I went through this exact same situation last year! Filed in October 2022 and they only used earnings from earlier quarters, missing my highest earning period. I was nervous about filing a new claim too, but it was totally worth it. My new weekly benefit amount was almost $200 higher because they included those missing quarters. One tip - when you file the new claim, make sure you have all your pay stubs and employment records ready. They might ask for verification of your earnings from that July-September period. Also, don't worry about "messing up" your claim - if you've truly exhausted your benefits and have qualifying earnings, filing a new claim is the right move. The worst they can say is no, but based on what you've described, you should definitely qualify.

I'm dealing with almost the exact same issue right now! Filed my claim in August 2023 and they only used my earnings from early 2023, completely ignoring my best earning quarters from the summer. It's so frustrating because those were my highest-paying months before I got laid off. I've been hesitant to file a new claim because I'm worried about creating complications or delays, but reading everyone's responses here is really helpful. It sounds like filing a new claim is definitely the right move when you have qualifying earnings that weren't included in the original calculation. @Lincoln - definitely go for it with the new application! From what everyone is saying, you have nothing to lose and potentially a lot to gain. I think I'm going to follow your lead and file mine too. Keep us posted on how it goes!

this happens to me EVERY TIME i try to certify. edd website is garbage. sometimes i just give up and try again next day. so behind on my payments cause of this stupid website

I've been dealing with EDD system issues for months now and here's what I've learned works best: First, try the mobile site like Ryan suggested - it really does handle these glitches better. If that doesn't work, the phone certification system (1-866-333-4606) is your best backup. But here's a pro tip nobody mentioned - if you're entering gig work income for the first time, call EDD first to add the "employer" to your file before certifying online. This prevents the system freeze because it already knows how to categorize your income. I had to do this when I started doing Uber and it saved me hours of frustration. The whole dollar trick works too, but it's just a temporary workaround - the real fix is making sure your income sources are properly set up in their system first.

I just went through this transition a few months ago and yes, absolutely use 8/15/23 as your last day worked! That's the actual date you stopped working before going on disability. A couple of tips that helped me: Make sure your SDI claim is completely closed before filing for UI (check your EDD account to confirm no pending payments). Also, when you file, be prepared to explain the gap - they may ask during the phone interview why there's such a long period between your last work date and filing for UI. Having your disability case number and award letter ready will help explain the timeline. The application process was actually smoother than I expected once I had all my documentation in order. Just answer all questions honestly and exactly as asked. Good luck with your claim!

Just wanted to add my experience since I went through this transition recently too. Definitely use 8/15/23 as your last day worked - that's the actual date you stopped working before disability, which is exactly what they're asking for. One thing I wish someone had told me: when you apply online, there's a section where you can upload documents right away. I'd recommend having your SDI award letter and a doctor's note clearing you to return to work ready to upload immediately. Even if they don't ask for it right away, having it in your file from the start seemed to help my claim process faster. Also, make sure you're genuinely ready to start job searching before you file. They're pretty strict about the "able and available" requirement, especially coming off disability. I started applying to jobs the day before I filed my UI claim so I had some applications to reference if they asked. The whole process took about 3 weeks from filing to first payment, which seemed pretty good compared to what I've heard from others. Hope this helps!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago - won my appeal and then had the eligibility interview about unreported earnings from my full-time job. The key thing that helped me was being super clear about WHY I was confused. I told them I thought since my employer was already paying into the system and EDD had access to wage records, that ongoing employment was automatically tracked. I brought a printed timeline showing when I started collecting benefits, when I certified each week, and what my regular work schedule/pay was. The interviewer actually said that's one of the most common misunderstandings they see. I did have to repay about $3,200 in overpayments, but they waived all penalties since it was clearly an honest mistake. They put me on a $125/month payment plan which was totally manageable. The whole interview took about 25 minutes and was way less intimidating than I expected. Just be honest and stick to the facts - you're already off to a good start since you won your appeal!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if you have any documentation from when you first applied for benefits, like emails or notes where you asked questions about reporting requirements, bring those too! I had saved some screenshots from the EDD website where I was trying to figure out the reporting rules, and the interviewer said it really helped show I was genuinely trying to follow the rules correctly. Also, don't be afraid to ask them to repeat a question if you don't understand it clearly - they'd rather you ask for clarification than give a confusing answer. The fact that you already won your appeal shows you have credibility with them, so try to remember that going in. You're being proactive and preparing well, which is exactly the right approach!

Just wanted to add that your husband should also register with CalJOBS if he hasn't already - it's California's official job search site and EDD actually requires registration for most claimants. You can find it at caljobs.ca.gov. Once he's registered there, he can use job searches on that site as part of his weekly work search activities. It also has some decent resources for resume building and career exploration that might be helpful during his job search.

Quick tip that really helped me - I created a simple template in my phone's notes app with fields for "Company Name," "Position," "Date Applied," "Method (online/email/in-person)," and "Contact Info." Every time I apply somewhere, I just fill out a new entry. When certification time comes, I have everything organized and ready to copy into the UI Online boxes. Makes the whole process way less stressful! Your husband might find this approach easier than trying to remember everything later.