Denied EDD benefits after short work period - Base period confusion with new claim

You're running into the classic base period issue. EDD uses a Standard Base Period (SBP) which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. Since you filed in June 2025, your base period would be Jan-Dec 2024. If you didn't work during that time (except for those 3 weeks in May-June 2025), then you wouldn't qualify under the SBP. The Alternate Base Period (ABP) uses the 4 most recently completed quarters. For a June 2025 claim, that would be Apr 2024-Mar 2025. Sounds like you were mostly on UI during that time. The interviewer was partly right - they look at specific time periods, not just any work in the last 18 months. The website can be very confusing on this. Your best bet is to wait for the denial letter (usually 7-10 days) and then immediately file an appeal. In your appeal, clearly explain your work history and why you believe your Jan-Mar 2024 earnings should count. Bring any documentation of those earnings to your hearing.

THE ENTIRE EDD SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO DENY PEOPLE!!! I had this EXACT SAME ISSUE last year! They kept telling me different things every time I called. One rep said I qualified, next one said I didn't. When I asked for the rules in writing they would NEVER send them! It's all a game to them. They denied me THREE TIMES before I finally got approved through appeals. The appeals judges actually know the rules better than the EDD reps. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Record every call if you can (California is two-party consent so tell them you're recording). If you wait for the denial letter it might take FOREVER. Mine took nearly a month to arrive!

heyyy i think i can help u with this! i was in almost the same boat last year. the thing is the base period is super confusing lol. so like for the standard base period they ignore the most recent complete quarter plus the current quarter ur filing in. thats why they're not counting those 3 weeks you worked in may-june 2025, cuz thats the current quarter. also sounds like jan-mar 2025 is being skipped as its the most recent complete quarter. the real question is why theyre not counting your jan-mar 2024 work. wait for the denial letter, cuz they have to tell u exactly why u got denied. usually takes like 10ish days

The problem is you're caught in what's called a "lag quarter" issue. Here's what's happening: 1. When you file in June 2025, your Standard Base Period is Jan-Dec 2024 2. The Jan-Mar 2024 earnings are part of that base period 3. BUT - and this is key - if those earnings were already used to establish a previous claim, they can't be used again It sounds like there might be confusion about whether your Jan-Mar 2024 earnings were used in your previous claim. If your previous claim started around April 2024, then those earnings would have been in the lag quarter for that claim and wouldn't have been counted. If that's the case, they should be available for your new claim. When you appeal, you need to specifically request your EDD account records showing which quarters were used to establish your previous claim. This will prove whether those Jan-Mar 2024 earnings were used before. The denial letter typically arrives within 7-14 days after the interview. The appeal deadline is 30 days from the letter date, so you'll have time to gather evidence.

Having trouble getting through to EDD? I was stuck in a similar situation last year and couldn't get answers. I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an EDD rep in under 25 minutes when I'd been trying for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km I was skeptical at first but it actually worked. The rep I spoke with was able to pull up my exact base period quarters and explain why I was denied. Made the appeal process much easier because I knew exactly what to focus on. Might be worth it instead of waiting weeks for a letter that might not even give you the full picture.

I went through something similar and thought I'd share what I learned about the appeal process. The denial letter will include instructions for appealing, but basically you'll need to fill out the appeal form and submit it within 30 days. For the hearing, bring ALL documentation of your earnings from Jan-Mar 2024 - paystubs, W-2, tax records, anything you have. Also bring any UI paperwork from your previous claim that shows when it started (to prove your lag quarter point). My hearing was scheduled about 6 weeks after I submitted my appeal. It was over the phone and lasted about 20 minutes. The judge was very fair and understood the technical aspects better than the regular EDD staff. In the meantime, keep certifying if the system lets you! Even if you're currently denied, if you win the appeal, they'll pay for those weeks if you've been certifying. I made the mistake of stopping certification and had to go through extra steps to get back pay.

wait im confused. if ur old claim ended in mar 2025 and u worked in may/june 2025, how did the system show ur benefits from jan-mar 2024 earnings? thats like over a year old... maybe they were looking at wrong quarters? edd agents get this stuff wrong all the time lol

One more thing to consider - if you're still waiting for your denial letter after 2 weeks, you can request a copy of your claim file through your UI Online account. Go to Contact EDD > Question Category: Unemployment Insurance Claim > Topic: Claim Information > Subtopic: Copy of Claim Information. This can sometimes get you the information faster, and you might see notes from your interview that explain their reasoning. It could give you a head start on preparing your appeal. Don't give up! I've seen many cases where people get denied initially but win on appeal, especially in complex base period scenarios like yours.