EDD benefit amount much lower than previous claim - can't get through on phone

The difference in your weekly benefit amount could be due to your base period wages. EDD doesn't use your most recent quarters of work for calculating benefits - they use a base period that's older. So if you had a gap in employment or lower earnings during the quarters they're looking at now, that could explain the lower amount. Check your award letter - it should show which quarters they used and what wages they have on record for you.

omg the phone system is THE WORST!!!!! i tried for THREE WEEKS to get through last month. literally called 47 times in one day (yes i counted lol). i feel ur pain!

This is a really common issue with EDD right now. Their call center is overwhelmed because they reduced staffing after the pandemic surge but claim volume is going up again with all the tech layoffs. For your benefit amount issue - check your Notice of Unemployment Insurance Award carefully. It should list the quarters they used for your base period (typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed). If the wages listed don't match what you actually earned, you can file a written appeal within 30 days of receiving the notice. As for reaching someone by phone, try calling exactly at 8:00am, not 8:01. Also, try the alternate numbers rather than the main line - sometimes the disability or employer lines have shorter queues and can transfer you to UI staff.

I had the same issue last month trying to reach EDD about my disqualification. After wasting days trying to get through, I found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to an EDD rep in less than 30 minutes. It basically keeps dialing for you using their system until it gets through, then calls you when there's an actual person on the line. Saved me days of frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km Totally worth it for me since I was about to give up completely after a week of futile calling.

The EDD is specifically designed to make it impossible to reach them! They dont want to pay out claims so they make it so frustrating that people give up!!!!! I KNOW this for a fact because my cousin works for the state (not EDD) and says its deliberate understaffing!!!!

You should definitely check the base period thing the others mentioned. When I got laid off in January, my benefit amount seemed wrong too. I found out they were using my earnings from Oct 2023-Sep 2024, not including my most recent quarter when I had gotten a raise. Took me 3 days of calling to get someone but when I finally did they explained it all. If your wages in the letter are wrong though you can appeal and get it adjusted.

Here's what I did to get through after trying for days - call EXACTLY at 8:00:00 am (use the atomic clock website to time it), press 1 immediately, then when it asks for your SSN just wait and don't enter anything. After a few prompts it will eventually connect you to a rep. I've gotten through 3 times using this trick. Hope it helps!

im having the exact same issue except my benefit is $320 which is waaaaay less than i should be getting based on my salary at Boeing before layoffs. i think they might be having some calculation glitches in there system right now cause so many people are filing claims. my friend who got laid off same day got the right amount tho so who knows?

UPDATE: I finally got through this morning! I used the tip about calling exactly at 8:00am and not entering my SSN. After about 35 minutes on hold, I spoke with a really helpful rep named Marcus. He explained that my base period didn't include my most recent job's higher wages, and instead included that period when I was doing lower-paid gig work. Unfortunately, he said there's nothing they can do to change my weekly benefit amount since it's calculated according to their standard formula based on those specific quarters. But at least now I understand why it's lower. Thanks everyone for your help!

So frustrating that you had to jump through hoops just to get a basic explanation! I'm in a similar boat - got laid off from my marketing job two weeks ago and my benefit amount seems way too low compared to what I was making. Reading through all these comments, it sounds like the base period calculation is probably the culprit for me too. I had a few months of lower earnings last year when I switched jobs. Really wish EDD would make this process more transparent instead of forcing people to spend days trying to reach someone just to understand how their own benefits were calculated. Thanks for sharing your update though - gives me hope I can eventually get through too!

I'm dealing with something similar right now! Filed my claim three weeks ago and my weekly benefit is only $240, which seems really low based on my previous job's salary. After reading through all these comments, I'm pretty sure it's the base period issue everyone's talking about. I had a period of unemployment about 8 months ago where I was doing some freelance work that paid much less than my regular job. It's so confusing that they don't use your most recent earnings - seems like that would give a much more accurate picture of what you actually need to cover your expenses. I've been putting off calling because I know how impossible it is to get through, but seeing that Owen finally connected gives me some motivation to try the 8am trick. Really wish EDD would just send a clear breakdown with the award letter explaining exactly how they calculated everything instead of making us all play detective!