California Employment Development Department (EDD)

Most people are unaware that unjust unemployment decisions to quit paying benefits, or to deny benefits for any of a hundred reasons, can be appealed.

Just notify the EDD promptly that you are appealing their last decision. All future benefits will be on hold until you get your day in court. It is not such a bad event because it is only an administrative hearing between you, the judge [arbitrator], and your support people.

It used to be staged in a conference room, not a courthouse, and very informal. The judge is not part of the EDD system and can make unbiased decisions, not always in their favor as I found is worth a fight if you have a reasonable issue over benefits.

Be sure to bring all of your statements and documents to support your claim. Riverside has a huge new ten-floor complex designed to cut checks and sometimes arbitrarily refuse cutting checks to respondents.

The Unemployment Insurance system [Ul, paid by employer payroll taxes] which covers the checks, is bankrupt and they are borrowing federal money to cover.

Be prepared to wait several months for a court date because the EDD has generated a huge backlog of unhappy claimants. Lately, the County has been handling these appeals by phone. Not a good sign.

* Phillip B Chute is an Enrolled Agent, tested, licensed, and appointed by the IRS directly. He has prepared or supervised over 25,000 tax returns over 30 years.