California has fallen behind on adding the $600 of additional federal funds to each person on unemployment payments.
At a Tuesday news conference, Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed that the federal funds provided by the CARES Act to add additional relief for those affected fiscally by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic would not be added to unemployment checks in the upcoming weeks. He cited the more than 2.3 million Californians who have filed for unemployment with the Employment Development Department (EDD) in the last few weeks, and the massive number of new claims tying up the system a the prime contributing factor, with other factors such as lingering details on how to apply the money also contributing to California’s lag.
The EDD has been pushed to their limits since mid-March due to the more than two million people filing for unemployment in the last few weeks alone. As the California Globe previously reported, the EDD has been stretched so thin that they have brought on recently retired EDD workers and other government workers to handle the explosion of claims.
“It’s exactly why,” said Mary, an EDD worker who wished to remain anonymous. “No one knows what to do about that. You’d think it would be as easy as putting on $600 on top of what benefits they get each week, but it isn’t. There’s a lot of factors here the public just isn’t seeing. I know that an accurate count is very much needed so we know what to ask for for, but it’s more than that.”
“And we’re just not processing fast enough. It’s been pushing a lot of us. I was chatting with another worker the other day who would hang up immediately after getting all needed info because they didn’t want to hear any follow-up questions. Someone else I know practically screamed ‘file online’ at somebody in a moment of stress. Now with this $600, we’re just going to get a ton of calls about that coming up, and we aren’t looking forward to that.”
California had previously been on track to begin the CARES payments this week. As late as last week, California Secretary of Labor Julie Su had confirmed that payments would begin the week of the 5th. “We are gearing up to get those payments out,” Secretary Su said during a press conference.
However, as EDD’s situation became more and more stressful, the date was moved back. Currently it’s not known when those payments will go out, with only hints that it may come sometime around late April. As unemployed workers may make as much as $1,050 a week through state and federal CARES payments, scrutiny will be higher than normal. Unemployment watchdog groups, now with more time than usual, will also be more alert, potentially putting even more pressure on the EDD.
“The old three-week framework” noted Governor Newsom, explaining what the EDD’s goal was for payments. “We all have to do more and to do better.”
New nationwide unemployment figures are due tomorrow, where it is expected to have another rise of around 5 million new unemployment claims, many of those being from California.
Update: The EDD will add the $600 starting on April 12th as the process and fast-tracked much sooner than expected.
View Comments (152)
So basically California just wont end up paying it out. They will find every way possible to tie up and keep the money. People need it desperately and California has nothing but excuses. Lol.
Pretty much. And nothing even being mention about retropay
I have had no issues receiving my unemployment and $600 from Cares Act. The problem is I never received a card, so there is no way to access the money. I went to B of A and they said sorry Charlie we can't do anything. Crazy I have an account with B of A, so you'd think that they would transfer the money from EDD to my account. After all B of A is holding all the EDD funds issued in their banks. How am I supposed to pay my bills.
I'm currently having the same issue. I contacted Bank of America and they said they just facilitate the services. My benefits show available just in "limbo" until i can activate my card. This whole thing will be almost 2 1/2 months since the day i applied. Seems like the money is being stalled for other purposes...ugh...
contact the card number and they will western union it. tell them its emergency funds. I have been doing it that way.
Contact B of A card agent and request money in your acct be sent via Western Union. If amount requested is over $500 I recommend having it sent to your local Walmart they have “cash” on hand vs other locations may not...
Hi Annie. B of A edd debit card phone number is 1-866-692-9374 B of A branches dont seem to have any idea what the phone number is, but I found this on google and it is the correct number. they will mail you a card quickly.
Outrageous. Do we need a class action lawsuit against California? Seems like the perfect storm. Funny the private sector can work this all out fine. Galvin can work his winery well. Seems after they took 10k out of my account and didnt pay me. Is their money laundering happening at edd?
That’s exactly what’s going on!! Sad right!!
this is what happens when you have a democrat running the state.
NO ITS BECAUSE YOUN HAVE A SCREWED UP REPUBLICA ADMINSTRATION AS I HAVE NO RECEIVED MY $1200.00 YET AND THIS IS ALLABOUT TRUMP NOT BEING FAIR TO ANY BLUE STATE, BUT I SUGGEST TO YOE TO JUST MOVE OUT TO ONE OF THE POOR RED STAES AND BE HAPPY THERE.
What the hell? The check are distributed by the state. Trump wanted to send out extra $600 but nooooooooo the fucking governor wants to control it. So stfu about Trump. I'm sick and damn tired of the nonstop bashing.
You are right! I saw that too when he announced states want to distribute the $600 and I said, "Well we're all screwed. now!"
President Trump has nothing to do with us not receiving the benefits on time. Why do ignorant people have to blame him for everything? He wants to help us! He actually cares about us. He is not part of the Cabal like Obama and the Clintons, So sick of negative comments about him.
The reason people blame President Trump for everything has many causes. The most important is our leftist education system that grooms our children to be useful idiots of the Democratic party. Conservatives and true liberals (not leftists) have put up with this for decades because they don't fight. The second most important problem is the leftist mainstream media and tech companies controlling the social media. I listen to their narrative because it's everywhere, and I am convinced they will lie about anything to forward their agenda. The leftist will run and hide from any argument that challenges them. The have been taught to block, censor , protest, destroy, anyone or any organization that differs with them. This necessary to protect the useful idiots from realizing they have been lied to about everything.
This is the funniest comment of all: "He actually cares about us"...HILARIOUS!!! He cares more about stupid old ass statues than people!!! STFU
Oh, lord....
Trump wanted to be in charge of distributuon but dems wanted states to handle it, remember? Please look at facts and numbers this admin has done more for minority and lower income. Americans. In every area.(except lgbtq but admin thinks protecting religious rights- wrong ) but you need to look at the dems causing this to be worse and creating a dependent nation ...when we lose all our rights we won't habe any freedom and no way to fight it . RNs NEED PAPRS = 100% PPE
Contact the IRS.
REALITY BYTEZ
PLEASE JUST MOVE OUT TO A IMPOVERISHED RED STATE AND BE HAPPY THERE.
Loser
impoverished red state, get a first grip, California is the most impoverished state. Highest homelessness, highest cost of living, lowest wages in proportion to cost of living, lowest in education and graduation rates, I could go on and on. Much better standard of living in your so called impoverished red states.
Omg. So fucking true!!!!!!!! Sorry. But the natives in California. Especially. Los Angeles. Are. INCREDIBLY STUPID, UNBELIEVABLY CLUELESS? IF IT WASN'T. DO PATHEICALLY SAD, IT WOULD. HE HILARIOUS! CANT WAIT TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS SHIT HOLE OF A CITY AND STATE!!!!!!!
That's right ????
I applied Unemplyment last Mar.29,2020 and got my UI benefit payment Apri.12 amounting $810.00 I did not get the additional $600/week. And that is the first and last UI payment I get. Now it is May20,2020 WHERE IS MY UI benefit and the additional $600 Cares act EDD? Please if anybody could help me, been calling EDD everyday a hundres times eversince but got no luck to reach and talk to a live person. I’ve been certifying my claims every 2weeks online... but until now I don’t get any? Please i am so desperate enough, i have 3kids to feed and rent and bills to pay. Anybody here could help me out? Been emailing the news station for help even the office of the governor buy got no answer. Will I ever be back payed with all the weeks I am unemployed together with the additional $600cares act /week? Thank you to whoever could enlighten me.
I have been retro payed all the money owed including the 600$ per week all the way back to March. I received my card and payments on time each time . Don’t know what the fuss is about with everyone or what your doing wrong .
I got my first 2 weeks and that was may 9th, ever since then NO EDD PAYMENTS! they say paid but not issued!!!!!!!!!!!
The same is happening to me know. I got 2 weeks paid and nothing since. Did they ever start sending the money again?
Oh, lord....YOU'RE doing wrong. You read the report.
I applied March 29th and went back to work May 9th and still have not been paid anything from EDD . Have certified for 6 weeks and can’t get a hold of anyone there they don’t answer e-mail messages through their website , is anyone else not been paid at all like me?
Yes. I e certified for 16 weeks on my peuc extension and no payment it still says pending. I've sent emails and tried calling. I still havent gotten a response. Have ran out of food and money.
I applied for UI the first week of April. It too until June 2 to receive notification that I am elligible. I have sertified for each week of benefits. I have not yet received any money, I am starving and broke. I've sent emails to EDD with no response, have tried to call daily and cannot ever get through to anyone. This is a nightmare.
I've got the exact same thing going on, except for I have talked to EDD twice, both times they see nothing wrong with the claim, but doesn't have the authority to pay on the claim, so they say that they emailed there boss, and I should get a call. I have 10 certified weeks pending, im at a loss. Hoping that EDD does figure this all out and I eventually get paid all I'm owed. Socks, feel for you.
I am also on a peuc extension yet payments are all still pending. I've called & been on hold for over an hour only to be "put on the call back list" AGAIN... 6 weeks later payments are still pending and I'm still waiting for my call back. What are we suppose to do? What's the point of calling edd if they cant help us?? Its says, "if your still pending after 2 weeks call edd at 1800 300 5616" which is only for UI Technical support so wtf.
Have you received your back pay yet?
It is 14 WEEKS since I applied for unemployment and have been receiving and completing continuing claim forms which Eddie has been reviving a timely fashion. I HAVE STILL NOT RECEIVED ONE PENNY. Also, I received a bill for my 2019 taxes I filed (on time), but I STILL have NOT received $1200 stimulus check(first one). They are able to find me to bill me but not to pay me. I am a healthcare worker only earn(ed) $13k-- so I definitely qualify for stimulus. And unemployment. Before my phone was disconnected for nonpayment I called constantly, and the hours of unending nightmarish no answer runaround reduced me to a shaking quivering mass of bones and tears. Please please please someone somewhere Help
F*ck these c******rs, I hope Newsom and all those pieces of shits get sick and die, f*cking 3 months and still no benefits
41/2 months now. no benefits. Newsom is inept and using this to have the people mad at Trump. No Newsom, we know you are the person in charge of taking care of the California state income tax that comes out of our paychecks. Four and one half months of unemployment and only a handful of citizens have been paid. Where is the CA income tax money?? Where is the Federal money? SHAME on you. You take the daily TV op to report cases of Covid as if you are doing something. You are doing nothing but taking photo ops. SHAME on you.
They are stealing the money, that is why they are now being audited and taken to The Supreme Court.
The EDD that is and as far as California so called Gov. News- whattever he stole millions that was supposed to go to small business, hopefully they will soon all go to prison where they truly belong!!!
They are stealing the money, that is why they are now being audited and taken to The Supreme Court.
The EDD that is and as far as California so called Gov. News- whatever he stole millions that was supposed to go to small business, hopefully they will soon all go to prison where they truly belong!!!
agree with you ! Newsome business and other billionaires got their Pandemic money right away and they are already filthy rich !!!! And they are screwing the people that really need help and yo9u can't get through
Gee, do they think that maybe AB5 has something to do with the huge number of unemployment claims? If it was simply repealed, many hundreds of thousands of Californians could legally work again. Not only that, but CA isn’t giving UI to self-employed people, even though the FEDERAL CARES act does stipulate that we are eligible for benefits. Fuck Newsom and Lorena Gonzalez, they’re both Union shills who want to obliterate small businesses in CA.
Everything you said is accurate. Couldn't have said it better myself. Covetous and affluent politicians like Newsom and Lorena Gonzalez are trying to destroy hardworking contractors. Also, these politicians only want to get their hands on more tax money and more bribes from special interest groups.
I'm absolutely 100% in agreement with your comment. As an IC what that Gonzalez and Newsom had done i9s despicable!
IF YOU ARE SELFEMPLOYES AND ARE RECEIVING A PAYCHECK FROM YOUR COMPANY THAN YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO GET THIS MONEY BUT IF YOU ARE NOT AN EMPLOYEE OF YOUR COMPANY YOU WILL NOT GET IT, THTS HOW IT WORKS, THIS IS FOR PEOPLE WHO PAY INTO THE UNEMPLOYED FUND DUMMY.
You can go on IRS site and hit "Where's my stimulus money" and it will update you. I got mine direct deposited on April 15th, but my daughter still has not because she transposed one digit in her bank account number. They had to issue her a paper check, which shows was mailed out May 15th and should arrive today. My other daughter and her husband just received their stimulus funds last week. Daughter and I live in SoCal and other daughter in Santa Rosa. Hope that helps.
Now my employment is another story. I received one payment in April, but other 5 weeks continue to show as "pending."
Amen
You can go on IRS site and hit "Where's my stimulus money" and it will update you. I got mine direct deposited on April 15th, but my daughter still has not because she transposed one digit in her bank account number. They had to issue her a paper check, which shows was mailed out May 15th and should arrive today. My other daughter and her husband just received their stimulus funds last week. Hope that helps.
Now my employment is another story. I received one payment in April, but other 5 weeks continue to show as "pending."
I am self employed I have been receiving benefits this whole time since I lost my work contracts. I have been receiving the $600 ad well. You can get through to someone I have had to call many times. You may have to call 30/40 times.
this makes no sense as NY has already implemented this. NO SENSE AT ALL
I applied for ui on 3/16/20 and received a letter stating that my claim I will receive is 0. It is going by my previous employer, last year I was self employed, and have dissolved my business since then. I have only been working at my current job for 2.5 months when this the pandemic hit. So since I am not getting unemployment will I still get the $600 relief?
No. If you are not eligible for unemployment you don’t it. But you could be eligible for PUA — but you will have to prove your self employed status. A lot of freelancers work under the table. They knew that when they took the unemployment numbers to Washington.
I’m in the exact same position. I’ve sent a letter a day by mail and 2 emails a day to EDD . They will not respond. They clearly do not have the means to respond to the PUA victims. There is no application. The federal government needs to be the one to disperse just like Canada did... they just sent out to all who applied and they will ask questions later and if you don’t actually qualify then they will attach to your taxes or some other way to recoup. It’s the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT policy and they need to execute their program and they knew this shit. I don’t believe we will ever get it unfortunately.
California seems to state on their EDD website that they intend to bypass the federal Cares guideline on Section 2107. This says that all who exhausted their benefits from 7/2019 onward would be eligible for a 13 week extension. Edd says only those who exhaust benefits during the period of March 2020 until the end of 2020. This means that those whose claims have not expired but benefits have will have to apply for PUA who initial qualifiers ace a lot of folks out. Which means that the unemployment numbers that went to Washington were inflated.
Keep spending big dollars on a train to nowhere or on suing the federal government or paying for health care to illegal aliens or a commission to "solve" the homeless problem or any number of wasteful pet projects. The people in this state had better wake up and start voting into office people who have the citizens of this state as their main priority and the improvement of the systems that are used to service us "the people."
WELL SINCE YOU ARE SO CONCERNED OVER ILLIGAL ALIENS THEN I SUGGEST YOU GO TO THE FOIELDS AND PICK THE FOOD FOR US AS MOST CITIZENS ARE TO DAME LAZY TO DO THAT KIND OF WORK AND AS A LATINO YOU ARE A DIGRACE TO OUR BOTHERS AND SISTERS.
Stop yelling
Daniel are you waiting for your EDD payment to fix your broken caps lock key? It must be exhausting shouting all the time
Man. Fuck this.. I was looking forward to getting $1000 a week after reading California was supplementing CARES this upcoming Sunday 4/12
I applied for CA unemployment benefits on 3/16/20 and have not received any follow up from EDD at all. No letter, no email, no phone call. I have been trying to call but their system just hangs up without giving option to speak with a representative due to high call volumes. I don't know what to do as I am in need of money ASAP. Is anyone else having this problem? Please help!
Yes same exact situation.
Yes, exact situation here with no foreseeable solution. I filed a claim over a month ago and have recieved no imformation since. Desperately trying to find a way out of this limbo.
Yes I applied March 15 still waiting I got in-touch
With some one they said this week I should get something ????????
did they say there will be retropay?
California has (as usual) over promised and under delivered. The politicians will say anything to get elected but dont care about people suffering.It is impossible to get through to EDD and they know that. Help is not on the way*!
NO JEANNE YOU MUST BE TALKING ABOUT YOUR PRESIDENT TRUMP YOU LIVE IN THE BEST STAE IN AMERICA AND THAT IS DUE TO GOOD DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE YOU MIGHT TRY LIVING IN KANSAS OR OKLAHOMA IT MAY BE BETTER FOR YOU THERE.
Daniel Navarro is a troll for liberals especially incompetent calif governor and calif sec of labor.
Typical, the California government is really good at taking money from its hard working middle class. When it comes to helping the people that they keep nickle and diming to death they drag their heals in every way they can. Robbing us in another way in this desperate time. Us newly unemployed, because of the shut down order, need this money to feed our kids and pay our bills. It would be nice for once to see the California government get their shit together and remember they are suppose to support their people and not screw them!!!!
Get us our unemployment checks NOW!!!!!