EDD agrees to pay more than 100,000 claims stuck in pending status California’s Employment Development Department will implement 'conditional pay' which means the long wait for unemployment benefits may finally be over for many. Author: Josh Lyle Updated: 7:47 PM PDT July 22, 2021 SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Help is finally on the way for more than 100,000 Californians who have been waiting weeks, or even months, for the Employment Development Department (EDD) to pay them their unemployment benefits. In an agreement reached with the Center for Workers’ Rights, on behalf of claimants waiting for payment, EDD will pay benefits to people with continued eligibility issues that the department is unable to resolve within two weeks. It's a new process called 'conditional pay.'