California unemployment benefits and ID.me – ID.me Help Center

The California Employment Development Department (EDD) works with ID.me to create a highly secure identity verification process that ensures you—and only you—can access your benefits. ID.me’s role in this is only for identity verification. ID.me does not approve unemployment claims or distribute payments to claimants.

This article explains how to verify your identity as an unemployment claimant.

Before you verify

To complete the verification process you’ll need:

A mobile phone with a camera or a computer with a webcam
An email address you have access to
A primary identity document (such as a U.S. driver's license or state ID, U.S. passport, or U.S. passport card)
Your Social Security number

Tip: To make sure your documents get approved, follow our best practices for uploading identity documents from a smartphone or computer and webcam.

How to verify

Follow the steps below to verify your identity.

Visit the EDD website and select Benefits Login in the upper-right corner.
Log in to myEDD or select Create Account to register.
From myEDD Home, select UI Online.
From UI Online, select File a New Claim.
When you reach the Verify Your Identity page, select Verify with ID.me.

Note: If prompted, take and submit a video selfie using our selfie best practices. Otherwise, go to step 6.
Follow the instructions to verify your identity on the ID.me website.
Important: On the Authorize California EDD page you must select Allow to share your information with the EDD.

Tip: You can verify in over 240 languages over a video call. When you start your verification, select Verify over a video call, then tell the Video Chat Agent the language you’d like to verify with. They will bring in a third-party interpreter to translate during the video call.

After you verify

If you choose self-service

Return to UI Online and complete your unemployment application.

If you choose a video call

After your video chat, if you have been logged out of UI Online:

Follow the “How to verify” steps 1-5 above and sign in with your ID.me account.
On the Authorize California EDD page select Allow to share your information with the EDD.
Return to UI Online and complete your unemployment application.

Fraud notice for Californians

Scammers continue to prey upon those in need of unemployment benefits. The EDD has reported that people are impersonating the EDD and ID.me to get you to reveal your personal information. You should be aware that the EDD does not send representatives to homes, and neither the EDD nor ID.me will contact you on social media and other websites.

If the EDD calls, the caller ID may show “St of CAEDD” or 1-800-300-5616.
If you opted in for SMS text alerts, messages are sent from 510-74 or 918-06 to the phone number listed on the unemployment claim.

For the latest developments on EDD fraud, visit Help Fight Fraud.

Who to contact for help

ID.me

ID.me can help if you have trouble with your account or verifying your identity. Common issues include:

California EDD

EDD can best help with questions and next steps after you complete the verification process. For example, you may have questions about benefits or services you verified for. Before contacting them:

Confirm your verification was successful
Confirm you shared your information with the organization
Review our best practices and sample messages of how to request help from an organization