How Do I Apply for Unemployment Benefits with the California Employment Development Department (Edd)?

Learn how to apply for unemployment benefits with the California Employment Development Department.

Apr 28, 2020

The California Employment Development Department (EDD) is a state agency that helps to provide financial support for residents in need. Originally established in 1935, the program spends billions of dollars offering unemployment insurance (UI), disability insurance (DI), paid family leave(PFL), and more. The parent agency of California's EDD is the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

Unemployment insurance is an employer-paid program that gives employees a partial income when they've been unemployed or have had their hours reduced. There are certain eligibility requirements to qualify for unemployment insurance.

If you need to apply for unemployment benefits with the California EDD, keep reading for detailed instructions on how to do so.


Apply for UI Online

  1. You should file your claim the first week you lose your job.
  2. Go to the State of California Employment Development Department website.
  3. Under ‘New Registration,' select ‘Register.'
  4. Click on the checkbox next to the ‘Terms & Conditions' and select ‘I Agree.'
  5. Create a profile by filling out all the requested information.
  6. You will then receive an email from the EDD to confirm your registration. Click on the unique link provided in the email to complete your registration.
  7. Now that your profile is complete, you will be redirected to the login page. Use your new credentials to sign in.
  8. On the next screen, select ‘UI Online.'
  9. Select ‘File a New Claim.'
  10. Agree to all the terms and conditions and select ‘Next.'
  11. Follow the application process by answering the prompted questions. When you're finished, you will receive an email confirming you have completed your online application.


Apply for UI By Phone

If you're having trouble with the online process, you can apply for UI by phoning into the California EDD customer service team. They will collect information for you and apply on your behalf. Ask the customer service agent to send you an email confirmation that the application has been submitted. Keep the agent on the line until you have received the email and can confirm the details.


Apply for UI By Mail

You can apply for UI by mail by first accessing the application form.

  1. Go to https://www.edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/Filing_a_Claim.htm#collapseThree
  2. Select ‘By Fax or Mail.'
  3. Select which form options works for you based on your language preference and where you work. For example, "Worked in California - English form."
  4. Print and fill out the form.
  5. Mail in your application to EDD P.O. Box 12906 Oakland, CA 94604-2909.
  6. EDD can take up to 10 business days to process your application after they have received it. Note that this option takes the longest amount of time.


Further questions?

Ask a followup or related question and we will try to provide an answer in seconds.
Christian has been writing about long hold times and customer service call center experiences since 2010. He's been featured in Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe.
How Do I Apply for Unemployment Benefits with the California Employment Development Department (Edd)?

Help from Real People

We partner with a US-based company with live tech support experts available 24/7. Take advantage of a $5 one-week trial membership and chat with an expert now.
Chat with an expert

Why does GetHuman Write How-to Guides for California Employment Development Department (EDD) Problems?

GetHuman has been working for over 10 years on sourcing information about big organizations like California Employment Development Department (EDD) in order to help customers resolve customer service issues faster. We started with contact information and fastest ways to reach a human at big companies. Particularly ones with slow or complicated IVR or phone menu systems. Or companies that have self-serve help forums instead of a customer service department. From there, we realized that consumers still needed more detailed help solving the most common problems, so we expanded to this set of guides, which grows every day. And if you spot any issues with our How Do I Apply for Unemployment Benefits with the California Employment Development Department (Edd)? guide, please let us know by sending us feedback. We want to be as helpful as possible. If you appreciated this guide, please share it with your favorite people. Our free information and tools is powered by you, the customer. The more people that use it, the better it gets.

California Employment Development Department (EDD)

Asked 4 years ago
Updated 4 years ago
Viewed 1,484,056 times
California Employment Development Department (EDD)
Apply unemployment benefits California EDD
Apply unemployment benefits California Employment Development Department
Collect unemployment benefits California EDD

Speak to An Expert Now

We partner with a US-based expert help site to provide you with tech support 24/7. Enjoy a $5 one-week trial membership and chat with a live expert now.
Get Live Expert Help
Was this page helpful?
Thank you and please share!
Thank you and please share!
Needs work
Sharing is what powers GetHuman's free customer service contact information and tools. You can help!