How to get Unemployment Benefits in California?

To get Unemployment benefits in California, you need to complete the following steps.

• Create an EDD account.

• File your personal details and work history. If you filed claim by paper, you will receive forms by paper. If you filed online, you will receive (most) forms online. This is a reminder for people who are not technology savvy. If you filed online, you will NEED to have access to your online account to complete forms. Some EDD reps can do verbal certifications for certain forms, but most will direct you to log into your account. You can ask an EDD rep to change your communication preference at any time.

• Certify every two weeks to say you're still unemployed/eligible.

Things to know while Filing Unemployment Benefits in Califonia

1. Complete original red forms (current version). Older version of forms may be missing important questions. You may be asked to complete the form again using the current version.

2. Avoid submitting photocopies of red forms with barcode at the top right-corner. These are smart forms. Data is captured & converted into a digital application that can be "read" by EDD systems. Photocopies remove this automated process, requiring human review

3. Complete paperwork by the due date - paper or online. Form late? Requires human review. And you will have to explain why e.g. "doctor filed it late", "I couldn't access my online account to fill out the form", "I never received the document" etc. Late good cause (LGC) may be considered when reviewing your claim.

4. Actually READ the EDD forms & fill them out completely. Answer the forms and questions that apply. Include relevant information like dates and signatures. Any missing information will result in delays.

5. If information is missing on forms, EDD reps attempt to call you, the doctor, employer etc. If call is not picked up (goes to voicemail), a form will be sent out. This may be why your claim is still pending or has not been paid and you may not be aware.

6. You can only file claim online if you have a valid California (CA) Driver's License or CA ID. Otherwise you must file by paper. Also applies to out-of-state or international doctors

7. DO NOT leave messages about claims, payments, or fraud on the "payment history" voicemail. You need to speak to an EDD rep. Messages left on this voicemail are ignored; the automated message clearly states this.

Process to get Unemployment Benefits in California

1. Apply for Unemployment benefits in California.

2. You must have continuous documentation of your work search, so perform at least one job search activity every week. For sources of income, mention everything that you would put in your tax return (actual work income and the special income types listed in the application like severance, but not capital gains/interest).

3. Once you are approved, wait for about a week.

4. Receive your EDD debit card in the mail and bookmark the Bank of America EDD Card page, which you will use for all money management.

5. Link your bank account,turn on email alerts for load notifications, and always immediately move any new $ from your EDD card to your bank account. It has a Recurring Transfer feature available. Do not ever use the card itself physically/offline, due to its highly insecure lack of a chip.

6. You (should hypothetically) no longer have to depend on snail mail; all future funds get electronically loaded to it every 2 weeks. You can transfer a max of $5k to your bank account every 7 days through BoA's website.

7. Every 2 weeks, you must certify to receive your benefits. Continue to maintain documentation of all your work search activities and to report any sources of income like in step 1. Work search activities must be done every week to remain eligible for Unemployment Insurance benefits as per the California Work Search Requirements

8. Even if your EDD money ends for your current situation, keep your debit card (or at least all of its information) because the same card data will be used for future funds if you end up returning to the EDD.

If you are still partially employed: when reporting number of hours worked, round down for the first 6 minutes; otherwise, round up to the next hour.

How to Appeal to EDD when your Claim gets Rejected?

While filing an appeal, do not give personal opinions. Don’t use terms like “I feel” or “I think.” Stick with facts and documentation. Be concise and do not ramble on. 

Focus on addressing the reason you were determined not eligible based on your determination letter. Try not to include extraneous information. They don't need the whole story. 

Go into as little detail as possible on the appeal form. The EDD rarely reverses decisions based on the appeal form, and you can provide any information to the judge at your hearing. 

Any documentation you have. Like a termination letter that says you were fired for performance versus misconduct or whatever documentation supports your case.

Tips to get Unemployment Benefits in California

Certifying: Most people go to certify exactly at Sunday 12:01 AM and the servers are overloaded, so the website a lot of times is very slow or crashes at that time. This can cause a lot of frustration especially if the website crashes during your certification and you don't know if it was received properly or not. You can wait 3-4 hours and only then certifying (for example 3 or 4 am). You can still get your money the same day in most cases. There are a lot of people who hang out at the discord server that time talking about when they got the money deposited so you can compare notes if worried.

Calling: If you have had problems reaching the EDD, Try calling on a Sunday. Many people don't know customer service is working that day and you might be lucky that day. Also try using more than one phone at once, ie your wife's, kid's phone etc one of them could get through.

Work Searches:There is an issue on some accounts where if you answered "no" to the "did you look for work" questions the payments gets stuck on pending. If that happens, you have to call and get the flag cleared. You can answer "Yes" and then leave the next page that comes up (where it asks for details on work search) blank. If you are worried about answering "Yes" even though you did not do any work search activities you can use this program that has online workshops that can count as activities. 

Need to know your Claim Type?: If you had a W2 job you are most likely on Regular UI or on PEUC/extension. If you were an independent contractor/1099 you probably are on PUA. This Video shows you how to find out your claim type.

Debit Card: Don't keep a lot of money on the Debit Card! There've been many cases where the card was locked and/or funds were stolen. You can set up a transfer to your account on the bank of america website. You can also set up all sort of fraud alerts to monitor the spending, but best is to have all funds transferred to your personal account.

How To Speak To A Live Representative at EDD CA?

Follow the below steps to speak to a live representative at EDD CA.

• Call the number, they have a few but it is better to use this one: 8003005616.

• Press 1.

• You must let the voicemail play, can't bypass that part.

• Once it begins to go through the menu, PRESS 24.

• Once it begins to speak, PRESS # UNTIL THE MUSIC PLAYS.

Mondays and day after holidays are busiest. 

Tips to Contact EDD

Most issues on your account such as payments stuck in pending, or disqualification, can only be resolved by calling the EDD. Due to call volume, many have reported not being able to get ahold of a live agent at the EDD for days and even weeks. You can use these tips to contact EDD quickly.

Claimyr: Basically, it is an auto-dialer that will dial the EDD many times until it successfully connects, and once that happens it will connect you to the agent. On average, it can get you connected to the EDD within 1-2 hours, though often less than that. Note that it does cost money.

Comma Method: You basically dial the EDD number in your phone: 1 (800) 300-5616 but before pressing call you also add a bunch of commas like ,,,,,,,,,,,, and the options you want to use (1,1,3,4) and then press call. For example, if you are trying to get hold of a Tier 2 worker, copy and paste this to the end of the number before you call: ,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1,2,,,,,,,,,,,,,4

Timing: From what I've gathered, these are the best times to start calling the EDD for the best chances:

• 7:55AM - set your alarm and wake up early to start dialing just before the lines open

• 11:00AM - After the morning rush when things calm down a bit

• 4:00 PM - At this time some people who have been calling all day start giving up and maybe you can have a better chance

Weekends: Many people don't realize that EDD customer service is open on Weekends. Other people are out with their families/vacation etc and won't spend time calling the EDD anyway. So if you are willing to sacrifice a weekend, you may have a good chance to get through. Note that on weekends there may be less customer service reps in the center as well, but still it may be a good shot.

Assembly Member: You can try contacting the Assembly Member who represents your county, They can often inquire with the EDD regarding the status of your claim. You need to first find who your assembly member is if you don't know, you can use this site:

Find your Representative

Once you find them you can email them and describe your issue. They usually get back to you within a few days asking for more information, then they inquire with the EDD and relay the response to you, usually within 2-3 weeks, though in some cases more, depending on how busy they are at the time. In some cases, they will be able to resolve your issue with the EDD without any additional action from you, and in other cases they will tell you what action you need to take. 

What to do if you Underreported your Actual Income?

If you accidentally underreported, make sure to mention your mistake to avoid getting penalized:

1. Log into UI Online

2. Fill out the form at Contact (at the end of the row of upper tabs).

3. Question Category: Certify for Continued Benefits

4. Question Topic: Made a Mistake on Continued Benefits Certification 

Where is the nearest EDD office?

Visit official EDD Website --> scroll down, click OFFICE LOCATOR, click FIND AN OFFICE

Click Disability Insurance Offices - addresses of confirmed Disability offices that supposedly have a front counter for in-person claims assistance

• if you visit an office NOT listed here, it could be a Workforce center or EDD hybrid office

• If you're told "we cannot help" likely it's because they literally cannot

Unemployment offices - NO local public offices, only reachable by phone

Paid Family Leave office - Fresno office listed is supposedly not open to the public

• SDI offices should not be turning PFL claimants away. There should be designated staff trained to handle PFL claims.

References

In creating this guide, we have referred to high-quality, credible sources such as official government orders, user manuals, and relevant materials from government websites.

1. EDD California Website
2. User Reports from Reddit