EDD payment amount dropped to $172 from $500 on new claim - old claim issue?

This definitely sounds like they've rolled your new claim into your old benefit year. Check your UI Online homepage carefully - there should be a "Claim Summary" section that will show your benefit year start/end dates and remaining claim balance. If the benefit year start date is from last year instead of 3/5/2025, that confirms they've kept you on the old claim. This happens sometimes if you re-apply within a certain timeframe of your previous claim year ending.

omg the EXACT same thing happened to me 3 weeks ago!! my payment dropped from like $480 to only $190 somethin and i was freakin out. turns out they were using my old claim from earlier this yr that was almost used up instead of processing my new application properly

I had this exact problem in January! The issue is that EDD has a rule where you can't start a new claim until your benefit year from the previous claim has fully expired, even if the money is exhausted. So if your previous benefit year hasn't ended yet (they last for 12 months from initial filing), they'll keep you on that claim until the year is up. You have two options: 1. Wait until your previous benefit year expires, then file a new claim. 2. Call and request an agent manually review and potentially override this to start your new claim with the higher benefit amount. Option 2 is definitely what you want, but as you've discovered, getting through to EDD is nearly impossible these days.

After dealing with this exact situation last month, I finally got through to EDD using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a system that monitors EDD's phone lines and calls you back when they connect you to an agent. I was skeptical at first but it actually worked - they got me connected to an EDD rep who fixed my claim issue in about 10 minutes. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km Once I got through to a rep, I explained that my new claim was showing the wrong WBA because it was using my old claim. They were able to verify my new income and fix it right away. Got my correct payment amount the next day.

the whole system is designed to be confusing and difficult on purpose!!! they WANT us to give up trying to get our full benefits. ive been dealing with edd for 2 years and its always some new problem. their computers are from like 1985 and half the employees dont even know their own rules. guarantee if you call 5 different times youll get 5 different answers to the same question!!!! good luck but dont hold your breath waiting for them to fix anything

Just to clarify something important: the previous advice about benefit years is mostly correct, but there's a key distinction to understand. If your previous benefit year has ended but you still have a balance, they should start you on a new claim with a new benefit amount based on your recent wages. If your previous benefit year hasn't ended yet (even if the balance is exhausted), they typically keep you on that claim year. However, there's an exception: if you've earned enough wages since filing your previous claim to establish a new claim, AND your benefit amount would be at least $25 more per week than your old claim, you can request what's called a "Section 1275 Determination" where they evaluate if you qualify to establish a new claim before the old benefit year ends. This requires speaking with a tier 2 specialist, not just any representative.

Update for anyone following this thread and having similar issues: EDD just announced they're having system-wide problems with claim transitions right now. Their latest website update says they're aware of payment amount discrepancies between new claims and continuing claims. They claim they're working on a fix, but as usual, no timeline given. The frustrating part is they're still telling people to call the regular number if they have issues, even though nobody can get through.