EDD base period confusion - can I delay filing to get higher UI benefits from recent steady employment?

EDD uses what's called a Standard Base Period to calculate your benefits - this is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So it depends on WHEN you file. If you file in October-December 2024: Your base period would be July 2023-June 2024 (wouldn't include your recent steady work) If you wait to file in January-March 2025: Your base period would include July-September 2024 when you had steady work So yes, waiting until January could potentially give you better benefits IF your earnings were significantly higher in that July-Sept quarter. Just be aware you can't claim benefits retroactively for weeks you didn't file, so there's a tradeoff.

i was in this EXACT situation last yr!! waited till january to file and got $100 more per week than i wudve if i filed in november. totaly worth it for me but depends on ur $ situation

Just to add a bit more detail on how the base period works: Standard Base Period = first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before filing The quarters are: Q1: January-March Q2: April-June Q3: July-September Q4: October-December So if you file in October-December 2024, your base period is July 2023 through June 2024. If you wait until January 2025 to file, your base period shifts to October 2023 through September 2024 - which would include your recent steady employment in the last quarter of your base period. The EDD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest-earning quarter in the base period. So if July-September 2024 was your highest-earning quarter, waiting until January 2025 to file could result in a higher weekly benefit amount. Hope this helps!

To clarify about the Alternate Base Period (ABP): EDD only uses the ABP if you don't qualify for a valid claim using the Standard Base Period. They don't give you a choice between the two. The ABP uses the last 4 completed quarters before you file (instead of the first 4 of the last 5). So if you had enough earnings in the Standard Base Period to qualify for a claim, that's what they'll use. If not, then they'll check if you qualify using the ABP.

u can also try calling EDD directly and ask them to calculate what ur benefits would be if u filed now vs. january. good luck getting through tho lol. i spent 2 weeks trying before i gave up!!

Be careful with the timing thing! I waited to file for similar reasons but then found out I couldn't get any benefits for the weeks I didn't certify. No backpay. So I basically lost 2 months of payments trying to be clever about it. Just something to consider.

Is anyone else COMPLETELY FRUSTRATED with how complicated they make all this?! Why can't EDD just use our most recent work history?? It's ridiculous that we have to strategize filing dates just to get fair benefits based on our actual recent income! THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!

One last thing to consider: even if you wait until January to file, make sure you meet the eligibility requirements during the week you actually file. You need to be able and available for work, actively seeking work, etc. Just because you were laid off in September doesn't automatically qualify you if you file months later. Also, calculate whether the higher weekly benefit amount (if you wait) would eventually exceed what you'd get by filing earlier at a lower amount. For example, if waiting gives you $80 more per week but you miss out on 8 weeks of benefits, you'd need to collect the higher amount for at least 8 weeks to break even.

Just wanted to add that you should also check if you have enough earnings to qualify for a claim at all. EDD requires minimum earnings in your base period - I think it's something like $1,300 in your highest quarter and total base period wages of at least 1.25 times your highest quarter earnings. If your sporadic work earlier in 2024 was really minimal, waiting until January might actually be necessary just to qualify, not just to get higher benefits. You can find the exact wage requirements on the EDD website under benefit calculator.

Another thing to keep in mind - if you do decide to wait until January to file, make sure you're documenting your job search activities during the gap period. Even though you won't be certifying for benefits during October-December, EDD sometimes asks about what you were doing to find work during any gaps between your last day of employment and when you filed your claim. Keep records of applications, interviews, networking, etc. just in case they ask. Also, double-check that your employer reported your July-September wages correctly to EDD - sometimes there are delays or errors in wage reporting that could affect your base period calculations.

One more thing to consider that might help with your decision - you can actually use the EDD online benefit calculator to estimate what your weekly benefit amount would be under both scenarios before making your choice. Go to the EDD website and look for the "UI Calculator" - it lets you input your quarterly wages and see what your estimated weekly benefit would be. Try running it with your current base period (if filing now) versus what it would be if you waited until January. This will give you concrete numbers to work with rather than just guessing. Also, keep in mind that if you do wait, you should still register with CalJobs and keep looking for work during the gap period - not just for documentation purposes, but because you might find something before January anyway!

I went through this same dilemma last year and ended up doing a bunch of math to figure it out. Here's what helped me decide: I calculated the total amount I'd receive over the entire benefit year under both scenarios. If you file now, you get lower weekly benefits but start collecting immediately. If you wait, you get higher weekly benefits but lose 3+ months of payments. The break-even point depends on how much higher your weekly amount would be. In my case, waiting would have given me about $75 more per week, but I would have lost 14 weeks of payments. Even with the higher weekly amount, it would have taken me over a year to make up for those lost weeks - and that's assuming I collected the full 26 weeks, which isn't guaranteed. Also consider your current financial situation. Can you actually afford to wait 3 months with zero income? For me, that was the deciding factor. I filed right away because I needed the income flow, even if it was lower. Sometimes the bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush, especially when you're dealing with basic living expenses.

Something else to keep in mind - if you do decide to wait until January, make sure you understand the work search requirements that will be in effect when you file. California has been changing their job search requirements recently, and you'll need to be actively looking for work and able to accept suitable employment when you file your claim. Also, don't forget that your benefit year will be shorter if you wait. UI benefits last for up to 26 weeks (or potentially longer if there are extensions), but that's from when you first file, not from when you were laid off. So if you wait 3-4 months to file, you're essentially shortening the window during which you can collect benefits. One strategy some people use is to file now to secure their place in line, then if they find work quickly, they can always stop certifying and potentially reopen their claim later if needed (though there are rules about when and how you can do this).