EDD says my claim is closed but won't let me open a new one - 'Not enough wages' error despite sufficient earnings

same thing happened 2 me last month!! the system is totally broken. they ALWAYS say not enough wages even when u had plenty. u gotta call them and talk to a TIER 2 rep not the first person who answers

This sounds like a base period calculation issue. When you file a new claim after your benefit year ends, EDD looks at a different base period than your original claim. The standard base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if your temp work was recent, it might fall outside that period. Two possible solutions: 1. Request an Alternate Base Period calculation if your recent work would qualify you 2. Call EDD and speak with a claims specialist who can review your wage history Do you have your wage records from all employers during the last 18 months? Having those ready will help when you speak with EDD.

UGH THE STUPID BASE PERIOD!! I hate that nonsense. It makes zero sense why they can't just look at your most recent work instead of this weird calculation that leaves out your newest income. EDD is living in 1975 I swear.

I went through this exact problem in February. After my benefit year ended, I tried filing a new claim but got the 'not enough wages' message. Turns out my recent work wasn't in the base period they were looking at. I spent THREE DAYS trying to reach someone at EDD before I discovered Claimyr. It got me through to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes who fixed the issue immediately. They reclassified my claim using the alternate base period which included my more recent work history. Worth every penny instead of wasting days hitting redial. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km and their site is claimyr.com.

ya i got it fixed but took me calling like 57 times!! when i finally got thru they had to file somethin called an 'alternate base period' claim 4 me cuz my work was 2 recent and wasnt showing up in their system or somethin dumb like that

Wait I'm confused - is this about regular UI or disability? Because I thought if you had enough wages for your first claim you'd automatically qualify for a second one? That's what the guy at the EDD office told me when I went in person last month for my SDI claim.

To add to what others have said, this is a common issue after a benefit year ends. The system is actually working as designed (though not very user-friendly). Your new claim's base period likely doesn't include your recent temp work. Here's what to ask when you reach an EDD representative: 1. Request they check if you qualify under an Alternate Base Period (ABP) 2. Ask them to verify all employers are correctly listed in their system 3. If your wages aren't showing up, ask about filing a wage protest with proof of income Bring pay stubs or W-2s from both your long-term job and temp position. Sometimes the computer system doesn't have the most updated wage information from employers, especially if they're small businesses or your employment was very recent.

my neighbor said he just kept calling them BEFORE 8:30am and somehow got through??? worth a try maybe?? the whole system is rigged to deny ppl i swear

After you resolve this issue, make sure to backdate your claim to when you actually became unemployed. When the rep helps you file the claim properly, specifically ask them to set the start date to when your temp job ended. This way you won't lose those two weeks of benefits you mentioned. Once your new claim is processed, you'll need to certify for those weeks retroactively. Just a heads-up that they might ask for additional verification since there was a gap between claims - completely normal procedure.

I just went through this exact situation last week! The "not enough wages" error is super misleading when you clearly have qualifying earnings. What worked for me was calling right at 8:00 AM sharp and pressing 1-2-4 when the menu starts. I got through on my 4th try that way. When I finally spoke to a rep, they explained that my recent temp work wages hadn't been reported to EDD yet by the employer, so the system was only seeing my older base period which had expired. They were able to manually review my pay stubs and file an alternate base period claim on the spot. Pro tip: Have your Social Security number, all employer names/addresses from the last 18 months, and total gross wages for each job written down before you call. The rep will need all of this info to process your claim correctly. Good luck!