EDD base period confusion - which quarters count if claim renews this week?

The base period for your claim is determined by your filing date, not your benefit year renewal date. For claims filed in July-September 2025, the standard base period would be April-June 2024, January-March 2024, October-December 2023, and July-September 2023. If you don't qualify under standard base period, they'll check the alternate base period which is the most recently completed 4 quarters. Since you mentioned you last worked in Q2 2024, your standard base period wages might be too low or non-existent for a regular claim.

went thru this last year. i think the quarters depend on when u APPLY not when yr renews. check your ui acct they might have sent u a message to reapply if ur benefit yr is ending

I can clear this up for you. When your benefit year ends, you need to file a new claim - it doesn't automatically renew. The base period for that new claim will be determined by the date you file the new claim, not your previous claim's end date. If you file in July 2025, your standard base period would be April 2024-March 2025. Your wages from Q2 2022 are unfortunately too far back to be included in either the standard or alternate base period for a claim filed now. If you have limited or no wages in the standard base period, you might qualify under the alternate base period, which would use July 2024-June 2025. But if you haven't worked since May 2024, you might not qualify for a new claim at all unless you've earned wages since your last claim began.

U might not even qualify for a new claim if u haven't worked since may 2024 because u need enough wages in ur base period. When did u first open ur claim?

The EDD base period system is SO FRUSTRATING!!! I went through the exact same thing last year and it nearly gave me an ulcer. I had great wages in early 2022 but by the time I had to refile in 2024, those quarters were gone and my new WBA dropped from $450 to only $180!!! The worst part is you can't even get anyone on the phone to explain it properly because they NEVER ANSWER!!!

When I had trouble understanding my base period calculation last month, I used Claimyr to reach an EDD rep quickly (claimyr.com). They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. Got through in about 20 minutes and the rep explained exactly which quarters they were using and why. Saved me days of stress since I was also concerned about older wages dropping off.

If your benefit year is ending, you will have to file a completely new claim - it doesn't just renew automatically. And unfortunately, the base period looks backward from the quarter you file in. Each new claim has its own base period calculation. If you file in July 2025, your standard base period will be: - Quarter 1: April-June 2024 - Quarter 2: January-March 2024 - Quarter 3: October-December 2023 - Quarter 4: July-September 2023 Your wages from Q2 2022 are too far back now. EDD won't consider them for either standard or alternate base period.

make sure u check ur mailbox too cuz edd sends u paper notices about filing new claims when ur year ends

One additional note - if you do file a new claim and don't qualify (or qualify for a much lower amount), don't panic immediately. If you're currently on a federal extension program, sometimes you can continue on that even after your benefit year ends. You should still file the new claim because EDD requires it, but they might determine you can continue on your extension if you don't qualify for a new regular claim. Check your UI Online account regularly for notices after filing.

I went through this exact situation last year and can share what happened to me. When my benefit year ended in August 2024, I had to file a completely new claim - there's no automatic renewal. The frustrating part is that EDD uses a "lookback" system, so they only consider wages from specific quarters based on when you file, not when your original claim started. For a claim filed now (July 2025), they'll look at wages from April 2024 back to July 2023. Any wages from 2022 are completely out of scope, even if they were much higher. I learned this the hard way when my weekly benefit dropped from $320 to $150 because my older, better wages were no longer counted. The key thing to remember is you MUST file a new claim when your benefit year ends, even if you think you won't qualify or will get less money. EDD requires this step. If you don't qualify for a new regular claim, they might let you continue on an extension program if you were already on one. But you won't know until you file the new claim and let them make that determination.

I'm going through this exact situation right now and can relate to everyone's frustration! My benefit year ends in about 2 weeks and I've been dreading the reapplication process because I know my wages from 2022 were substantially higher than what I've earned recently. One thing I wanted to add that might help others - I called EDD last week using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier, and the rep actually walked me through exactly how they calculate the base period for new claims. She explained that when you file in July 2025, they look at April 2024 through March 2025 for the standard base period, and if you don't qualify, they check the alternate base period which is the 4 most recently completed quarters. The rep also told me something important that I hadn't seen mentioned elsewhere - if you were working part-time or had any earnings during your current claim period, those wages DO count toward your new base period calculation. So even if the amounts are small, they still factor into whether you qualify and what your new weekly benefit amount will be. She recommended filing the new claim within a few days after your benefit year ends to avoid any payment delays. Apparently there's a sweet spot where filing too early can cause issues, but waiting too long can create gaps in payments while they process everything. Still nervous about the whole process, but at least I have a better understanding of what to expect now!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation and this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! My benefit year ends in just 5 days and I had no idea that filing a new claim would completely exclude my 2022 wages. I was making $75k at a tech company back then, but after getting laid off in early 2024, I've only been able to find part-time retail work that pays a fraction of that. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like I need to brace myself for a dramatic drop in my weekly benefit amount. What's really frustrating is that EDD never explained this when I first filed - you'd think they'd warn people that benefit amounts can change so drastically at renewal time. One thing I'm still confused about: several people mentioned that if you're on a federal extension, you might be able to continue on that program even if your new regular claim amount is lower. How do you find out which program you're currently on? My UI Online account just shows my weekly payments but doesn't clearly indicate whether I'm on regular state benefits or some kind of federal extension. Also, for those who successfully contacted EDD through Claimyr - was it worth the cost? I've been trying to call EDD for weeks with no luck, and I'm starting to think paying for a callback service might be my only option to get clear answers before I file my new claim. Thanks to everyone sharing their real experiences here - it's so much more helpful than EDD's confusing website!

I'm going through this exact situation right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! My benefit year ends in 3 days and I've been losing sleep over how much my weekly amount is going to drop. Like many of you, my 2022 wages were substantially higher when I was working in tech, but I've only had sporadic gig work since getting laid off. What really bothers me is that EDD's website makes it sound like your claim just "renews" - they never clearly explain that you're filing a completely NEW claim with a totally different base period calculation. I only figured this out by stumbling across this community thread! I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service that several people mentioned. At this point, paying for a callback seems worth it to get clear answers about my options, especially regarding federal extension continuation if my new regular claim amount tanks. One question for those who've been through this - when you filed your new claim, did you get any kind of advance notice about what your new weekly amount would be, or do you just have to wait for the determination letter to find out? I'm trying to prepare my budget but the uncertainty is killing me. Thanks to everyone sharing their real experiences here. This community provides way better information than anything official from EDD!

I'm new to this community but unfortunately dealing with this exact same situation! My benefit year ends next week and reading through everyone's experiences here has been both incredibly helpful and nerve-wracking. Like so many of you, I had much higher wages in 2022 when I was working at a financial services company, but I've been struggling to find comparable work since getting laid off in early 2024. What's really frustrating is discovering that EDD doesn't clearly explain upfront how dramatically your benefits can change when you have to file a new claim. The whole "renewal" terminology on their website is so misleading - it makes it sound like a simple continuation rather than starting completely over with a new base period calculation. I'm planning to use the Claimyr service that several people have mentioned to get clarity on my current program status before filing. The uncertainty about whether I'm on a federal extension that might continue is driving me crazy, and it sounds like EDD reps won't always volunteer that information unless you specifically ask. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who ended up with much lower benefit amounts, did any of you find that the workforce development programs were actually worth pursuing? With my tech background, I'm thinking about whether to focus on upskilling in newer technologies rather than just accepting whatever lower benefit amount I might qualify for. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences. This thread has taught me more about the benefit year process than hours of trying to navigate EDD's confusing website!