What is needed for unemployment in California EDD? First-time filer checklist

This is exactly what I needed, thank you. I had no idea they go back 18 months on employment history. I had a temp gig like a year ago that I almost forgot about.

also dont forget if you were paid cash under the table that gets complicated, EDD wants W2 wages basically

That's a fair point - cash wages that weren't reported to the state can't really be used to establish your claim since California EDD calculates your benefit amount based on wages reported through the Employment Development Department's records.

Wait so I need to make an account before filing? I thought you could just fill out the application directly. Ugh, one more step.

Yeah it's a bit clunky but the account is actually useful once you're approved because you use it to certify for your weekly claims every two weeks. So it's worth setting up properly from the start.

I spent like 45 minutes trying to figure out the login setup. Their site is not exactly user friendly lol

THIS. I put the wrong reason on my application because I wasn't sure how to categorize my situation and my claim got flagged. Took weeks to sort out.

I was definitely laid off, my whole shift got eliminated so that should be straightforward right?

Laid off due to lack of work is the cleanest situation for California EDD claims. You should be in good shape as long as your wages meet the minimum earnings requirements.

what are the minimum earnings requirements? i never hear people talk about that part

Oh wow I had no idea about the ID.me thing. Is that mandatory for everyone now?

Pretty much yes for new claims filed through UI Online. It's California EDD's fraud prevention measure. Some people get cleared automatically, some have to do the full video verification. Just watch your email and your UI Online inbox closely after you file.

the ID.me thing is honestly a whole separate nightmare. my camera wasnt working and i had to schedule a video call that took forever to get into

Three days of trying to call sounds like my personal nightmare. Does Claimyr actually work or is it one of those things that sounds too good to be true?

I was skeptical too but I got a callback and talked to an actual EDD rep who walked me through exactly what I needed to submit. It's legit.

gonna bookmark this for when I inevitably need to call EDD about something lol

I've heard of this, my cousin used it when her claim was stuck in adjudication. Said it saved her a ton of stress.

so if someone was making like $800 a week they'd get around $450? that seems like a big drop

Yeah the $450 cap means higher earners take a proportionally bigger hit. It's set by California state law. There are proposals to raise it periodically but that's where it stands now.

the cap is brutal especially in California where cost of living is so high

Wait I have to register with CalJOBS too? How many different accounts do I need to make lol

Ha I know it feels like a lot. The CalJOBS registration takes about 20 minutes and you only have to do it once. After that you just need to log your job contacts each week - you're required to contact a certain number of employers per week to stay eligible.

The current job search requirement is 3 employer contacts per week unless you're on standby status or in an approved training program.

That's a really important point that I definitely would have gotten wrong. So I should start my job search log immediately even before my claim is approved?

Yes, from literally the week after your last day of work. Keep a spreadsheet with the employer name, contact method, date, and position you applied for. You may never be asked to show it but if EDD audits you and you can't produce it, you could face disqualification or even an overpayment notice later.

100% agree on keeping detailed records. I used a Google Sheet and it saved me when I got a random verification request from EDD about my job search activities.

Traditional independent contractors classified as 1099 workers aren't eligible for regular California UI benefits because unemployment insurance is funded by employer payroll taxes, which 1099 workers don't pay into. However if you were misclassified as a contractor when you should have been an employee, you might have a case - California has very strict worker classification laws under AB5.

yeah that's kind of my situation actually, the company called me a contractor but I worked set hours and had a supervisor. maybe worth looking into

If you think you were misclassified, you can actually file a claim and California EDD will investigate the classification. It's more complicated and takes longer but people do win those cases.

Yes, California EDD still has a waiting week for most new claims. The first week you're eligible is unpaid - it's called the waiting period week. You still have to certify for it, you just don't receive payment for that week. It basically means your first actual payment covers your second week of unemployment.

ugh that's annoying but good to know before I'm expecting money that isn't coming

I didn't know this and was so confused when my first payment was only for one week instead of two

Is there a specific day I have to certify? Or can I do it any day during the two week period?

California EDD assigns you a specific certification day based on the last digit of your Social Security number. They'll tell you what day after you file. You can certify on that day or the day after but don't wait too long or your payment gets delayed.

You can also certify up to 2 weeks late without losing those weeks, but past that you generally need to call EDD to backfile and that's where people run into problems.

How does partial benefits work anyway? I might pick up some freelance stuff while job hunting

When you work and earn wages during a benefit week, California EDD reduces your payment based on those earnings. You get to keep the first $25 or 25% of your weekly benefit amount (whichever is higher) without any reduction. Earnings above that are deducted dollar for dollar from your benefit. So it can still be worth working part time as long as your earnings don't exceed your weekly benefit amount.

ok that's actually not as bad as I thought, might pick up a few shifts

This is so important. I didn't know to keep certifying during my adjudication period and lost like 3 weeks of potential back pay.

How common is it to get sent to adjudication even when you were clearly laid off?

More common than you'd think. Sometimes it's triggered by employer disputes, address mismatches, identity verification issues, or even just random audits. Being laid off due to lack of work is usually the cleanest path but it's not a guarantee you won't hit a snag.

Same here! This thread saved me from so many mistakes. Good luck with your claim!

Good luck to you both. The waiting part is the worst but once you get approved and the first payment hits it's such a relief.

I was actually going to ask about health insurance next, thank you for including this.

Covered California is actually really good if your income dropped significantly - you might qualify for pretty hefty subsidies now that you're on unemployment

I paid way less on Covered California than I would have on COBRA, definitely worth comparing

This is genuinely great advice. I've seen people post in forums like this saying EDD claims they never certified when they definitely did. Having proof changes everything.

Already making a folder on my desktop. Better safe than sorry with this stuff.

honestly the EDD system is so unpredictable that yes screenshots of everything is just smart

Adding this habit immediately. Thanks for the tip.

The Bank of America EDD debit card typically takes 7-10 business days from when your first payment is processed to arrive in the mail. If it's been more than 2 weeks since payment was actually issued (not just approved), you can call BofA EDD card services directly at their dedicated number or log into the prepaid card website to check the status. The card comes in a plain envelope so make sure you're not throwing it away by accident.

oh no I've been throwing out a lot of mail lately I hope I didn't toss it

If you set up direct deposit instead of the debit card you avoid this whole issue. You can update your payment preference in UI Online even after your claim is approved.

There's actually a specific program called the California Training Benefits program that lets you collect UI while in approved training without having to do the weekly job search requirements. Worth looking into if you're considering going back to school or getting certified in something.

That's really useful to know. I've been thinking about getting some certifications while I look for work.

Definitely look into CTB then. It's specifically designed for that situation and keeps you from having to choose between training and benefits.

Calling at 8am helps but it's still a gamble. Honestly after my experience with Claimyr I probably wouldn't go back to the regular hold line for anything important. Got connected in way less time and didn't have to sit there waiting. claimyr.com if anyone wants to check it out.

I keep hearing about Claimyr, might have to finally try it next time instead of doing the redial game

Tuesday and Wednesday mid-morning also used to be slightly less brutal than Monday first thing. But nothing is guaranteed with EDD phone lines.