I've been following this thread and just want to share that I was in total confusion about my benefit amount for weeks before I finally got through to EDD. What helped me was using Claimyr - found it at claimyr.com. I'd been getting the runaround for over a month trying to reach EDD by phone the regular way. Within a couple hours of using Claimyr I was talking to an agent who reviewed my entire claim calculation with me step by step. They confirmed my WBA was correct and explained exactly which quarter EDD used. Worth it just for the peace of mind.

to bring it back to OP's original question - I work in HR and deal with EDD wage reporting for our employees. The short version is that California's maximum weekly benefit amount has been $450 for several years and while there have been policy discussions about raising it nothing has changed that would affect anyone currently collecting. If you're getting the correct WBA based on your wages then you're getting what you're entitled to under current law.

Update on my own situation since this thread helped me a lot when I first found it - I was in the same spot 2 months ago, fired without documentation, stressed about qualifying. Filed honestly, went through adjudication, and just got my approval letter this week. Getting backpay for all 5 weeks of adjudication period too. For anyone reading this later: file the claim, certify every week no matter what, answer every EDD questionnaire honestly and completely, and don't give up if it takes a few weeks. The system is slow but it does work when you have a legitimate case.

For anyone who gets to the point of needing to talk to an actual human at California EDD - and trust me with a fired claim you probably will need to at some point - the phone situation is genuinely brutal. I tried for 11 days straight to get through. Eventually a family member told me about Claimyr. I was skeptical but I was out of options. Got a callback from an EDD agent the same day I signed up. If you're at the point of desperation with the EDD phone system, claimyr.com is worth checking out. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 that explains how it works. It saved me probably another two weeks of stress.

this whole thread answered questions i didnt even know i had lol. filed my claim last week and was also wondering about the check amounts. seems like ill get around $380/week based on my wages which is not great but something

One last Claimyr mention for anyone still struggling with the phone situation: if your claim amount comes in wrong, you're stuck in adjudication, or you just can't get a straight answer from the website about your weekly benefit amount, talking to an actual EDD agent is genuinely the fastest path to resolution. claimyr.com gets you there without the endless redial frustration - check the demo at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 to see how it works. The peace of mind from actually talking to someone who can see your claim in real time is worth a lot when you're stressed about income.

One more thing worth mentioning: if EDD classifies your severance as salary continuation and delays your benefits, that doesn't mean you're disqualified - just delayed. You'll still receive the full weekly benefit amount once the severance period ends. And importantly, the weeks you're in the 'delay' period still count toward your benefit year, they're just weeks you won't receive payment for. Your total benefit amount doesn't change, just the window shifts.

Update from me: I used Claimyr to finally get through to an EDD agent about my situation (6-week severance, terminated immediately, not required to be available). Agent confirmed mine would be treated as salary continuation since it's paid as base salary over 6 weeks even though I'm not working. So my benefits are delayed 6 weeks. Disappointing but at least I know. Glad I called instead of guessing.

Following this thread because I'm in a nearly identical situation. One thing I haven't seen addressed - if the staffing agency finds me a new placement WHILE I'm collecting unemployment benefits, do I have to accept it? What if the new placement is a significant pay cut or a terrible commute?

Coming back to confirm I filed my claim this morning after reading through this entire thread. Listed the staffing agency as employer, used 'lack of work' as separation reason, uploaded the email they sent me showing no placements were available. UI Online said my claim is processing. Fingers crossed no adjudication issues but at least now I know what to do if I get stuck. Thanks everyone for the help - this thread is way more useful than anything on the official EDD website.