How to Fill Out and Submit the California Continued Claim Form (DE 4581)

The California Continued Claim Form DE 4581 is the biweekly certification you complete to keep your unemployment payments coming after your initial claim is approved. Every two weeks the EDD asks the same set of questions about whether you were able to work, available for work, looking for work, and whether you earned any money. Answer each question for each week, report your gross wages if you worked, and submit through UI Online, by phone, or by mail as soon as the certification window opens.¹

When the Form Is Due

Your first certification becomes available about two weeks after the EDD processes your initial application, and a new one opens every two weeks after that. The EDD notifies you by email or mail when it’s time.² Each certification covers two full calendar weeks running Sunday through Saturday, and the same questions are asked for each of the two weeks.

Certify as soon as the window opens. If you don’t certify on time, the EDD delays or withholds payment for those weeks. There’s no automatic payment — no certification, no check.²

What to Have in Front of You

Two things: your work search log and your wage information for the two weeks you’re certifying.

For each job contact, the form asks for the date you applied, the company name, company address, the person you contacted, the type of work you applied for, and the result.¹ Keeping a running log through the week is much easier than reconstructing contacts from memory later.

For wages, use the gross amount you earned during each week — total pay before taxes and deductions, not take-home. Under California Unemployment Insurance Code Section 1252, wages for unemployment purposes include all compensation for personal services, whether you earned it as an employee, an independent contractor, a juror, or a witness.³ Report wages for the week you performed the work, not the week you were paid.

Answering the Certification Questions

The DE 4581 asks the same core questions for each of the two weeks. They track the eligibility standard in California Unemployment Insurance Code Section 1253: to receive benefits for a week you must have been able to work, available for work, and actively looking.⁴

Were you too sick or injured to work? If yes, enter the number of days (1 through 7) you were unable to work. Even a single day can affect eligibility for that week.
Was there any reason, other than sickness or injury, that you could not have accepted full-time work each workday? This catches travel, school attendance, and personal obligations that would have kept you from starting a job.
Did you look for work? You’re expected to answer yes and to have documentation if the EDD asks.
Did you refuse any work? Turning down a suitable job offer can disqualify you from benefits for that week.
Did you work or earn any money, whether you were paid or not? If yes, fill in your gross earnings and the source in the spaces below.

Every certification is signed under penalty of perjury, so answer honestly. A “yes” to the sickness, availability, or refused-work questions doesn’t automatically disqualify you — it may trigger an eligibility interview where the EDD asks for detail before releasing payment.

Reporting Wages and Partial Benefits

If you worked during either week, mark yes on the earnings question and enter your gross earnings for that week along with the source, usually your employer’s name.¹

Some earnings don’t wipe out your benefit for the week. If your weekly earnings are $100 or less, the first $25 is ignored and the rest is subtracted from your weekly benefit amount. If your earnings exceed $100, the first 25 percent is ignored and the remainder is subtracted.⁵ For example, if your weekly benefit amount is $315 and you earned $200 that week, the EDD disregards $50 (25 percent of $200) and subtracts the remaining $150, leaving a $165 payment.

California’s weekly benefit ranges from $40 to $450.⁶ Once your earnings after the formula exceed your weekly benefit amount, you receive nothing for that week. Certify anyway — you’re still considered partially unemployed, and skipping a certification breaks the pattern the EDD expects.

Work Search Activities That Count

California requires at least one work search activity per week to remain eligible, and the EDD may assign more depending on your claim.⁷ Acceptable activities fall into four categories:

Preparing for your search: creating a CalJOBS account and uploading a resume, using America’s Job Center of California services, building profiles on job-search websites, or registering with your union hiring office.
Expanding your network: telling friends and former employers you’re looking, connecting with contacts on professional networking sites, and attending events in your field.
Applying for jobs: submitting applications to employers likely to have openings, taking civil service exams, and responding to job ads.
Approved training: courses that help you find work while still allowing you to accept full-time employment, such as computer classes, ESL classes, or certificate programs.

⁷

Document each activity as you do it. If your claim is flagged for review later, you’ll need specific dates, company names, and outcomes, and reconstructing that from memory rarely goes well.

How to Submit the DE 4581

UI Online

The fastest way is through UI Online. Sign in to myEDD at myedd.edd.ca.gov, open UI Online, and go to the certification section.⁸ The system walks you through both weeks, lets you review your answers, and returns a confirmation when you submit. Electronic certifications typically process within one to two days.

EDD Tele-Cert

Call the UI Automated Line at 1-866-333-4606 and choose Menu Option 1. The first time you use Tele-Cert you’ll create a four-digit PIN. After that, enter your PIN, listen to each question, and answer using the keypad. Save the confirmation number when you finish.⁹

Paper Form

If the EDD sent you a paper DE 4581, complete every field, sign and date the form, and mail it back in the return envelope. The signature line certifies your answers under penalty of perjury.¹ Paper takes longer to process because it’s handled manually. Mail it as soon as the certification period ends; the postmark counts as your submission date.

After You Submit

The EDD offers three ways to receive payment: a Money Network prepaid debit card, direct deposit, or a mailed check. The debit card is the default if you don’t choose. You can switch options anytime by signing in to myEDD, opening UI Online, going to Profile, and updating your Benefit Payment Option.¹⁰

Track your certification in the Claim History section of UI Online. You’ll see one of three statuses:

Paid: the EDD verified your answers and sent funds.
Pending: the department is reviewing your answers or waiting on verification, often triggered by reported earnings or a yes answer that needs a closer look.
Not Paid: the EDD determined you weren’t eligible for that week.

Penalties for Wrong Answers

Failing to report income, or providing false information to get benefits you aren’t owed, has real consequences. If the EDD determines you were overpaid, you’ll repay the full overpayment plus a 30 percent penalty.¹¹

If the EDD finds you deliberately withheld or falsified information, you can receive between 2 and 23 false statement penalty weeks added to your current or a future claim. During each penalty week you must still certify and meet every eligibility requirement, but you receive no payment. The 30 percent overpayment penalty can stack on top.¹¹ An honest mistake corrected quickly is far cheaper than trying to hide a few days of work.

If You’re Denied for a Week You Certified

If the EDD decides you’re ineligible for a certified week, you’ll receive a Notice of Determination. You have 30 days from the mailing date to file a written appeal, using the EDD Appeal Form (DE 1000M) or a letter that includes your name, address, phone number, Social Security number, the specific decision, and any supporting evidence.¹²

The EDD reviews the appeal internally first and may reverse the disqualification without a hearing if the new information resolves the issue. Otherwise, the case goes to the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, where an Administrative Law Judge schedules a hearing and sends notice at least 10 days in advance.¹²

Keep certifying every two weeks while your appeal is pending. You can only be paid for weeks in which you certified and met the other requirements. Stop certifying because you assume the denial is final, and you lose those weeks even if you win the appeal.¹²

1
Employment Development Department. California Continued Claim Form DE 4581
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Employment Development Department. Step 5: Certify for Benefits
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California Legislative Information. California Code Unemployment Insurance Code – UIC 1252
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California Legislative Information. California Code Unemployment Insurance Code 1253
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Employment Development Department. Reporting Work and Wages FAQs
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Employment Development Department. Calculator – Unemployment Benefits
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Employment Development Department. Job Seekers: Returning to Work
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Employment Development Department. Apply and Manage Your Claim with UI Online
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Employment Development Department. Certify for Benefits by Phone
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Employment Development Department. Your Benefit Payment Options
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Employment Development Department. Notice of Overpayment
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Employment Development Department. Unemployment Insurance Appeals