Obtained PT employment while collecting EDD, was let go, now 8 months later EDD schedules phone interview about it (extension, receive)

[megashark2015]

I am confused. I was on my initial EDD claim when I began a PT job. In fact, my first day on the job was also the day of my initial phone interview with EDD. I told the interviewer I was at my new job, then reported everything on my claim forms. I only worked 18 hours per week, I received UI as well at a part time rate. Approximately 2 months and 3 weeks later my employer let me go. There was no reason given for termination, she simply said "we don't feel it's a good fit, but you're eligible for unemployment because we are terminating you for at will reasons." She clearly stated that I didn't do anything wrong but she just didn't see me as part of the future in the company. She gave me unemployment application information and said when they call she'll let them know.

On my next claim form, in the box that addressed current employment, there was a box that said "reason no longer working" and I wrote "terminated under at will clause." I anticipated that this situation may effect my claim, in the sense of maybe delaying it while I waited for EDD to verify the cause for termination. I was pleasantly surprised that there was no delay or change at all. I assumed they must have spoken to the employer and didn't need to speak to me. I was certain they would know there was a change, because I had been reporting employment income for nearly 3 months and then it stopped. Not only that, but at one point I was confused about how to fill out claim forms, I was flagged for overpayment, they investigated and there were overpayments and underpayments due to my claim form errors. All of that was corrected though.

Anyhoo, I just received the last payment on my tier 1 extension, along with a notice stating I'm eligible for tier 2. Then today I got a notice of an eligibility interview. Shockingly, the letter says the interview is about why I left the part time job. I am so confused, how could this be an issue 8 months after the fact? I am very worried too. I haven't been in contact with that employer since that day, I can't imagine the cause for termination somehow changing. I haven't been able to find this specific issue in the common questions on EDD's website.

So I guess my questions are this: is it common for EDD to wait so long to ask this type of question? When a person obtains and loses a job while receiving benefits do they re-calculate based on the most recent job (the job obtained and lost while receiving UI claim)? If my benefit somehow changes based on this situation, will they hold me responsible for the past 8 months even though I reported everything and this was their mistake?

I hope someone knows about this topic, I have 15 days to wait for my interview and I'm scared. Thanks

[Ariadne22]

It appears you've reached your benefit year-end and are going through a normal bye recertification process. All prior terminations are reinvestigated. Yes, it is a anxiety-provoking pain to revisit settled issues. But this is normal procedure at a bye recertification.

[megashark2015]

Thank you, I feel better knowing this is normal. This is my first time on UI, my husband was on UI before and never went through anything. But his UI was during a time when they still sent paper checks & congress wasn't pushing to stop UI so it's all different.