Entire news release here. Summary below
Additional Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits soon available for long term unemployed
EDD is finalizing details of a separate extension of regular UI benefits that is known as FED-ED: Federal-State Extended Duration benefits program.
FED-ED will offer up to at least 13 weeks of additional benefits for those who run out of their initial benefits
For example, if you are currently on PEUC, you will be on FED-ED after
EDD says they will be automatically filing a new FED-ED claim for those available. More details next week
Common mistakes that can delay benefits unnecessarily (EDD staff has to manually review to determine eligibility for following mistakes):
1) Were you too sick or injured to work? ANSWER NO if you are healthy enough to work everyday of the week.
If you say "yes" you are too sick, it will disqualify you from benefits for that week. People are answering "yes" because they feel COVID is still impacting the population.
See this article to help certify for your weeks
2) Was there any other reason (other than sickness or injury) that you could not have accepted full-time work each workday? ANSWER NO
You MUST be available to work to be eligible to receive benefits. Available means you are ready and willing to accept work even though businesses are closed. People are responding "yes" because they don't think they can accept work.
Truthfully, this needs to say "BESIDES REASONS OF COVID, was there any reason that you could not have accepted full-time work each day?"
Unless your case meets good cause provisions for refusing work, answer NO. Good cause could be having no childcare as long as individual explored alternatives to obtain childcare, being over age of 65 or having health conditions that meet high risk factors identified by state Department of Public Health.
See this article to help certify for your weeks
3) Missing other names used
On initial application, it asks for any other names used in employment history (nicknames, maiden names, etc). If EDD cannot verify ID with Social Security Administration and DMV then you have an identity verification issue.
Claim will be diverted to manual identity verification process which will take time to confirm individuals are who they are
EDD advises claimants to ensure they provide names used for Social Security Card or driver's license on application
4) EDD return calls are NOT being picked up by claimants
If you have an eligibility issue on initial application or bi-weekly certification, EDD may have to schedule a determination interview to collect more information
You'll be notified date and time by mail and receive sample questions interviewer may ask
Call may be restricted or blocked due to it coming from a government source
BE PREPARED to answer your phone during the time period given to prevent delays
EDD reps will identify themselves, relay the specific reason the call is about, and will known your EDD customer account number
EDD adds more staff as expedited hiring effort continues
Massive hiring effort with a goal of filling more than 4,800 positions statewide
Currently hired almost 1,200 new staff while 1,400 offers are being finalized and 500 others have conditional job offers as they wait for background checks
Anyone interested should visit their Careers with EDD webpage
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Tools & Resources:
NEW: direct Unemployment Guru Help
We are now servicing people who have claims that have been stuck for months or those who need assistance with appeals. If you have other questions you can ask in our forum which we check periodically.
Tools & Calculators
Unemployment Gurus has tools and calculators to figure out those really confusing questions:
How much can I earn and still qualify for the FPUC $300 from the new stimulus?
Do I qualify for FED-ED?
How much will I get if I work?
What is my standard base period?
Do I qualify for LWA?
Am I eligible for UI?
Preview tools here
