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Congratulations on the new job! This thread is incredibly thorough and helpful. I just wanted to add one small thing that might ease your mind - I've been through this process twice (unfortunately had two different jobs that didn't work out during my benefit year) and both times the transition was seamless. The first time I was super anxious about it like you are, but the second time I knew exactly what to expect. Just do that final certification with your work info reported accurately, then stop certifying. Your claim will show as inactive after a few weeks but everything remains in the system properly documented. One tip: when you calculate your earnings for that Monday, use your gross hourly rate (before taxes) times the hours worked. Don't try to estimate what your take-home will be - EDD wants the gross amount. You're handling this exactly right by asking questions upfront. Enjoy the new job and the peace of mind that comes with being back to work!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience of going through this process twice! That actually gives me even more confidence that it really is straightforward once you know what to expect. I'm sorry to hear about the jobs that didn't work out, but it's helpful to know that you were able to resume your claim seamlessly when needed. The tip about using gross hourly rate is really valuable - I probably would have tried to calculate take-home pay and gotten confused. It makes sense that EDD would want the gross amount for consistency. I'll make sure to use my hourly rate before any deductions when I calculate Monday's earnings. It's amazing how much anxiety can build up around something that's actually a standard process! Reading everyone's experiences here has really put me at ease. Thanks for the encouragement and congratulations - I'm definitely looking forward to that peace of mind that comes with being back to work and having this whole process behind me!
Congratulations on your new job! This is exactly the situation I was in a few months ago and I can definitely confirm what everyone else is saying - you just need to complete that final certification accurately and then stop certifying. There's no formal cancellation process. The most important thing is making sure you report that Monday work day correctly on your certification this Sunday. Calculate your earnings as hourly rate × 8 hours (or however many hours you worked) even though you haven't received a paycheck yet. Also make sure to answer "No" to being available for work on Monday since you were employed that day. After you submit that certification, you're done! Your claim will go inactive but stays open for the full benefit year just in case. I was worried I was missing some official step too, but it really is that simple. The EDD system is designed for people to return to work, so they make this part pretty straightforward. Don't stress about it - you're doing everything right by asking these questions upfront. Enjoy your new job and congratulations on making it through the job search process!
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I went through something very similar when I was laid off from my marketing job in 2022. I enrolled in a single evening Excel certification course while collecting unemployment benefits. Like you, I was really nervous about how to handle the school question on my certification. I ended up calling EDD directly (took forever to get through) and they told me that since it was just one class that didn't interfere with my ability to work during normal business hours, I should still mark "yes" to the school question but that it likely wouldn't affect my benefits. They were right - I marked yes, never got called for an interview, and my payments continued without any interruption. The key things that worked in my favor were: 1) It was only one evening per week, 2) I could still accept full-time work during business hours, 3) I would have dropped the class immediately if I got a job offer that conflicted with it. Your programming class sounds very similar to my situation. Just be honest on your certification and you should be fine. The fact that you're taking it to improve your job prospects actually looks good to EDD. Good luck with both the class and your job search!
Thanks for sharing your experience! It's really helpful to hear from someone who went through almost the exact same situation. The fact that you were able to call EDD and get a direct answer is amazing - I've been trying to reach them for days with no luck. Your three key points are really useful guidelines to keep in mind. It sounds like as long as the class doesn't interfere with normal work availability, EDD is pretty reasonable about it. I'm definitely feeling more confident about marking "yes" and just being straightforward about the whole thing. Did you end up finding the Excel certification helpful in your job search?
I'm in a very similar situation right now! Just got laid off from my customer service job and was thinking about taking a basic coding bootcamp prep course at the local library while job hunting. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been super helpful - it sounds like the consensus is definitely to be honest on the certification even if it might trigger an interview. One thing I'm curious about though - has anyone here taken classes that were completely free (like library workshops or free online courses) and if EDD treats those any differently? I'm wondering if they care more about formal enrollment vs. just attending free educational sessions. Either way, I'm planning to report it accurately, but just curious about others' experiences with informal learning while on unemployment. Thanks for starting this thread @CosmicVoyager - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that's hard to find on the official EDD website!
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I'm really glad I found this thread! I'm in a similar situation - got laid off from my job three weeks ago with severance running through September, but my actual last work day was May 1st. Reading through everyone's experiences has been so helpful. I was also confused about whether to file now or wait until my severance ends, but it's clear from all your stories that filing immediately is the way to go. I've been putting it off because the whole process seemed overwhelming, but seeing how many of you successfully navigated this exact scenario gives me confidence. One question - for those who filed while on severance, did you have any issues with the initial eligibility determination, or did EDD pretty smoothly recognize that you were unemployed even though you were receiving severance payments? I'm worried they might initially deny my claim and I'll have to go through an appeals process. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing!
From what I've seen in this thread and my own experience filing while on severance, EDD typically doesn't deny your initial claim just because you're receiving severance - they understand that severance and unemployment are different things. The key is being upfront about your situation from the start. When you file, make sure to use your actual last work day (May 1st) and then when you do your weekly certifications, report the severance income honestly. Most people here seem to have had their claims accepted initially, they just didn't receive benefit payments until after severance ended. The system is set up to handle this scenario since it's pretty common with layoffs. Don't let fear of denial keep you from filing - even if there were issues, appeals can resolve them, but it sounds like that's unlikely if you're transparent about everything. You've already waited three weeks, so definitely get your claim started today! Good luck!
I'm in almost the exact same boat - got laid off from my marketing agency job two weeks ago with severance running through the end of August, but my last actual work day was May 15th. I've been hesitating to file because I wasn't sure about the timing, but after reading through all these responses, I'm convinced I need to get my claim started immediately. It's so helpful to see that this is actually a really common scenario and that EDD is used to handling it. I've been keeping detailed records of my job search already, but I'll make sure to be even more thorough going forward. One thing that's giving me confidence is seeing how many people here successfully navigated this process - it seems like the key is just being completely honest about your severance when you certify each week. I'm definitely going to file today using May 15th as my last work day. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been incredibly valuable for those of us dealing with the severance/unemployment timing confusion!
I'm so glad this thread helped you too! It's reassuring to know there are others in the exact same situation. I was also hesitant to file because I kept second-guessing myself about the timing, but seeing all these success stories has really given me the push I needed. The fact that so many people here went through this process smoothly makes me feel like we're overthinking it. I'm planning to file my claim today as well - it sounds like getting it in the system early is only going to help us in the long run. Best of luck with your job search! The marketing industry has been tough lately too, but at least we'll have our unemployment claims ready to go once our severance periods end.
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I'm sorry you're going through such a tough time finding work. Just wanted to add that while you're exploring all these options, don't forget to check if your local library or community college offers free job training programs or certifications. Many of them have partnerships with employers and can sometimes lead directly to job placement. Also, temp agencies might be worth trying - even short-term assignments could help you start building those qualifying wages everyone mentioned, plus give you recent work experience to put on your resume. Hang in there!
That's really great advice about the library and community college programs! I actually hadn't thought about temp agencies either - you're right that even short-term work could help me start building up those qualifying wages. I've been so focused on finding a permanent full-time position that I might have been overlooking these stepping stone opportunities. I'll definitely look into both options this week. Thanks for the encouragement!
I went through a very similar situation about 8 months ago. After my benefit year ended with no new wages, I was devastated to get that $0 award letter. What helped me was getting connected with my local One-Stop Career Center (part of the America's Job Center network). They not only helped with job search strategies but also informed me about a program called WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) that provides training funds for eligible individuals who've been unemployed long-term. I was able to get certified in forklift operation and warehouse safety, which directly led to my current job. The whole process took about 6 weeks, and they even provided supportive services like gas cards for interviews. Definitely worth looking into - you can find your local center at careeronestop.org. Don't give up hope!
This is exactly the kind of success story I needed to hear! I had no idea about WIOA or that there were training funds available for long-term unemployed people. The forklift certification sounds perfect since that's the industry I was in before. I'm definitely going to look up my local One-Stop Career Center on that website you mentioned. It's so encouraging to know that someone else made it through a similar situation. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and giving me hope that there's still a path forward!
Collins Angel
My claim took exactly 17 days from application to approval back in January. Be patient but definitely call if it goes past 3 weeks with no updates.
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Isabella Tucker
I'm going through the same anxiety right now! Filed my application about 2 weeks ago after getting laid off from my retail job and still waiting to hear back. From what I'm seeing in these responses, it sounds like the timeframe really varies - some people get approved in under 2 weeks while others wait over a month. I've been checking my UI Online account obsessively every day but so far just shows "Pending." At least we're not alone in this stressful waiting period! Fingers crossed we both hear back soon.
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