One thing I'll add that might help - when you get your determination letter from EDD, pay close attention to the "benefit year" dates they establish. Even though your severance might delay when you can start collecting benefits, your benefit year clock starts ticking from when you first file the claim. This is important because you only have one year to collect all your eligible benefits. So filing early (like you did) protects you from losing potential weeks of benefits at the end of your benefit year. Also, if you have any questions about their determination, you have the right to appeal within 30 days of receiving the letter. Good luck with everything!

Just wanted to share my recent experience since it's so relevant to your situation! I was laid off in December 2024 with a 6-week severance package and went through this exact process. Like everyone advised, I applied immediately and reported my severance honestly. EDD sent me a determination letter about 3 weeks later explaining that my severance counted as wages for the 6-week period, so I wouldn't receive benefits until after that period ended. I kept certifying every two weeks during the severance period (marking "yes" for other income and selecting severance), and sure enough, as soon as my severance period ended, my benefits kicked in automatically. The whole process was actually smoother than I expected once I understood what to expect. The key really is applying right away and being completely transparent about everything. You're definitely on the right track!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Just filed my claim after getting laid off from my retail job last week, and that instant 'paid' status totally caught me off guard when I certified yesterday. I kept thinking there was some kind of error because I remembered it taking forever back when my roommate was on unemployment a couple years ago. I'm on day 4 waiting for my Money Network card and already starting to stress about it, especially reading about some people waiting 12+ days. The advice about creating an account on the Money Network website is genius - just did that and can see my first payment sitting there waiting for me. Such a relief to know the money is actually there even though I can't access it yet. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who got their cards around the 8-9 day mark, was there any pattern to when they were mailed? Like did EDD send them out on specific days of the week, or is it pretty random? Trying to figure out when I should realistically expect mine to arrive so I can plan accordingly for bills coming up. This whole thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding the new system. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and timelines!

I'm in almost the exact same situation! Just got laid off from my office job three weeks ago and the instant 'paid' status completely threw me off when I certified on Sunday. I kept refreshing thinking it was a glitch because I remember my dad having to wait days for payments to process back in 2020. Currently on day 7 waiting for my Money Network card and the anxiety is definitely building with bills coming up. Already set up that online Money Network account everyone's recommending - such a smart tip! At least I can see my $980 sitting there even though I can't touch it yet. Reading through all these experiences has been so helpful. It sounds like calling Money Network around day 10 is the magic number if the card doesn't show up. That emergency transfer option Carmen mentioned sounds like it could be a real lifesaver too - definitely going to ask about that if I need to call them. Thanks for posting this Dylan, and thanks to everyone sharing their timelines. It's so reassuring to know the instant 'paid' status is normal now and that I'm not the only one dealing with this card waiting game while unemployed!

Congrats Nathan! 🎉 This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm bookmarking it for future reference! Just wanted to add one more thing that might help you and others in similar situations. When you're doing your work search activities while waiting to start, consider joining some marketing-focused Facebook groups, Reddit communities, or professional associations. Activities like "participated in marketing professionals discussion on Reddit" or "joined [specific marketing group] and reviewed industry discussions" count as valid networking/work search activities. Plus you'll build connections that could be valuable throughout your career! I also found it helpful to create a simple email folder called "EDD Documentation" where I saved confirmations from any online courses, screenshots of job boards I searched, and copies of networking messages I sent. Having everything in one organized place made me feel so much more confident about the whole process. The waiting period between getting an offer and starting can feel long, but using that time strategically for professional development makes it feel productive rather than just bureaucratic. You're going to crush it at your new marketing role! 🚀

Congratulations on landing the marketing position! 🎉 This thread has been incredibly informative - I'm actually saving it as a reference because the advice is so comprehensive! I just wanted to add something that might help with the work search documentation that I learned from my own experience. When you're doing those required activities while waiting to start, make sure to be as specific as possible in your logs. Instead of writing "researched marketing trends," write something like "researched Q1 2024 digital marketing trends on MarketingLand.com, focusing on AI integration in email campaigns." The extra specificity serves two purposes: it makes your documentation bulletproof if EDD ever asks for details, AND it forces you to actually engage deeply with the material rather than just skimming. I found that this approach made my prep time genuinely valuable for my new role. Also, since everyone's mentioned keeping good records, I'd suggest creating a backup of your documentation. I kept my main tracking spreadsheet in Google Drive but also emailed myself a copy every week. Sounds paranoid, but technology fails at the worst times and you don't want to lose weeks of documentation! The whole EDD process can feel overwhelming, but it sounds like you've got a solid plan now thanks to all the great advice here. Best of luck with the transition to your new marketing role - June will be here before you know it! 🚀

This exact thing happened to me when I did some freelance graphic design work last year! I was getting $475/week and then reported about $200 in freelance income one week. My payment dropped to like $75 and I completely freaked out thinking I had somehow damaged my claim permanently. Like everyone else is saying, it's just the partial unemployment formula - they reduce your benefit for that specific week based on your earnings, but your underlying claim stays the same. Once you certify with zero income again, you'll get your full $550 back. The EDD really needs to do a better job explaining this process because SO many people panic when it happens. Maybe they could add a simple explanation right on the certification page that says "reporting income will only affect THIS week's payment, not your overall benefit amount" or something like that. Would save everyone a lot of stress! Anyway, don't worry - your benefits will definitely return to normal with your next certification.

I'm dealing with something similar right now and this thread is incredibly helpful! I just started a part-time retail job (20 hours/week) while collecting unemployment and I'm dreading my next certification because I know my payment is going to drop significantly. It's reassuring to hear from so many people that this is temporary and my benefits will go back to normal if the part-time work doesn't work out. The anxiety of not knowing how the system works is honestly worse than the actual reduction sometimes. One question though - does anyone know if there's a minimum number of hours you can work before it affects your benefits? Or does ANY reported income trigger the reduction formula?

I'm also doing gig work while on unemployment and this entire thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I've been doing DoorDash for about a month and honestly had no idea about most of these reporting requirements. The gross vs net distinction especially - I've been reporting what actually hits my bank account, not realizing I needed to include DoorDash's service fees. One thing I'm still confused about though - when you're tracking tips that come in late, how do you handle the situation where a customer adjusts their tip downward after you've already delivered? I've had a few instances where someone left a good tip initially, but then reduced it a day or two later. Do you go back and adjust your previous week's reported earnings downward, or just account for it in the current week as negative income? The Instacart and DoorDash apps don't make this very clear in their earnings summaries. Also, for anyone still struggling to get through to EDD - I've found that using the automated callback feature (when it's working) is sometimes faster than sitting on hold for hours. You can request a callback and they'll usually call you back within the same day, though sometimes it takes until the next business day. Thanks again to everyone for sharing all this detailed advice - definitely saving me from making some costly mistakes!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with Uber Eats and was making the exact same mistakes with reporting. One thing I wanted to add that helped me organize everything - I started using the "Notes" app on my phone to quickly jot down earnings right after each shift while it's fresh in my memory. Then I transfer it to my spreadsheet later. Sometimes when you're tired after a long day of deliveries, it's easy to forget to log things properly, but having those quick phone notes as backup has saved me several times. Also, for anyone worried about the EDD call wait times - I've had better luck calling on Wednesdays or Thursdays rather than Mondays when everyone is trying to reach them after the weekend. The gross vs net reporting thing is such a common mistake - EDD really needs to make this clearer in their certification questions!