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I went through this exact situation in January. I kept certifying while my appeal was pending, and I'm glad I did. Once my appeal was approved (turned out they were missing wages from one employer), I received all back payments for the weeks I had certified. The key is to make sure you're certifying truthfully and keeping records of everything. The appeal process took about 5 weeks for me, but I know it varies. Good luck!
That's really encouraging to hear! I'll definitely keep certifying and start gathering my wage documentation for the appeal. Thanks for sharing your experience!
I'm dealing with something similar right now! Got denied 2 weeks ago but still getting those certification emails. Reading through all these responses is super helpful - sounds like the consensus is to definitely keep certifying while appealing. I didn't realize that missing employer wage records could be such a common issue. @Mateo definitely gather all your pay stubs and W-2s from that base period before you appeal. Also wanted to add that if you worked for any small businesses or did any gig work during your base period, those wages might not have been reported properly to EDD. Worth double-checking everything!
@Monique that's a great point about gig work! I actually did some DoorDash and Uber driving during part of my base period but didn't think to mention it since it wasn't regular employment. Do you know if those earnings would count toward my wage requirements? I have all my 1099s from those platforms. This thread has been so helpful - I'm feeling way more confident about appealing now!
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I'm new to this community and going through my first unemployment claim - this thread has been absolutely incredible to find! I have my eligibility interview scheduled for this Thursday and I've been a nervous wreck about it. Reading everyone's experiences here has given me so much more confidence about what to expect. The pattern that emerges from all your stories is really clear: when EDD processes payment the same day as your interview, it's essentially their system's way of telling you that you've been approved immediately. The interviewer obviously felt confident enough in your case to approve it on the spot, which explains why the payment gets triggered right away even though the official paperwork takes longer to process. What I find most helpful is understanding that this isn't some rare glitch - it seems to be the standard process when everything checks out cleanly during the interview. I'm going to make sure I have all my termination paperwork, pay stubs, and job search documentation organized so hopefully I can get that same quick approval. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is providing way better guidance than anything I've found on the official EDD website!
@Giovanni Conti Welcome to the community! I m'also a newcomer here and just went through my eligibility interview last week. Your preparation strategy sounds spot-on - having all that documentation organized really does seem to make a difference based on what everyone has shared. I was super nervous going into mine too, but honestly the interview itself was much more straightforward than I expected. The interviewer just wanted to verify the basic facts about my job separation and confirm I was actively looking for work. The whole thing took maybe 15 minutes. What really helped me was writing down the exact dates of my last day, my final paycheck, and having a clear explanation of why I was laid off. Good luck on Thursday - from everything I ve'read in this thread, being well-prepared like you are really sets you up for that quick approval! This community has been such a game-changer for understanding how the process actually works.
I'm completely new to this community and just created my account after finding this thread! I'm scheduled for my eligibility interview next Monday and I've been so stressed about it, but reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. The consistent pattern of same-day payments indicating approval is something I never would have known from the official EDD resources. It makes total sense that when everything checks out during the interview, they can approve you immediately and the payment system processes faster than the notification system. What really stands out to me is how this community provides the real-world insights that you just can't get anywhere else. The fact that so many people had the exact same experience - payment the same day, followed by official determination letter days later - shows this is clearly the normal process for straightforward approvals, not some kind of system error. I'm definitely going to organize all my separation paperwork and job search documentation beforehand based on everyone's advice here. It's amazing how much more confident I feel going into this interview now that I understand what to actually expect. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread should be required reading for anyone facing an eligibility interview!
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Thanks everyone for the advice! I'll attend my interview for the current claim and then file a new claim immediately on 6/9 when my benefit year ends. I'll also try to set aside some of my current payment to prepare for a possible gap. Really appreciate all the help!
Good plan. One last tip: when you file your new claim, make sure to report ALL employment since your original claim date, including the job you had between August and recently. They'll cross-check this with employer records, so accuracy is important. Best of luck with everything!
I'm in a similar boat - my benefit year expires next month and I'm dreading having to navigate this whole process again. One thing I learned from my first claim is to screenshot EVERYTHING - your current claim details, payment history, certification confirmations. When you file the new claim, sometimes the old information becomes harder to access in the system, and having screenshots saved me when I had questions about my employment dates. Also, if you're doing gig work or any side income while unemployed, make sure you understand how to report that correctly on your new claim because the rules can be different than your current one.
That's really smart advice about screenshotting everything! I hadn't thought about the old information becoming harder to access. Quick question - when you mention gig work reporting being different on a new claim, do you mean the earnings thresholds change or just the way you report it? I do some occasional freelance work and want to make sure I don't mess that up when I file my new claim.
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This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a newcomer to this community but going through almost the exact same situation. Got laid off from an animation studio three weeks ago and just discovered they deposited accumulated comp time into my account during a week I'd already certified for. Like everyone else here, I had absolutely no warning this payment was coming. The entertainment industry layoffs have been absolutely brutal lately, and it sounds like these unexpected final payments are becoming the norm rather than the exception. It's both reassuring and frustrating to see how common this timing issue is - clearly the companies aren't doing a great job communicating what payments might still be coming after termination. Based on all the advice shared here, I'm definitely going to use the UI Online messaging system to report this voluntarily. The specific language suggestions about "voluntarily reporting previously unreported wages" and the documentation tips (screenshots, timeline, etc.) are exactly what I needed to know. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is such a lifesaver for navigating these EDD complications that seem to come up constantly with our type of work. It's good to know that being proactive and honest about these situations typically results in just a simple overpayment adjustment rather than penalties. Here goes nothing!
Welcome to the community! Your situation sounds exactly like what so many of us have been dealing with lately. The animation studio layoffs have been particularly rough - it's wild how these companies just don't give any heads up about comp time or other accrued payments that might still be coming. You're absolutely doing the right thing by being proactive about reporting it. From everyone's experiences shared here, it really seems like the UI Online messaging approach is the most reliable way to handle this. Make sure to keep those screenshots of when the deposit hit versus when you certified - that documentation has been key for people getting smooth resolutions. The fact that this keeps happening to so many of us in entertainment really shows how unprepared these companies are for proper offboarding procedures. At least EDD seems to be getting familiar with these scenarios given how often they're seeing them! Good luck with your report - you've got all the right info from this thread to handle it properly. Definitely keep us posted on how it goes!
I'm new to this community but dealing with almost the exact same issue! Just got laid off from a post-production house last week and discovered they deposited my remaining PTO balance during my first certification week. Like everyone else here, I had zero warning this was coming - they didn't mention any pending payments during my exit. Reading through all these experiences has been such a relief honestly. It's crazy how common this situation is with entertainment industry layoffs right now. Companies really need to do better at communicating what final payments might still be coming after termination. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here about using UI Online messaging to voluntarily report it. The specific language suggestions and documentation tips (screenshots of deposit dates, keeping certification records, etc.) are exactly what I needed. It sounds like being proactive and transparent is key to getting a simple overpayment adjustment rather than penalties. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - this community is incredibly helpful for navigating these EDD complications that seem to come up constantly in our industry. The fact that so many people have gone through this exact scenario and had positive outcomes when reporting voluntarily is really reassuring!
Welcome to the community! Your post-production house situation sounds exactly like what so many of us are experiencing right now. It's honestly become ridiculous how these companies just don't communicate about pending payouts during layoffs - like they expect us to be mind readers about what's still coming! You're definitely taking the right approach based on all the great advice shared in this thread. The UI Online messaging system really does seem to be the most reliable way to handle this, and having those screenshots ready showing the deposit timing versus certification dates will make everything smoother. It's actually kind of comforting (in a sad way) to see how many of us in entertainment are dealing with this exact same scenario. At least it means EDD reps are getting very familiar with these timing issues and seem to handle them pretty routinely when we're proactive about reporting. You've got all the right guidance from this thread - definitely keep us updated on how your experience goes!
Sofia Morales
This whole thread has been so helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation but with a different twist - I received my final paycheck AND a small bonus during the same certification week. From reading all the explanations here, it sounds like I need to report the total amount of both payments together for that week, which will probably zero out my benefits for that period. The "when you receive it vs when you earned it" rule really is the key thing to understand. I'm glad you figured out what happened with your commission payment! It's frustrating when you're budgeting for a certain amount and then get less, but at least now we both know the system is working correctly. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical info that new claimants need to know!
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Abigail Spencer
•Yes, you're exactly right Sofia! You'll need to report both the final paycheck and bonus as a combined total for the week you received them. Since they both hit during the same certification period, EDD will treat it as one lump sum of earnings for that week. With the way their deduction formula works (they allow you to keep the first $25 or 25% of earnings, whichever is greater), if your total payments are significantly higher than your weekly benefit amount, you'll likely get $0 for that week just like what happened to the original poster. The important thing is that you're prepared for it now instead of being surprised like we were! It's definitely frustrating budgeting-wise, but the system is doing exactly what it's supposed to do. At least we've all learned this lesson together!
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Diego Castillo
I just went through the exact same thing last month! Got my first payment and was so confused why it wasn't two separate deposits. Like everyone else has explained, EDD combines your certified weeks into one payment, but the amount should still equal your total benefits for all certified weeks (minus any deductions). The commission payment situation makes perfect sense now that I understand the "when you receive it" rule - I had a similar issue with a final expense reimbursement that I didn't think would count. It's so counterintuitive! The Payment Activity section in UI Online really is your best friend for understanding exactly what happened with each week. Going forward, I started keeping a simple note in my phone of any money coming in during certification periods so I can predict my benefit amounts better. Don't feel bad about the budgeting mishap - most of us have been there when we were new to the system!
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