After your account is set up, you must “certify” for your benefit payments. Certifying is answering basic questions every two weeks that tells us you’re still unemployed and eligible to continue receiving payments. Note: With a PUA claim, you can only certify online or by mail. You cannot use EDD Tele-Cert SM to certify.
How do I know if I am eligible for Pua benefits?
In order to determine eligibility for UI benefits, the EDD will conduct a wage investigation. If you are an employee but you do not have sufficient earnings within the past 18 months to establish eligibility for regular UI, then you may have the option to apply for PUA.
When can I certify my Pua claim?
Those with existing or exhausted PUA claims are now able to certify for benefits. Those who exhausted PEUC benefits can expect EDD to begin automatically processing PEUC extensions, with the additional weeks of benefits available for certification from April 17th (earlier than planned).
Who can apply for the PUA program?
You are a business owner, self-employed, independent contractor or gig worker (and are not participating in the UI Elective Coverage Program). You will be able to indicate if you have no employment wages (for example, you did not receive a W-2), solely for the purpose of applying for the PUA program (and not to be used for any other purpose).
How much can I expect to be paid for Pua?
New PUA Claimants can file for the minimum of $167 payment per week – plus the extra $300 supplementary weekly payment. New claimants will also be able to provide income documentation to potentially increase this payment up to $450 per week
How do I certify my Pua in California?
We recommend that you certify for benefits with UI Online because it is a fast, convenient, and a secure way to certify. You can also certify by phone using EDD Tele-CertSM at 1-866-333-4606.
How do I certify my EDD Pua?
To get started, log in to Benefit Programs Online and select UI Online. Check the Notifications section of your homepage. If weeks are available, select Certify for Benefits and answer all questions. If no weeks are available, the system will tell you when to check again and will send you an email reminder.
Is Pua extended in California?
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance PUA benefits ended September 4, 2021. The last day to apply for PUA was October 6, 2021, for weeks of unemployment before September 4. Federal law does not allow PUA benefits to be paid for weeks of unemployment after September 4, even if there is a balance remaining on your claim.
What happens if you don't certify EDD?
If you withhold or give false information to receive benefits, such as not reporting work or wages, you are committing fraud. Penalties may include disqualification for unemployment insurance, losing your benefits, and criminal prosecution.
How long does it take to get Pua back pay?
one to two weeksIn most states backdated PUA and FPUC payments will be paid in one lump-sum one to two weeks after you receive your first payment of eligible state UI benefits.
How do I certify for benefits online in California?
Certify with UI Online UI Online is the fastest way to certify for benefits and report work and wages. To get started, log in to Benefit Programs Online and select UI Online. Check the Notifications section of your homepage. If weeks are available, select Certify for Benefits and answer all questions.
How much is EDD paying now 2021?
The unemployment benefit calculator will provide you with an estimate of your weekly benefit amount, which can range from $40 to $450 per week. Once you submit your application, we will verify your eligibility and wage information to determine your weekly benefit amount.
How long does it take for EDD to approve certification?
It takes at least three weeks to process a claim for unemployment benefits and issue payment to most eligible workers. When your first benefit payment is available, you will receive a debit card in the mail.
Where is my EDD payment 2021?
Call 1-866-333-4606 and select Menu Option 1 to get information on your most recent payment. Payment information is updated daily at 6 a.m. (Pacific time). If you submit your certification by phone, your payment will generally be deposited on to your EDD Debit CardSM within 24 hours.
Will EDD backdate my claim?
Visit Ask EDD to request to backdate your claim if you think it has the wrong start date. Select Unemployment Insurance Benefits, then Claim Questions, then Backdate the Effective Date of my UI Claim Due to COVID-19. In your UI Online account, select Contact Us to request a change.
Why does my EDD Certification say pending?
This pending status occurs for many reasons, such as a claimant's answer to a biweekly certification question that triggered the need for an eligibility interview. “We know many claimants who cleared fraud filters and verified identity have been waiting too long for payment,” said EDD Director Rita Saenz.
How is a pending claim processed?
Claim pending: When a claim has been received but has not been approved or denied, finished or completed. It is waiting until the premium is paid or the plan is canceled due to nonpayment. It is simply in a waiting period.
What is PUA in unemployment?
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program. This is a newly available emergency unemployment assistance program under the federal CARES Act. PUA provides assistance for unemployed or partially unemployed individuals who are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance and who are unable or unavailable to work due to COVID-19 related ...
How much is PUA in 2020?
If you qualify for PUA the initial payments you will receive are as follows: $167.00 per week, for each week from February 2, 2020 to March 28, 2020 that you were unemployed due to a COVID-19 related reason . AND.
How often do you have to backdate your PUA?
If you qualify for your claim to be backdated to an earlier PUA effective date based on your last day of work, you could receive payment for prior weeks you were unemployed due to COVID-19. You will be required to provide the EDD eligibility information every two weeks. This is known as certifying for benefits.
When does PUA end?
Similarly, the PUA program has a legislative end date of 12/31/20, but for most Californians the last full week of benefits will end on 12/26/20. 1.
How much is the minimum weekly benefit?
Amount of Benefits. Minimum weekly benefit amount of $167 (but weekly amount may be higher and equal the amount provided under regular UI, depending on proof of prior earnings) PLUS $600 for weeks between March 29, 2020 to July 25, 2020 .**. When Benefits Start.
When do unemployment benefits start?
When Benefits Start. Benefits can be retroactive to weeks starting on or after February 2, 2020 , depending on your last day of work due to COVID-19 and regardless of when you submitted your claim application.
When will the EDD start accepting applications?
The Employment Development Department (EDD) will be accepting online applications for this program beginning on Tuesday, April 28. Check back on this page for the latest updates. PLUS $600 for weeks between March 29, 2020 to July 25, 2020 .**.
How often do you need to certify for EDD?
Understand what all the questions mean on the EDD Certification Form. In California, every two weeks , you need to certify in order to get your UI or PUA benefits for those weeks. Certification involves answering a series of questions to determine continued eligibility for the unemployment insurance benefits and PUA.
What to do while on unemployment?
While on Unemployment Insurance Benefits, you are supposed to be looking for work and contacting your last employer (if furlough), of if you were self employed or independent contractor, you were supposed to try to resume your self-employment work.
Do you have to report earnings if you have not been paid yet?
If you are self-employed or Independent Contractor, you will only report earnings during the week you receive the money.
Is EDD requiring you to look for work each week?
IMPORTANT: The EDD has issued a COVID-19 Temporary Exception stating that "You are not required to look for work each week to be eligible for benefits.". However it's been reported that answering "No" to this question still causes problems and causes your certification status to be stuck on "Pending".
How many weeks of PUA benefits are there?
If you received your last benefit payment for weeks you spent unemployed between February 2 and March 21, but are still within the one year that your claim is good for, you could be eligible for 13 weeks of PUA benefits for the weeks you are eligible for between February 2, 2020 and March 28, 2020.
How long is the PUA program?
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) – The PUA program, designed for freelancers, gig workers and independent contractors or those that generally don’t qualify for regular state unemployment, has been extended by another 29 weeks. This brings the total number of weeks in the program to 79.
What is the 900 billion unemployment package?
27, 2020, which among several other pandemic relief measures extends and provides additional federal funding for enhanced unemployment benefits. This includes the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance ( PUA ), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation ( PEUC) and a reinstatement, but halving of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) Program which provides a $300 supplemental weekly unemployment payment. The PUA and PEUC program will be extended by 11 weeks, for a total of 57 weeks of PUA and 24 weeks in PEUC benefits
How long will the 300 unemployment payment last?
Payments for the $300 weekly payment will continue until early September for a total of 25 weeks and eligible claimants – those getting at least $1 from state and federal unemployment programs – can get a maximum of $7,500 if they qualify for all weeks covered in this new extension.
How often do you have to certify for unemployment?
After your extension is filed, you will need to certify for benefit payments. Certifying is answering basic questions every two weeks that tells us you’re still unemployed and eligible to continue receiving payments. Payments will be the same as the weekly benefit amount from your regular UI claim.
When will the extra 300 unemployment end in California?
So it is highly likely that claimants in CA will keep ALL pandemic unemployment benefits, including the extra $300 weekly payment, until the current program end date which would be the week ending September 4th, 2021.
When will the $300 unemployment be paid out?
The Lost Wages Assistance program provided an extra $300 per week in addition to your unemployment benefits if you received (existing) unemployment benefits for any weeks between July 26 and September 5, 2020. This program has now been paid out, other than retroactive payments to claimants who were eligible or working through payment issues.
Eligibility
- PUA benefits were available if you did not qualify for regular unemployment benefits and were out of business or had significantly reduced your services as a direct result of the pandemic. The following were eligible for PUA: 1. Business owners. 2. Self-employed workers. 3. Independent …
Self-Employment and Employment Documentation
- Federal rules require that you provide documentation to prove you were, or planned to be, self-employed or employed at some point during the calendar year before and up to the start of your PUA claim. For example: 1. If your claim started in December 2020, you will need to provide documentation for some time between January 1, 2019, and the start date of your claim in 2020…
Pua Reassessment
- Recent federal guidance added three new reasons and updated the existing reasons unemployed Californians can use to explain why they were out of work during the COVID-19 public health emergency. If you were previously denied benefits for one or more weeks under the PUA program, you will receive a message in your UI Online account with instructions on how to complete the P…
Your Claim Date
- Your claim start date was the Sunday of the week you applied for unemployment. For PUA applications received on or after December 27, 2020, the earliest start date for a claim was December 6, 2020.
Additional Resources
- America’s Job Center of CaliforniaSM– Provides employment assistance.
- COVID-19: Unemployment Claims– Learn what to expect after you file your claim