Unemployment benefits in California: how to check the status of your claim
Hundreds of thousands of California residents are still waiting on news of their unemployment benefits as the EDD works to clear an unprecedented backlog of claims.
The economic impact of the coronavirus crisis in California – the worst affected state in the US where the number of cases exceeded 800,000 recently – has put hundreds of thousands of residents out of work.
And the resultant surge in unemployment claims over the past few months has overwhelmed the state’s Employment Development Department (EDD), meaning claimants will likely have to wait much longer than usual for their claims to be processed.
The situation reached boiling point last weekend when the EDD announced that it would put a halt on accepting new unemployment claims for a period of two weeks as it looks to reduce its massive backlog.
The EDD’s announcement came as a highly anticipated task force report lead by Gov. Gavin Newsom found that 600,000 workers still had not received benefits they applied for at least three weeks prior.
So if you are one of those waiting for your unemployment claim to be processed and wondering how long it will take, here’s how to check the status of your payment with the EDD.
Checking the Status of Your Unemployment Claim in California
Online
To check the status of your payment online, log in to UI Online. Before you can use UI online, you need to first create a Benefit Programs Online account, which you can do here.
Once you are logged in, select Payment Activity to see all payments made on your claim.
Your last payment issued and claim balance appear at the bottom of the homepage in the Claim Summary section. To view other payments made, select View Payment Activity to see: Issue Date, Amount Paid, and Payment Status
Phone
You can also check on the status of your unemployment claim through the EDD's automated, self-service telephone system at 1-866-333-4606. This phone line is open 24 hours a day.