EDD claim approved with $0 balance - can reapply after additional work quarters?

Yes! Your uncle should absolutely file a new claim. EDD uses a base period that looks back at your earnings from 5-18 months before you file. Since it's been several months since his original claim, his new application will use a different base period that should include those 4 months of work (assuming he was paid legally with proper tax withholdings). The minimum qualifying earnings vary but his $9,800 might qualify him now, especially if he earned at least $1,300 in one quarter.

tell him to reapply asap. i had same thing happen except mine was $0 cuz i worked for cash under the table (dont do that lol). anyway when i got real job later i reapplied and got benefits. but make sure he applies right away cause theres like a 1 week waiting period anyway

Your uncle will need to file a completely new claim. The system will recognize that he previously filed, but this is considered a new benefit year with potentially different base period earnings. One thing to note: if he's been unemployed for more than a few weeks already, he might be leaving money on the table. EDD only pays benefits from the week you apply, not retroactively from when you lost your job. If he's been unemployed for a month already, that's potentially a month of benefits he won't get.

The EDD system is TERRIBLE about explaining this zero dollar claim situation!! I went through EXACTLY the same thing in 2022 and had to figure it all out myself. They approve you but with $0 which is completely useless and feels like a cruel joke. Then you have to wait until enough time passes for your base period to include newer earnings. When your uncle reapplies, he should reference his previous claim number in the additional comments section just to help connect the dots for whoever reviews his case.

There's actually a specific term for what your uncle is experiencing - it's called a "recomputation claim." If his previous claim was within the last 52 weeks but had $0 balance, and he's earned enough in qualifying wages since then, EDD should be able to recalculate his benefits based on those new earnings. The minimum earnings requirement is usually around $1,300 in your highest-earning quarter during the base period, and at least $900 total across the entire base period. With $9,800 across 4 months, he should definitely qualify now as long as those earnings are distributed across at least one complete calendar quarter in his new base period.

i disagree with some people here. my sister tried to reapply after getting a $0 claim and got denied AGAIN because not enough time had passed. something about needing a full quarter of work history? idk the details but dont get his hopes up maybe.

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I just spoke with my uncle and he's filing his new claim today. Fingers crossed that his recent work history will qualify him this time around. I'll update this thread once we find out what happens with his claim.

One more thing to note: When your uncle files his new claim, he should make sure to have his employment information for all jobs worked since his last claim was filed. This includes employer names, addresses, phone numbers, supervisor names, dates worked, and earnings information. Being prepared with this info will help prevent delays in processing his new claim.