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I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! The questionnaire and eligibility review is actually pretty standard - they have to do it whenever someone was terminated to make sure it wasn't for misconduct that would disqualify you from benefits. When you call, they'll basically go through your questionnaire responses with you again and might ask for clarification on specific points. The key things that helped me: 1) Have all your termination paperwork ready (termination letter, final pay stub, etc.), 2) Write down a clear timeline of events leading up to your firing, 3) Be completely honest but stick to the facts - don't get emotional or badmouth your former employer. The call took about 30 minutes for me, and I got my determination letter 2 weeks later (approved!). The waiting is definitely the hardest part, but most people who weren't fired for serious misconduct do get approved. Try calling first thing in the morning - I got through around 8:05 AM on my third try. You've got this! 💪
This is such great advice! The timeline and preparation tips are really helpful. I'm especially glad to hear about the 8:05 AM success - I've been dreading trying to get through but knowing there's a strategy that worked gives me hope. The point about sticking to facts and not getting emotional is something I definitely need to remember. When you say "serious misconduct," do you have a sense of what kinds of things would actually disqualify someone? I'm pretty sure my situation doesn't fall into that category, but it would help ease my anxiety to know more about where they draw the line.
I'm actually going through something similar right now! Just submitted my termination questionnaire last week and I'm already anxious about what comes next. Reading through all these responses has been really reassuring though - it sounds like this eligibility review process is way more common than I initially thought. I've been gathering all my documentation (termination letter, final paystub, any relevant emails) and writing down a clear timeline of what happened leading up to my firing. One thing I'm wondering - for those of you who successfully got through this process, did EDD end up contacting your former employer directly as part of their review? I'm curious if they do their own fact-checking or if they mainly rely on what you and your employer initially reported. Thanks for sharing all your experiences - it's really helping me feel more prepared for when I make that call! 🙏
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I'm so sorry you're dealing with this nightmare! Your employer is definitely trying to game the system to avoid their unemployment insurance costs going up. This is unfortunately really common, but the good news is you have strong documentation on your side. A few additional tips that might help: - If you have any emails or text messages you sent to friends/family right after the layoff mentioning you were let go, those can serve as contemporaneous evidence - Check if your company issued any press releases or internal communications about the RIF that you could reference - If you received COBRA paperwork, that's also evidence of involuntary termination since people who quit usually aren't eligible The fact that you have official RIF documentation puts you in a much stronger position than many people dealing with contested claims. EDD sees this employer tactic all the time and they know what to look for. Keep pushing forward with all your evidence and don't let them intimidate you into giving up. You were legitimately laid off and deserve those benefits!
This is such great advice! I didn't even think about the COBRA paperwork - I did receive that and it specifically mentions "involuntary termination" as the qualifying event. I also found some text messages I sent to my mom right after the layoff meeting where I told her I got laid off and was shocked. These little pieces of evidence are really adding up. It's frustrating that I even have to prove this when I have the official RIF letter, but I'm feeling more confident about my case now. Thank you for taking the time to share these tips!
I'm really sorry you're going through this - it's such a stressful situation when you're already dealing with job loss! Your case sounds very strong though. Having official RIF paperwork that explicitly states it was an involuntary termination is exactly the kind of documentation EDD needs to see. One thing I'd suggest is to also check if your company filed a WARN notice (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) if the layoff was large enough. These are public records and would further prove it was a legitimate reduction in force, not individual resignations. Also, when you submit your written statement to EDD, be very specific about the meeting where you were informed of the layoff - include who was present, what was said word-for-word if you remember, and emphasize that you were told your position was eliminated, not that you had any choice in the matter. The fact that you received severance is also a huge point in your favor. Companies don't typically give severance packages to people who quit voluntarily. Make sure EDD has a copy of that severance agreement too. Hang in there - with all the documentation you have, this should resolve in your favor once EDD reviews everything properly.
This is really solid advice! I hadn't thought about checking for a WARN notice - our layoff affected about 50 people across multiple departments so it might qualify. I'll look into that. You're absolutely right about being specific in my written statement. I can remember almost exactly what HR said in that meeting because it was such a shocking moment. They said "Unfortunately, your position is being eliminated as part of a company-wide reduction in force" and handed me the severance packet. There was no discussion about resignation or quitting - it was presented as a done deal. I'm definitely including all of this detail when I submit my statement. Thank you for the encouragement!
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UPDATE: I finally got through today! For anyone finding this thread later, here's what worked: Called at 8:17am (after the initial 8am rush), used prompt sequence 1-2-4 as suggested, waited on hold for about 50 minutes, then got connected to a rep. Turns out there was a mismatch between my ID.me verification and my claim info (my address on one was slightly different than the other). The rep fixed it immediately and said my payments should be processed within 48 hours. Thank you all SO MUCH for your help and suggestions! I would have never figured this out from the automated system or website alone.
That's great news! I'm glad you got it resolved. The address mismatch issue is surprisingly common but almost impossible to figure out without talking to a real person. Congrats on getting through and thanks for updating the thread - it'll help others who find this later.
So glad you got through and resolved the issue! The address mismatch between ID.me and your claim is actually super common - I work in customer service and see this all the time with government verification systems. They're very picky about exact formatting (like "Street" vs "St" or apartment numbers). Your update is going to help so many people who are dealing with the same "pending verification" status with no clear explanation. Congrats on persistence paying off!
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Hey OP, what exactly does your claim status say? Sometimes the wording can give you a clue about what's holding things up.
It just says "under review". Super helpful, right? 🙃
Ugh, classic EDD. Vague and unhelpful as always. Hang in there!
I'm going through the exact same thing right now - 3 weeks in review and counting. One thing that helped me was documenting everything with screenshots and dates. I also found that calling the disability insurance number (1-800-480-3287) sometimes transfers you to someone who can at least look at your account, even if they can't make changes. It's not ideal but at least you get a human voice. Also, if you have any missing documents or identity verification issues, those seem to be the biggest causes of delays. Worth double-checking your account for any pending items you might have missed!
Tom Maxon
To all those having trouble reaching a human at California Unemployment. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/Ize0EkN4HDI
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Keisha Robinson
From what I've heard from others who've been through the process, they typically ask about why you didn't file your earlier, what prevented you from filing on time, and details about your employment situation during the period you're trying to backdate. They want to understand if there was good cause for the delay. Make sure you have documentation ready to support your reasons - like medical records if you were sick, or any other evidence that shows why you couldn't file earlier. The 6-8 week timeframe sounds about right unfortunately. Stay persistent and keep following up! Good luck with your interview!
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Amina Sy
•Thank you so much for this helpful breakdown! I'm in a similar situation and was wondering - do you know if they're strict about what counts as "good cause"? I delayed filing because I was honestly confused about whether I qualified since my hours were just reduced at first before I got laid off completely. Would that be considered a valid reason? Also, did the people you know who went through this process end up getting approved? I'm trying to stay optimistic but the whole process feels so overwhelming.
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