Do you have to work 90 days to get unemployment in California EDD?

Wait so all my jobs from the last year get counted together? That's actually really reassuring. I probably made well over the minimum when you add everything up.

yeah my friend thought the same thing about the 90 day thing, it's a really common myth that goes around workplaces

This is correct. The base period concept is what trips most people up when they first try to figure out if they qualify. The EDD looks back at your earnings, not just your most recent employer.

That's really good to hear from someone who actually went through it. Did you have any issues with the claim or did it go through smoothly?

Honestly it went pretty smooth for me. The only thing that took extra time was EDD contacting my previous employer to verify the layoff. Once that was confirmed I got my determination letter pretty fast.

same here filed with only like 8 weeks at my last job and still got approved bc of my other earnings

I had no idea there were two different ways they calculate it. That's actually really helpful to know going in.

omg i wish someone had told me about the alternate base period when i filed. i almost gave up thinking i didnt qualify

The alternate base period is genuinely underutilized because a lot of people don't know it exists. EDD should do a better job communicating this upfront but at least the system does check both automatically.

Worth noting the alternate base period option was made permanent in California a while back. Some older online guides still say it's only in certain situations so make sure you're reading current information when you research.

Three hours and then disconnected?? That's awful. I was already dreading calling them. I'll check out that Claimyr thing.

edd phones are absolutely brutal rn. i've had the same experience multiple times just getting cut off after waiting forever

is claimyr legit? seems almost too good to be true that something like that works for edd calls

100% legit, I was skeptical too but it worked exactly like they say. The agent called me back and I got my question answered without sitting by the phone for hours.

Three activities per week, got it. Is there a specific format I need to keep my log in or can it just be notes on my phone?

You can keep it however works for you as long as you have the employer name, date, how you applied, and contact information. EDD may ask you to submit it through your UI Online account if they audit you so keeping it organized is worth the extra minute or two.

I use a simple spreadsheet and it's been fine for the two times I've had to provide documentation. Employer name, date, position applied for, method of application. That's basically all they want.

Wait he got fired and still qualified? I thought you had to be laid off not fired?

Being fired doesn't automatically disqualify you. EDD looks at the reason for separation. If you were fired but not for serious misconduct, you can still qualify. Being fired for things like performance issues or even minor policy violations often still results in approval, it's really just serious willful misconduct that triggers disqualification.

yeah exactly what happened with my brother. he got let go over some attendance stuff and still got approved after a short adjudication period

This is a good point, I've been putting it off for a few days already because I wasn't sure I'd qualify. Submitting tonight.

filing date matters so much. i delayed two weeks and it cost me because by the time my claim was approved there was no way to recover those first two weeks easily

Exactly. Even if you're not sure you qualify just file. Worst case you get denied and you're no worse off than before. Best case you find out you do qualify and you've got income coming in.

Part-time workers absolutely can qualify for unemployment in California. As long as the total wages in the base period meet the minimum thresholds, the number of hours worked doesn't matter. Part-time workers often have lower weekly benefit amounts because those are calculated based on your actual earnings, but qualifying is definitely possible.

The one thing to watch with part-time workers is that EDD will calculate your weekly benefit amount based on your wages and then determine if you're 'able and available' to accept suitable work. As long as you're available for at least part-time employment comparable to what you had, you should be fine.

Thank you both. This is really helpful, I'll pass this along to my family member. They were also under the impression they needed to have worked 90 days so good to know that's not a real rule.

This is super practical, thank you. I'll gather all that before I sit down to file so I'm not scrambling to look things up.

Also write down your EDD Customer Account Number once you get it. You'll need it every time you call them and having it ready saves time. It's different from your Social Security number.

And set up your UI Online account password somewhere safe. I locked myself out early on by forgetting it and the account recovery process took a few days which delayed my first certification.

Oh man 5 weeks is a long time. Did you eventually get all that backpay once it was resolved?

Yes I got everything I was owed once the adjudication was done in my favor. But those 5 weeks were stressful as anything. Keep records of everything including any layoff notices, emails from HR, or any other documentation that confirms why you left.

The adjudication period is when having a direct line to EDD becomes really important. That's actually when I first used Claimyr - my claim was stuck in adjudication and I needed to talk to an agent to find out what was happening. Got through to someone within a couple hours instead of spending all day redialing. claimyr.com if anyone needs it.

The overpayment thing scares me. Is it common for people to accidentally get overpaid through honest mistakes?

Honest mistakes do happen. The most common one is not reporting part-time or gig income correctly while receiving benefits. If you do any work at all while claiming, report every dollar. EDD cross-references with wage records from employers so it almost always comes out.

Exactly. If you make an honest mistake and catch it, contact EDD right away. They treat honest mistakes very differently from intentional misrepresentation. Proactive disclosure almost always goes better than waiting to get caught.

Phone issues with EDD are genuinely awful. I mentioned Claimyr upthread but seriously for situations like yours where you need to talk to someone it's been a game changer for me personally. claimyr.com - there's a video that shows how it works https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10

just looked at the video honestly might try it next time something goes sideways with my claim. anything beats sitting on hold for 3 hours

Payment holds are so frustrating because most of the time there's a simple explanation that an agent could tell you in 2 minutes but you can't GET to an agent without spending half a day trying

I had no idea that tool existed. Going to try that right now before I do the full application.

It's kind of buried on the site but if you search 'UI Online benefits calculator' you should find it. Just be aware the final determination comes from EDD reviewing your actual wage records, the calculator is just an estimate based on what you enter.

Good callout. The calculator is useful but the official figure will be based on what your employers actually reported to the state in terms of wages paid, which sometimes differs from what employees expect if there were any reporting discrepancies.

Oh wow I definitely would have forgotten about federal taxes. I'll elect the withholding when I set up my claim.

Smart move. Some people prefer to manage it themselves but honestly just having the 10% taken out automatically makes tax season way less stressful.

This is such important info that nobody tells you. I got hit with a tax bill my first unemployment period because I had no idea the federal government treated it as income.

Your EDD debit card or payment records also come with a 1099-G at the end of the year showing your total UI benefits. Keep that form for your taxes.

Yes, California has a one-week unpaid waiting period. The first week of your benefit year doesn't pay out - it's essentially the week EDD uses to establish your claim. After that first week, you start receiving payments for subsequent certified weeks. So when you do your first certification it'll cover two weeks but you'll only get paid for one of them.

ugh ok so I lose one week regardless. better to know upfront i guess

The waiting week is standard and there's no way around it unfortunately. But once your claim is established payments usually come within a few days of certifying for most people who don't have any holds or adjudication issues.

The contact system is genuinely terrible. Ask EDD responses take forever and when they do respond it's usually just a canned answer that doesn't address your actual question.

This is exactly why I always recommend Claimyr for anyone who needs an actual EDD agent. I know I keep saying it in this thread but for something like an address change where you really do need a human, it's worth it. claimyr.com

just watched the video demo, this seems like it might actually help. going to try it tomorrow morning because I am completely out of options at this point

Really appreciate this clear summary. I filed tonight and it went smoothly. Just waiting on the determination now.

Good luck! Most standard claims without any complications are processed within a couple weeks. Make sure you keep filing your weekly certifications starting the week after you filed your initial claim even before you get your determination letter.

Yes this! Keep certifying even while waiting for approval. Some people wait until they're approved to start certifying and then lose those weeks. EDD processes the back certifications once your claim is approved as long as you didn't skip them.

Perfect summary. And OP, make sure to check UI Online periodically for any messages from EDD. Sometimes they need additional information and if you miss those requests it can delay your claim significantly.

Good catch - I did work through a staffing agency briefly about 8 months ago. I'll make sure to list them correctly.

Yeah it's a common mistake. The agency name should be on your pay stubs if you're not sure. Also their address for EDD purposes is usually the agency's headquarters not wherever you were working.

This is really good practical advice. Gig economy workers sometimes have a similar issue where the app company is technically the employer of record even though the work arrangement feels very different. When in doubt list whoever sent your W-2.

Will do! Submitted my application about an hour ago. It actually wasn't as complicated as I expected. The UI Online system walked me through everything step by step. Fingers crossed for approval.

That's great to hear the process was straightforward. Rooting for you!

This thread should be pinned honestly. The 90 day myth comes up constantly and this is the clearest explanation I've seen of how the base period system actually works.