Just wanted to add that it's also worth noting that EDD has a minimum and maximum weekly benefit amount. For 2025, the minimum is $40 per week and the maximum is $575 per week. So even if your calculation comes out higher than $575, you'll be capped at that amount. And if it comes out lower than $40, you'll still get the minimum. Also, make sure all your W-2s and wage information is accurate when you file - any discrepancies can delay your claim processing. Good luck with your application!

This thread has been super helpful! I was actually in a similar boat a few months ago trying to figure out the calculation. Just to confirm what everyone's saying - yes, EDD definitely uses the TOTAL earnings from your highest quarter (all 3 months combined). One thing I learned that might help: if you're trying to estimate your benefit amount before filing, remember that the formula isn't exact because there are some additional factors EDD considers. But the rough calculation of around 50% of your average weekly wage during that highest quarter is a good ballpark. Also, pro tip: when you do file, make sure you have your Social Security earnings statement handy (you can get it from ssa.gov). Sometimes EDD's wage records don't match perfectly with what you think you earned, and having that official record can help resolve any discrepancies quickly. Your situation sounds pretty straightforward though - with that $12,800 quarter you should be in good shape for a decent weekly benefit amount!

Glad to hear it's working again! This whole situation really highlights how unreliable Money Network can be. For anyone reading this in the future - definitely set up direct deposit as your backup. I learned the hard way that you can't rely on these third-party payment cards when you actually need your money. The cash advance tip from @Nina was a lifesaver for emergency situations too. Hopefully EDD considers switching to a more reliable payment provider eventually.

hello I got a job that pays us through this, except it won't let me create an account, money network I mean, and I'm kinda loss in what to do now, I've tried safari, chrome, Firefox, on my phone, iPad and computer and it always sends me back to the home page on step 2 while saying this message "Some or all information provided is not correct. Please enter valid information and retry.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I'm definitely going with direct deposit. Just to make sure I understand correctly: 1. I'll select direct deposit during my initial application 2. I'll still get a Money Network card in the mail as backup 3. Direct deposit payments come 1-2 days after certification One last question - if I accidentally choose the card option, how difficult is it to switch to direct deposit later?

I'm in the same boat as Paolo - first time filing and feeling overwhelmed by all the payment options! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been super helpful. It sounds like direct deposit is unanimously the better choice. I'm curious though - for those of you who have direct deposit set up, have you ever had any issues with EDD mistakenly sending payments to the Money Network card instead? I'm wondering how reliable the direct deposit system actually is, or if there are common glitches that might cause payments to default back to the card. I want to make sure I'm prepared for any potential hiccups since I really need these payments to be predictable for budgeting purposes.

Hey, did you end up getting through to EDD? Just curious which method worked for you. I had a similar situation last month (though mine was a phone interview not video) and it took me forever to cancel it properly.

Great to hear you got it sorted out! For future reference for anyone else in this situation, you can also try calling the EDD Employer Services line at 1-888-745-3886 - they sometimes transfer you to the right department and the hold times are often shorter than the main number. Also worth noting that if you have a CalJOBS account, you can update your employment status there too which helps keep everything synchronized across their systems.

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to get through to EDD? Did they explain why your claim was stuck in review?

Congratulations on getting it resolved! This is such a great success story and really shows how important it is to be persistent with EDD. The wage discrepancy issue you mentioned is actually pretty common - a lot of people don't realize that final paychecks with commissions, bonuses, or unused PTO can sometimes create mismatches between what you report and what your employer reports to EDD. It's frustrating that their system flags these cases for manual review instead of just asking for clarification upfront, but at least once you get the right person on the phone they can usually sort it out quickly. Thanks for updating us - gives hope to others dealing with the same "Review Required" nightmare!