What information do you need to file for unemployment in California EDD?

Does the address have to be the corporate headquarters or just the location I actually worked at? The warehouse I was at is definitely not where the company is based.

The location you worked at is fine. EDD just needs enough to identify the employer and send them a notice about your claim.

Also worth knowing — the claim week starts on Sunday, so if you apply today it covers from this past Sunday forward. Don't wait any longer or you lose those days.

That's actually reassuring. I was worried the verbal part would mess things up.

Verbal is fine. The question EDD cares about is why you stopped working, not whether you have a letter about it.

wait does the employer like actually get to see what YOU wrote in the application?? that seems weird

CalJOBS is a separate registration? I didn't know that was even a thing I'd have to do.

Yeah it's a separate site — caljobs.ca.gov. Most people get a notice in the mail called a DE 8405 that tells them they need to register there and post a resume within 21 days. EDD tells you on that notice whether you need to do it, but most claimants do.

I forgot to do CalJOBS and my payments froze. Had to call EDD to get it sorted. Do not skip this step.

Wait so if I got a raise this past summer that might not even count toward my benefit amount?

Exactly right. That recent quarter often falls outside the standard base period. EDD runs the numbers automatically and the DE 429Z they mail you shows your actual weekly amount. If the standard period doesn't get you a valid claim at all, they switch to an alternate base period automatically — but that's only when the standard one doesn't qualify you, not to bump up an amount that's already set.

I thought the alternate base period was something you could just request to get a higher payment. Guess that's not how it works.

Nope, EDD only uses it when the standard base period wouldn't give you a valid claim. It's automatic, not a choice, and it doesn't apply just to raise your weekly amount.

Applying is the one-time thing you do to open a claim — that's what this thread is about, getting all your info together and submitting it. Certifying is what you do every two weeks after that to tell EDD you're still unemployed and looking for work. Two totally different steps.

ohhh okay so you apply once and then certify keeps going every two weeks got it

And the first certification usually covers two weeks — the waiting week, which doesn't pay, and then the first week that actually does. So don't panic if the first payment is for only one week.

How long did it take for ID.me to clear and for EDD to actually process things after that?

For me it was about a week after I did the ID.me verification before things moved. The whole first payment took close to three weeks from when I applied, which apparently is normal for a new claim.

Three weeks is the rough window EDD gives for processing a new application and getting the first payment out. Just set that expectation and don't assume something is wrong if you don't hear back in the first week.

So that notice isn't the same as being approved? Like getting that letter doesn't mean I'm definitely getting paid?

Right, it shows what the claim could pay if you're eligible, not that EDD has decided you're eligible. That's a separate determination. If there's any question about your eligibility — like if EDD wants to look more closely at your layoff — they may schedule a phone interview first before any payments go out.

This is a really important distinction that the DE 429Z being in the mail makes people think they're approved. It just sets the potential amount.

That's helpful. I have one job from like two years ago where I only worked for a month and I have zero paperwork from them.

Just put what you know. EDD focuses most heavily on your most recent employer anyway.

You apply as soon as your hours actually drop or you stop working, not when you get the news. If you're still being paid and showing up through the end of next month, file on the week your last day actually happens.

That makes sense, I didn't want to file too early and mess something up.

The claim week starts on the Sunday of whatever week you apply, so timing your application to the week you actually stop working is the right move.

EDD's own guidance says severance paid under a company plan or policy isn't counted as wages for unemployment purposes, so it doesn't block you from filing or from getting paid. That said, it's still on the list of things you're supposed to report when you certify, so report it and let EDD make the call on your specific situation.

So I can file now even though the severance payment is coming? I didn't want to wait six weeks.

File now. You don't have to wait for the severance to be paid out before you apply.

wait i thought severance meant you couldn't get unemployment at all?? glad someone corrected that

I do have about a week of unused PTO they're supposed to pay out. Good to know I report that too.

Yep, report it for the week it covers, not the week they actually pay it. EDD cares about when it was earned, not when the check arrives.

Keeping records of where you applied is a genuinely good habit, though EDD's pages don't specify exactly how many contacts you need per week. The requirement is that you're able to work, available to work, and looking for work every week you certify.

Okay so there's no set number per week I just have to actually be looking?

Correct. The rule is that you're actively searching, not a fixed count. CalJOBS is also where EDD sends you to look for jobs as part of that registration process.

I didn't even realize you could do it by phone. That might be less intimidating honestly.

The information you need is the same either way — Social Security number, ID, employer details — but some people find it easier to have someone walk through it with them.

Phone line can be hard to get through on. I tried calling to ask a question after filing and sat on hold for a long time before giving up.

Same happened to me. The letter gives you instructions for ID.me and it's pretty clear once you're in the process, just annoying if you weren't expecting another step.

How do you even know if EDD got your ID.me verification? Does it update anywhere?

It eventually shows up in your UI Online claim status but it's not instant. I just did the ID.me steps and waited a few days and things moved forward on their own.

Phone interviews and appeal hearings are really different things. The interview is EDD checking in about eligibility before they decide — it's usually when you quit or were fired, or when there's some other question about your situation. An appeal hearing is what happens after EDD makes a decision and you disagree with it.

Yeah I totally panicked and thought I was in trouble. It was just the interviewer asking some basic questions and that was it.

The notice they send you before the interview is a DE 4800 and it lists the date and time the interviewer phones you, plus the topics they'll likely cover. The same date and time shows up on your UI Online homepage. Keep your phone nearby at that exact time.

Oh I had no idea about the federal tax part. I would have assumed it wasn't taxable at all.

Really easy to miss. EDD also mails a 1099G every January that shows what you received, and it's available in UI Online under the Payments section in case you need it before the mail arrives.

wait so california doesn't take state tax out but federal still taxes it?? that's annoying

Good to know, I was definitely expecting a check. How long does the card take to come in the mail?

Mine came about a week after I was approved. The payment was sitting there waiting by the time the card arrived. You can check your payment status any time in UI Online or by calling 1-866-333-4606 which is available 24 hours.

Direct deposit or the card — either works. The main thing is you pick what you want early so the first payment lands wherever you expect it.

The notes field is there for exactly that reason. Pick the closest category and use the extra space to describe what actually happened. EDD reads those notes.

The interviewer actually referenced what I wrote in my notes during the phone interview, so yeah, they definitely look at it.

Okay that's helpful to know. My situation was a verbal layoff so I'll have to pick the closest option and explain from there.

So the agent could actually see your specific wage records and explain the calculation? That's what I'd want to know too.

Yep, they pulled it right up. Saved me a lot of guessing about whether something had been entered wrong.

Does that work for questions during the application stage too or only after you've already filed?

Is the resume on CalJOBS public? I'm still on decent terms with my old employer and I don't want them to find my job search profile.

You can set your resume to be private or restrict who can see it. Worth doing if that's a concern.

The CalJOBS registration also connects to job listings if you actually want to use it for the search part, not just to meet EDD's requirement.

Your sister had it backwards. EDD needs at least $1,300 in one quarter of the base period, or at least $900 in your highest quarter with total base period wages of 1.25 times that — but there's no minimum time at any single employer. Wages from multiple jobs in that period all count together.

I would have just not applied if I hadn't double checked. Really glad I did.

So many people don't apply because they think they don't qualify and then never find out they would have. Worth filing and letting EDD make the actual call.

I keep second-guessing my own wage records too so this is reassuring that an agent can actually go through that with you.

They walked through it line by line. Took maybe five minutes once I had someone on the phone.

Having a job interview is definitely part of actively looking for work. The requirement is that you're able to work, available to work, and genuinely searching — an interview is evidence of exactly that.

Okay good. I was overthinking it.

Just keep notes on it. Not because EDD specifically requires a log, but so you can answer questions accurately if they come up.

That's exactly what I need. I had no idea the calculator existed. Where do I find it?

It's right on edd.ca.gov — search for 'Unemployment Benefit Calculator' and it comes right up. No login needed.

Just remember the calculator uses the quarters you enter, so make sure you're using the right base period quarters and not just your most recent earnings or you'll get a misleading estimate.

So EDD can actually see whether CalJOBS is showing confirmed on their side? I didn't realize those two systems talked to each other.

The agent had a note in my file that the registration was flagged as incomplete. Worth a call if your weeks go pending without a clear reason.

This is why I always tell people not to assume the CalJOBS registration went through just because you think you completed it. If your payments stop for no reason, that's the first thing to check.