Where can I file for unemployment in California EDD?

Thank you so much, myedd is exactly what I was looking for. I kept landing on random third party sites. Going to go apply right now.

Calling EDD directly is so hard without help, the lines are impossible most mornings.

Agreed that myEDD is the place to go. Phone and mail work too but online is by far the quickest way to get the claim moving.

Do I need my W-2 or just the name of the employer and rough dates?

You mainly need dates of employment and what you earned, not the actual W-2 document. Just know roughly what you made each quarter if you can. EDD cross-checks with your employer records anyway.

The fax and mail options feel like they're from 2003 but they do exist if someone truly can't get online. Online is just so much faster for getting your claim started.

Oh wow I literally was about to drive somewhere tomorrow, so glad I saw this. I'll just do it at home online.

I made the same mistake my first time, drove 45 minutes to what I thought was an EDD office. The person there was nice but told me exactly what you just said. File online!

The Job Centers are genuinely useful once you have the claim going though. Resume help, interview prep, all free. Worth knowing about once the claim is sorted.

Wait so if I apply today Thursday my claim starts last Sunday? Or this coming Sunday?

The Sunday of the week you apply. So if you apply today, it goes back to this past Sunday. That's the start of your benefit year.

This tripped me up too. I thought my claim started from my last day at work. Nope, it's from the Sunday of the week you file. The earlier the better.

Good to know. The layoff was definitely not my fault, they let like 40 people go at once, so hopefully no issues there.

Layoffs are pretty straightforward from EDD's side. It's the people who quit or got fired where things get complicated and EDD needs to do a whole phone interview to sort out eligibility.

What is CalJOBS exactly? Is that separate from the EDD application?

CalJOBS is a separate job search platform run by the state, caljobs.ca.gov. EDD sends a notice telling you if you need to register there and post a resume. Most people do have to do it. It's not hard, just one more step you have to complete.

Don't sleep on CalJOBS either, it has actual job listings and you can apply directly through it. While you're in there setting up the resume, worth browsing what's available in your area.

Every two weeks? Not every week? Ok got it, I'll definitely set a reminder.

I missed my first certification window because I didn't realize it wasn't automatic after applying. Lost two weeks of pay. Don't be me, set that reminder.

The first certification is usually about two weeks after EDD processes your application. After that it's a regular every-two-weeks rhythm. UI Online is the fastest way to do it.

I'd rather do direct deposit honestly. I'll set that up once I'm in my account.

Direct deposit is way less hassle than waiting for the card in the mail honestly. Good call.

Oh I did see something about ID.me when I tried to log in earlier. Good to know that's normal and not a glitch.

The ID.me verification step hung me up for two days. You take a photo of your ID and a selfie and it checks them. Usually works fine but if it doesn't go through you might need to do a video call with an ID.me agent to finish it. Just be patient with it.

ID.me is the only way to verify for myEDD online. If it really doesn't work for you, filing by phone lets EDD verify you a different way, they mail a form called the DE 1326C.

So I'll get paid for one week out of the first two? That's a little frustrating but good to know going in.

Exactly. Week one is the waiting week, unpaid. Week two is the first paid week. After that it's normal. It's annoying but it's the same for everyone.

I thought EDD had made a mistake when my first payment was only for one week. Panicked for nothing. It's just the waiting week, totally normal.

How long does it usually take for CalJOBS to connect to EDD? I'm going to register there right after I finish the application.

It seemed to take a few days on mine. The issue was I hadn't completed all the sections of the CalJOBS profile, there's a resume step and other sections. Make sure everything shows as complete and not just started.

CalJOBS registration is one of those steps where you think you're done but you're actually not because you left one section blank. Fill out every field you can.

How long did it take before you saw something showing in your account?

About 10 days before I saw the pending weeks appear in Claim History. First payment came through around week three from when I applied, like others said.

Pending in Claim History just means EDD hasn't finished processing those weeks yet. It doesn't automatically mean there's a problem with your claim. If it goes past 4 weeks with no movement at all, then it's worth contacting EDD to check.

They did mention something about a WARN notice but I honestly didn't understand what that meant. Sounds like I shouldn't worry about it and just file?

Right, that's the employer's side of things. For you, just file your claim through myEDD and answer the questions honestly. You don't need to do anything extra because of a layoff notice.

Good to know about the taxes. I'll probably do the withholding option to stay safe.

I skipped the withholding and then owed money in April. 10 percent withholding is a good call if you want to stay on the safe side.

There's no in-person interview for eligibility at an EDD office, that's not really a thing. If EDD needs more information it schedules a phone interview, the notice is called a DE 4800 and it gives you the date and time. You just keep your phone nearby at that time and the interviewer calls. Pending weeks are common while EDD processes things, especially early on.

Oh ok so it's a phone call not in person, that's a relief. I'll keep an eye out for a DE 4800 in the mail then.

Pending at a week in is very normal, definitely not cause for alarm yet. If EDD needs a phone interview they mail the DE 4800 and the time also shows up on your UI Online homepage. No need to do anything until then except keep certifying on schedule.

The EDD application doesn't work that way, there's no office to walk into and file. The Job Centers exist in a lot of cities and they help with job searching, workshops, that sort of thing, but actually filing a UI claim happens through myEDD online, by phone, fax, or mail. Your cousin might be thinking of a different kind of office or a different program.

Yeah that makes sense now, I couldn't find any address so I figured something was off. Good to know online is the right way.

How long did the whole thing take once the agent told you what the issue was?

About four more days after I sent in my own employment records through Ask EDD. Not instant but way faster than it was moving before when I had no idea what was holding it up.

That work history date mismatch issue is more common than people realize. Employers sometimes report slightly different end dates than what you remember. Good to know you can send your own records to clear it up.

An overpayment notice sounds terrifying. What happened with yours?

EDD said I had been overpaid because of some wages they said I didn't report correctly. I appealed it with documentation showing what I'd certified each week. If you report all your earnings honestly every time you certify you should be fine.

Always report any earnings for the week you actually did the work, even if the check comes later. That's one of those things people get tripped up on.

I really hope I don't need to appeal anything but good to know just in case.

Appeals can go your way. I appealed a denial and won. The key is submitting everything in writing within those 30 days and not missing a certification while you wait.

Just to flag: the 30 days is from the mailing date on the notice, not from when you receive it. So if the mail takes a few days you want to move quickly when you get it.

Oh that's really useful actually. I do some side work occasionally and wasn't sure how that played in.

Report it honestly every time and let EDD do the math. The partial benefit formula means you can still collect something even in a week where you do some work, as long as it's not full-time hours.

Exactly what the agent said. As long as it's part-time and you report the actual gross earnings for the week you worked, it gets factored in and you're not penalized for it.

Oh that's great to know, I'm definitely going to check that out once I get the claim sorted. Thank you!

CalJOBS has the Job Center locations listed. Worth knowing about especially for networking events if you're in a specific industry.