Can I apply for new EDD benefits after benefit year ended with no job?

Yes, you can file a new claim right away after your benefit year ends - you don't need to wait for tax season! However, there are important qualifications: you need to have earned enough wages in the base period (usually the 12-15 months before filing) from W-2 employment to qualify for a new claim. Did you work at all during your last benefit year? If not, you might not qualify for a new claim since you need new earnings since your last claim started.

u dont need 2 wait for taxes lol. just make a new claim on ui online same place u did before. they check ur income anyway not ur taxes

To qualify for a new claim, you need to have earned at least $1,300 in your highest quarter during the base period, or at least $900 in your highest quarter plus 1.25 times that amount across the entire base period. Since you worked part-time for 8 weeks, it really depends on how much you earned during that time. You need to file a new claim, and EDD will determine if you qualify based on your earnings. If you don't have enough earnings, you won't qualify for a new claim. There's no waiting period related to taxes - that's completely separate from unemployment eligibility.

I just went through EXACTLY this last month!!! My benefit year ended Feb 15th and I panicked because I still hadn't found a job. I tried calling EDD for THREE DAYS STRAIGHT and couldn't get through - kept getting that stupid "we're experiencing high call volume" message and it would hang up on me! 😡😡😡 Finally I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an EDD rep in like 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The rep told me I could file a new claim immediately, but I needed to have earned enough wages during the base period. Turns out my gig work didn't count for regular UI (only W-2 earnings). So definitely check if your part-time work was enough!

Be careful about your expectations - I filed a new claim after my benefit year ended and while I qualified, my weekly benefit amount was WAY lower than my previous claim because it was based on my part-time earnings during the pandemic. If you only worked part-time for 8 weeks, your weekly benefit amount (if you qualify) will probably be much lower than what you received before. Also, when you file your new claim, you'll have a one-week unpaid waiting period again. So even if approved, your first week claimed won't be paid.

why doesnt anybody talk about how the base period is so confusing?? when i filed in april last year they didnt count january-march of THAT year. they use some weird system where they look at quarters but not the most recent complete quarter. does anyone know why they do it this way?? seems designed to make us fail tbh

Wait... when your UI runs out, aren't you supposed to apply for Fed-ED? Or is that gone now? I got extensions last time my benefits ran out.

Update: I filed my new claim and got hit with the ID verification requirement again! Do I seriously have to go through ID.me AGAIN even though I just did this last year? Has anyone else had to reverify their identity for a new claim?

I'm in a similar boat - my benefit year just ended last week and I've been stressing about this too! From what I've been reading online, you definitely don't need to wait until tax season to file a new claim. The key thing is whether you have enough qualifying wages from W-2 employment during the base period. One thing that might help - I found this calculator on the EDD website that shows you exactly which quarters they'll look at for your base period depending on when you file. It's buried pretty deep in their site but search for "base period calculator" and it should come up. Really helped me figure out if my part-time work last year would count. Good luck with your job search! The market does seem slower lately but hopefully things pick up soon for both of us.

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago! You can absolutely file a new claim right away - no need to wait for taxes. The $3,200 you earned during those 8 weeks should definitely be enough to qualify since you need at least $1,300 in your highest quarter. Just a heads up though - when I filed my new claim after working only part-time during my previous benefit year, my weekly benefit dropped from $450 to $180. It was still helpful but definitely a shock! Also make sure when you file online that you have all your employment info ready (employer name, dates, gross wages) for those 8 weeks you worked. The ID verification thing is super annoying but unfortunately pretty normal now. At least if you already have an ID.me account it should go faster. Good luck with the job search - the restaurant industry has been really tough but things seem to be slowly picking up in some areas!