To summarize what we've discussed for your situation: 1. You need at least $1,300 in your highest quarter OR $900 in your highest quarter plus 1.25x that amount total 2. Your base period would be January 2024-December 2024 if filing now 3. Since you were on unemployment during part of that period, you might need to use the Alternate Base Period 4. The ABP would include your recent $4,800 in earnings 5. You should apply and let EDD determine if you qualify 6. Consider using a calling service if you need to speak with an EDD representative for clarification Finally, once you apply, make sure to certify for benefits every two weeks even while your claim is pending determination.

Just wanted to add - if you do get approved for a new claim, there's a one-week waiting period before you can receive benefits, even if you're eligible. This is different from continuing an existing claim. Also, make sure to keep detailed records of your job search activities from day one, as EDD may audit your work search requirements at any time. I learned this the hard way when they asked for 6 months of job search documentation retroactively. Good luck with your application!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who's been through this exact nightmare multiple times! The EDD documentation system is absolutely broken - I've never understood why they don't just automatically include your name on payment history pages. It's such a basic requirement for any official document. I love seeing how this community rallied around @StormChaser with actual solutions! The screenshot method is pure genius for urgent deadlines, and having those detailed instructions for requesting official income verification is going to help so many people. I've shared this thread with friends who are also dealing with benefit renewals. It's incredible how we have to become amateur bureaucracy experts just to access our own information, but threads like this prove we're stronger when we help each other navigate these impossible systems. Bookmarking this for sure!

This thread is such a lifesaver! I'm currently going through the exact same situation for my CalWORKs recertification and was pulling my hair out trying to figure out why my name wasn't showing up anywhere on the EDD payment history. The screenshot method is brilliant - I never would have thought to combine the profile page with the payment history page. It's absolutely ridiculous that in 2025 we still have to jump through these hoops for basic documentation. @StormChaser thanks so much for sharing your experience and coming back with the update! Knowing that SNAP caseworkers are understanding about these EDD issues gives me hope for my own situation. I'm going to try calling my CalWORKs worker tomorrow with the same approach. This community is amazing - actual practical solutions that work in the real world!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now too! Just wanted to add something I learned from my tax preparer that might help - if you use accounting software like QuickBooks Self-Employed or even just a basic spreadsheet to track your 1099 income going forward, it makes the quarterly breakdown SO much easier for future claims. I wish I had started doing this earlier because trying to reconstruct quarterly earnings from bank statements and random invoices was a nightmare. For this current claim, I ended up calling my biggest 1099 clients to ask when they paid me last year since some of my records were incomplete. Also, heads up that if you have multiple 1099 clients, you might need to enter each one separately in the EDD system depending on how it prompts you. I had three different clients and the system treated each as a separate "employer" which was confusing but ultimately worked out fine. One more thing - make sure to save a PDF copy of your completed application before submitting it. The EDD system timed out on me twice while I was entering all the 1099 details and I had to start over. Super frustrating when you're trying to get all those quarterly amounts entered correctly! Hope this helps and good luck to everyone navigating this process. The mixed income thing definitely makes it more complicated but it's totally doable with the right preparation.

This is such a timely thread for me! I'm in the exact same boat - lost my main W-2 job two weeks ago but have been doing some freelance writing on the side for about a year. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful, especially about the quarterly breakdown approach. I wanted to add one thing I discovered while preparing my application - if you use payment platforms like PayPal, Venmo for Business, or Stripe for your freelance work, they usually have built-in reporting features that can show you earnings by date range. I was able to pull quarterly reports directly from PayPal which saved me hours of digging through bank statements. Just go to the "Reports" section and you can filter by custom date ranges for each quarter. Also, for anyone worried about the phone interview process - I actually just had mine yesterday and it was way less intimidating than I expected. The rep was really understanding about mixed income situations and mainly just wanted to verify that I had legitimate 1099 work and that my W-2 job loss was involuntary. The whole call took maybe 15 minutes and she approved my claim on the spot. One tip: have your actual 1099 forms handy during the call, not just your tax return. She asked me to read off the specific amounts from two of my 1099s to cross-reference with what I had entered in the system. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences - this community knowledge is so much more practical than trying to navigate EDD's confusing website alone!

I'm so sorry your cousin is going through this nightmare. I dealt with penalty weeks myself in 2023 and it was absolutely devastating financially. The misinformation from EDD reps is unfortunately very common - they seem to either not understand the penalty week system or just tell people what they think they want to hear. From my experience, here's what helped me survive the penalty weeks: 1. Apply for every assistance program possible - not just CalFresh but also utility assistance (LIHEAP), rental assistance through your county, and food banks 2. Look into gig work like DoorDash, Uber, or TaskRabbit for immediate income while still job searching 3. Contact local churches and community organizations - many have emergency funds for people in crisis 4. Check if her county has a 211 helpline (dial 2-1-1) for comprehensive resource information The penalty weeks are brutal but they do end eventually. I had to serve 8 weeks and it nearly broke me financially, but I got through it. Make sure she keeps detailed records of everything and continues certifying religiously. Once those penalty weeks are done, her payments should start automatically. Stay strong and don't let EDD's incompetence destroy your hope. There are resources out there to help bridge the gap.

I'm so sorry your cousin is dealing with this - the misinformation from EDD reps about penalty weeks is unfortunately very common and causes so much unnecessary stress and financial planning issues. From everything I've seen and experienced, penalty weeks must be served in FULL - there's no cap or shortcut like that rep told her. If she had 9 remaining weeks, she'll likely need to serve all 9, not just 2 more. Here's what I'd suggest for immediate next steps: 1. Log into UI Online and check her Claim History to see exactly how many penalty weeks have been served vs. remaining 2. Send a message through UI Online asking for written confirmation of her exact penalty week count and expected benefit start date 3. Keep certifying every two weeks during penalty weeks (this is crucial!) 4. Look into emergency assistance - many counties have rental/utility help, food banks, and emergency cash assistance programs Also, while she's serving penalty weeks, she can still do gig work (DoorDash, Instacart, etc.) to get some immediate income without affecting her unemployment claim. Just make sure to report any earnings when certifying. The system is brutal but the penalty weeks do eventually end. Document everything going forward and don't trust verbal information from reps - get it in writing through UI Online messages. Hang in there!

This thread is exactly what I needed to find! I certified yesterday morning and have been refreshing my account every hour like a maniac. It's my second time on unemployment (first was back in 2018) and I forgot how nerve-wracking the waiting period is, especially when you're cutting it close with bills. Really appreciate everyone sharing their real timelines instead of the vague "allow 2-3 business days" that EDD gives you. The federal holiday info was particularly helpful - I had no idea that would add extra delay. Fingers crossed mine hits tomorrow or Friday!

Just wanted to share my recent experience for anyone still following this thread. I certified this past Sunday at around 11am and my status changed to "paid" within a few hours. Since there were no holidays this week, my direct deposit hit Tuesday night around 10:30pm - so about 60 hours total from certification to money in account. For those asking about Bank of America specifically, they seem to process EDD deposits pretty quickly compared to some other banks I've used. One tip that helped me manage the stress: I set up account alerts so I get a text when any deposit hits, rather than constantly checking my balance. Makes the whole process way less anxiety-inducing!