How Long Does It Take To Get Unemployment In California

California Today

Where Are Your Jobless Benefits?

Thursday: Millions have applied for unemployment insurance in California. Here's what you need to know now. Also: Find a testing site near you.

Published May 7, 2020 Updated Jan. 19, 2021

A woman entering a building where the Employment Development Department has its offices in Los Angeles on Tuesday. — Credit... Frederic J. Brown/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Good morning.

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This is California's seventh week of being under stay-at-home orders. Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that more than four million Californians have filed for unemployment since mid-March and that the state has paid out more than $10 billion.

In his daily briefings, the governor has also addressed frustrations with the Employment Development Department, and asked for patience.

"We've never experienced anything like this in our lifetime," he said on Wednesday. "These numbers are jaw-dropping."

A report released last week suggested that millions of unemployed across the country have been stymied from seeking benefits because of application backlogs, technical glitches and confusing guidelines.

In March, we asked an expert with the nonprofit Legal Aid at Work about how to apply for unemployment insurance. But things have changed so much since then, so we asked Carole Vigne, the director of Legal Aid's Wage Protection Program and senior staff attorney, for an update.

[Read more about how to apply for unemployment benefits in the state.]

How long does it typically take for the Employment Development Department to disburse unemployment funds?

Typically, it takes three weeks to process a claim for unemployment insurance benefits and issue payment to eligible workers.

Under the crush of millions of applications, we were expecting to see significant delays, but given temporary directives to streamline the processing of applications and not require ongoing certification, many workers are still seeing their payments within this timeline.

The one exception we have heard about is for workers whose employers had misclassified them as independent contractors and had not reported their earnings to the E.D.D., which is doing a wage audit. For example, we heard from several misclassified employees who applied in mid-March and waited six weeks for their benefits to be approved.

[Read about why California sued Uber and Lyft.]

The stated timeline for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance is significantly faster. Money can be issued as quickly as within two days, but there might be a delay of several more days because debit cards have to be mailed. Californians were able to first apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance on April 28.

How do I check the status of my unemployment claim?

The best way to check on the status of your claim is to log in to UI Online.

You can also check on the status of your payment through an automated, self-service telephone system at 1-866-333-4606. This line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in English and Spanish.

For technical assistance while applying, you can call 1-833-978-2511. This line is open 12 hours a day, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, only in English.

There are also phone lines available in Spanish (1-800-326-8937), Chinese (1-800-547-3506 for Cantonese and 1-866-303-0706 for Mandarin), and Vietnamese (1-800-547-2058). These lines are open four hours a day, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monday through Friday.

What is the difference between Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and regular unemployment insurance?

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance is a benefit of last resort for those who do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance. For example, small business owners/true independent contractors and employees who do not have sufficient earnings in their base period.

When is the extra $600 in benefits provided by the federal government set to expire?

The additional $600 in benefits provided by the federal government (known as Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, in the CARES Act) will be in effect until July 31 for those who are eligible to receive unemployment insurance or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

What are the options for self-employed people or independent contractors affected by the pandemic?

Self-employed people who did not have any regular employment — or did not earn sufficient earnings as an employee — during the 2019 calendar year will be eligible to apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which is intended to be a benefit of last recourse for those who are not eligible to receive unemployment.

What is being done for workers who were mostly paid in cash for the past few years? Can they collect unemployment?

Workers who were paid in cash may face additional barriers when applying for unemployment if their employer did not report their earnings to the Employment Development Department. They should still be eligible for unemployment benefits, but they will likely need to undergo a wage audit, and may be asked to submit an Affidavit of Wages.

[See our map of coronavirus cases in California by county .]

How is the Employment Development Department currently certifying ongoing eligibility for benefits?

Generally, workers need to certify ongoing eligibility to receive their benefits every two weeks. However, certification is not required at this time for benefits for weeks ending March 14 through May 9. E.D.D. should automatically pay workers who are found eligible for benefits during this time. The one exception is if you return to work and earn wages; you should contact E.D.D. to notify them of your earnings.

At a later date, the E.D.D. will contact workers to certify for these weeks. Workers should consider keeping the answers to the following questions so that when E.D.D. asks workers to certify, that information is readily available and makes certification easier:

Are you physically able to work? (Note exact dates that you are NOT able.)
Are you available for work? (Note exact dates that you are NOT available.)
Are you ready and willing to accept work immediately?
Did you refuse work?
Did you work and earn wages? (For regular unemployment insurance, wages are to be reported when worked, and NOT when paid.)

Note that workers are not being asked whether they searched for work, because that requirement has been suspended. Also, if workers are unintentionally overpaid, they should consider filing an appeal when they receive a Notice of Overpayment.

Here's what else to know today

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Credit... Valerie Macon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

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Help us understand the pandemic: If you are a Californian who traveled to Las Vegas in February or March and later tested positive for Covid-19, please email us at CAtoday@nytimes.com.

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Jill Cowan grew up in Orange County, went to school at U.C. Berkeley and has reported all over the state, including the Bay Area, Bakersfield and Los Angeles — but she always wants to see more. Follow along here or on Twitter .

California Today is edited by Julie Bloom, who grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from U.C. Berkeley.