EDD claim limits for seasonal layoffs - can my husband file multiple times in one year?

Your husband can file as many claims as needed throughout a benefit year, but there's a maximum benefit amount he can receive. When he files a claim, EDD establishes a benefit year (12 months) and calculates his maximum benefit amount based on his earnings during the base period. He can claim benefits until either the benefit year ends OR he exhausts his maximum benefit amount, whichever comes first. So if he only collects for 2 weeks now, he'll still have most of his benefits available if he gets laid off again later. Just make sure he reports when he returns to work, and he can reopen the same claim if needed within that same benefit year.

I literaly just dealt with this EXACT situation last month!! My boyfriends in roofing & had 3 weeks off cuz of all the rain. His boss told him the same thing - file for those weeks. When he went back to work he just reported his earnings for that week on his bi-weekly certification and then stopped certifying once he was fulltime again. The claim stays open for a YEAR so if ur husband gets laid off again he just starts certifying again. No need to file a whole new claim unless the benefit year ends!

To add some important details: in California, a UI claim remains open for 12 months from the filing date. Your husband is essentially accessing a portion of his total eligible benefit amount now, and the remainder stays available throughout that benefit year. For construction workers with seasonal or weather-related layoffs, this is actually quite common. When he returns to work, he'll just need to report his earnings when certifying, or stop certifying if he's fully employed. If he's laid off again, he doesn't file a new claim - he just reopens his existing claim through his UI Online account or by calling EDD. The main thing to watch for is the benefit year expiration date. Once that 12-month period ends, any unused benefits expire, and he would need to file a completely new claim if laid off after that point.

Speaking of calling EDD, if your husband needs to contact them about his claim for any reason, good luck getting through! I spent DAYS trying to reach someone when I had an issue with my construction layoff claim. The phone lines are insane. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km Totally worth it to avoid the endless redial nightmare, especially if you need to reopen a claim or have questions about remaining benefits.

@casual_commenter - Yes, it's completely legitimate. They use an automated system to handle the calling/waiting/navigating the phone tree, and then connect you directly with an actual EDD representative when they get through. Saved me hours of frustration. You still talk to the same EDD reps you'd reach if you called yourself, they just handle the impossible part of getting past the busy signals.

Everyone here is giving good advice about the benefit year, but no one's mentioned WORK SEARCH REQUIREMENTS yet!!! This is super important - even for temporary layoffs, EDD technically requires you to look for work and document it. Some employers will tell employees they don't need to job search if they're coming back soon, BUT THIS IS WRONG and could cause problems later if EDD audits! Make sure your husband is at least doing the minimum work search activities and documenting them for each week he certifies!!!

i filed 3 seperate times last year when my job kept putting me on furlough for a few weeks at a time... EDD doesnt care how many times u file its just about how much total money u get in ur benefit year lol. just make sure he always reports when he goes back 2 work on his certification or theyll hit him with an overpayment notice later trust me I learned the hard way

Wait so does he need to do the work search requirement thing or not? My cousin said his boss wrote a letter saying he was coming back to work on a certain date and he didn't have to do the work search stuff at all.

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I think we're much clearer now on how this works. To summarize what I've learned: 1. He can file for these two weeks and still have benefits available later in the year if needed 2. The claim stays open for 12 months (his benefit year) 3. When he goes back to work, he needs to report earnings on his certification 4. If laid off again, he just reopens the same claim rather than filing a new one 5. He should check if work search requirements are waived, and if not, document some activities just to be safe This community has been incredibly helpful! I'll make sure he keeps all his paperwork organized in case there are any issues down the road.

You've got it exactly right! One more tip - have your husband screenshot or save his UI Online account homepage showing his claim balance and benefit year end date. That way if there are any system glitches later (which unfortunately happen sometimes), he'll have proof of his remaining benefits. Also, construction workers often qualify for higher benefit amounts due to the seasonal nature of the work, so don't be surprised if his weekly benefit amount is decent even for short-term claims. Good luck to both of you!