually GET the money not when u work. thats what i did last yr

You need to report when you WORK, not when you get paid. On your certification, you have to report the hours you worked each week even if you haven't received a paycheck yet. EDD calculates your partial benefits based on your earnings for that week, not when the money hits your bank account. You'll receive reduced benefits during weeks you work but haven't been paid yet. Report your estimated earnings for each week based on hours worked × hourly rate. If you're salaried, divide your monthly salary by 4.33 to get your weekly earnings.

When I started my new job in January, my benefits COMPLETELY STOPPED even though I didn't get paid for 3 weeks!!! The EDD system is BROKEN and doesn't care if you have bills to pay! I had to borrow money from my parents to make rent. It's ridiculous how they expect people to survive this gap!!!!

To clarify what others have said, here's how it actually works: 1. You must report work when you perform it, not when you're paid 2. For each week, EDD reduces your benefit by 75% of your earnings 3. You can receive partial benefits as long as your weekly earnings are less than your weekly benefit amount Example: If your weekly benefit is $400 and you earn $300 in a week, EDD deducts $225 (75% of $300), leaving you with $175 in partial benefits. Since you've reported your work activity correctly, you'll likely receive partial benefits until your earnings exceed your weekly benefit amount. This helps bridge the gap until your first paycheck. Make sure to calculate and report your weekly earnings accurately when certifying.

I started a job in healthcare last month and had this exact problem! Had to wait 4 weeks for my first paycheck but had rent and car payment due. I tried calling EDD to ask about it but couldn't get through - kept getting the "we're experiencing high call volume" message for DAYS. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent. They have this service that helps you skip the EDD phone queue. Watched their demo (https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km) and got connected to an EDD rep in like 20 minutes. The agent confirmed everything that was said here - I got partial benefits for those weeks which saved me from late fees on everything. Just sharing because trying to call EDD yourself is nearly impossible these days.

My cousin had this happen and he just didnt tell edd he was working until he got paid lol. but i dont recommend that cause they could find out and make u pay everything back

Another thing to remember: if your first paycheck covers multiple weeks of work, make sure you've correctly reported earnings for each specific week when certifying. Don't wait and report it all at once when you get paid. Misreporting when you worked (even if you haven't been paid yet) can lead to an overpayment determination later. EDD can check your work dates with your employer, and if they don't match what you reported, you could face penalties. The partial benefit calculation (75% reduction) that others mentioned is correct and designed specifically to help in situations like yours.

Just went through this exact situation last fall! Started a new job in September but didn't get my first paycheck until October 15th due to their weird pay schedule. I was terrified I'd lose all my benefits immediately. What saved me was understanding that EDD actually has a provision for this gap period. As long as you report your work hours accurately when certifying (even though you haven't been paid yet), they'll calculate partial benefits based on your projected weekly earnings. For my situation, I was earning about $600/week but my EDD benefit was $450/week. So during those gap weeks, I reported working 40 hours at my hourly rate, EDD reduced my benefits by 75% of that $600 (which is $450), and since that reduction equaled my full benefit amount, I got $0 from EDD those weeks. BUT - and this is important - some people in similar situations still get partial payments if their weekly earnings are less than their benefit amount. The key is being honest about your work schedule from day one. Don't wait until you get paid to report it! Hang in there - that first paycheck will feel amazing when it finally comes!

I'm in almost the exact same boat! Just started a new position this week but won't see my first check until late April. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful - I had no idea about the 75% reduction rule or that I could still get partial benefits during the gap. One question though - when you're calculating your weekly earnings to report, do you use gross pay or net pay? My offer letter shows my salary as $52k annually, so that would be about $1000/week gross, but after taxes it'll be way less. I want to make sure I'm reporting the right amount when I certify next week. Also really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here. It's stressful enough starting a new job without worrying about how you're going to pay rent! Good luck with everything Jake - sounds like you'll be just fine following the advice here.