EDD weekly benefit amount recalculation after higher earning quarter - possible?
I'm so confused about my benefit calculations. My weekly benefit amount came in at just $178 after my hours at the dental office were cut from full-time to just 12 hours weekly. It's barely covering bills. I filed in January 2025 and my base period included some really low earning quarters from when I was only working part-time while finishing school. My highest earning quarter just started in October 2024, but wasn't included in my calculation. Is there any way to have EDD recalculate my weekly benefit amount later in the year to include my higher earnings? Or am I stuck with this $178 amount for the entire benefit year? Anyone had success getting a recalculation mid-claim? This is my first time on unemployment and I'm completely lost.
21 comments
Join the conversation
Malik Jackson
Unfortunately, once your weekly benefit amount (WBA) is set for your benefit year, it doesn't change even if you have higher earnings later. The base period is fixed when you file, and it's used for the entire claim year. Your base period was the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed in January 2025 - so that's October 2023 through September 2024. Your higher earnings from October 2024 aren't included. If you exhaust your current claim and still need benefits, you could file a new claim after your benefit year ends (January 2026), and then those higher earnings would be included in your new base period calculation. Sorry it's not better news!
0 coins
LunarLegend
•Thanks for explaining! That's disappointing but good to understand. Do you know if I'm allowed to work more hours at my reduced job without losing all benefits? Maybe I can pick up a few more shifts to supplement the low WBA?
0 coins
Isabella Oliveira
this happened 2 me too! i got like $220/week cuz i was part time b4 being laid off. Suuuucks. they dont care about your new earningz 😡
0 coins
Ravi Patel
•The system is designed to be based on past earnings, not potential earnings. It's frustrating but that's how all state UI systems work - they look back, not forward. The calculation method is actually written into CA state law, so EDD is just following the rules they have to follow.
0 coins
Freya Andersen
YOU COULD TRY CALLING EDD and explaining your situation. i've heard some people got reconsidered if there was a mistake in their earnings record. probably won't work but worth a shot!! those people at edd don't know what they're doing half the time!!!!
0 coins
Ravi Patel
•While it's true that EDD can correct mistakes in your earnings record, they can't change the base period rules themselves. But it's always good to verify that all your earnings were correctly reported by previous employers. If there are missing wages from the established base period, that could potentially increase your WBA.
0 coins
Omar Zaki
You can earn up to $188 without reducing your weekly benefit amount. Anything over that gets subtracted. So if you earn $200 that week, your WBA would be $178 - ($200-$188) = $166 for that week. It might be worth picking up more hours if you can!
0 coins
LunarLegend
•Thank you! That's really helpful to know about the partial benefits. I think I'll definitely try to get more hours at the dental office then. Appreciate the concrete numbers!
0 coins
CosmicCrusader
When I had a similar situation last year, I spent weeks trying to reach someone at EDD to explain my case. Calling was impossible - busy signals, disconnects, hours on hold. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual EDD representative within 30 minutes. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The EDD rep confirmed what others here said - the WBA is fixed for your benefit year based on your base period. But they did help me verify all my wages were correctly reported, which is worth checking in your case. At least I stopped wasting time wondering if it could be changed.
0 coins
Chloe Robinson
•is that service legit? seems sketchy that you have to pay to talk to edd when its a free government service
0 coins
CosmicCrusader
•It's legitimate - they just help you bypass the phone queue. After spending literal days trying to get through, it was worth it to me. The alternative was continuing to get the "we're experiencing high call volume" message for weeks while my bills piled up.
0 coins
Ravi Patel
One important thing to remember is that you must report ALL earnings when certifying, even with reduced hours. Many people make the mistake of only reporting new jobs, but you need to report any income during weeks you're claiming benefits. Be very precise with your earnings each week - report gross earnings (before taxes) for the week in which you worked, not when you got paid. Misreporting can lead to overpayment notices later.
0 coins
LunarLegend
•Oh wow, thanks for this warning! I've been reporting my dental office hours but I occasionally dog-sit on weekends for extra cash. Do I need to report that too? I didn't think it counted since it's just casual work.
0 coins
Ravi Patel
•Yes, you absolutely need to report ALL income from any source when certifying, including dog-sitting. EDD defines income very broadly - basically any money you earn needs to be reported, even if it's cash-based or seems informal. Not reporting it could result in a penalty or even fraud allegations down the road.
0 coins
Isabella Oliveira
my bros wife works at edd and she says alot of ppl try 2 file a 2nd claim but it dosnt work u just have 2 wait til ur benefit yr is over sorry
0 coins
LunarLegend
•Thanks, that's consistent with what everyone else is saying too. Guess I'll focus on picking up more hours instead!
0 coins
Chloe Robinson
Everyone's saying the same thing but has anyone actually tried appealing? There must be exceptions for special situations right? The government always has loopholes...
0 coins
Malik Jackson
•There's no appeal process for this because it's not a decision - it's just how the law works. The only exceptions would be if there was a mistake in your wage reporting, or if you qualify for a special alternate base period. The alternate base period only applies if you don't qualify for a regular claim, not if you just want a higher WBA on an existing valid claim.
0 coins
Natasha Romanova
I went through something very similar when I filed my claim in 2023. My WBA was calculated based on when I was working reduced hours while caring for my sick parent, so it was frustratingly low at $165/week. Like others have said, the weekly benefit amount is locked in for your entire benefit year - there's no way to get it recalculated even if your recent earnings are much higher. What helped me was focusing on maximizing my partial benefits by picking up every shift I could at my part-time job. Since you can earn up to about $188 without any reduction (as Omar mentioned), try to get as close to that threshold as possible each week. Also, start planning now for when your benefit year ends in January 2026 - if you're still eligible then, your new claim will include those higher earnings from late 2024 and all of 2025, which should give you a much better WBA. It's frustrating that the system looks backward instead of at your current earning potential, but understanding the rules helps you work within them. Hang in there!
0 coins
Emma Johnson
•Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Natasha! It's really reassuring to hear from someone who went through the exact same frustration. I appreciate the practical advice about maximizing those partial benefits - I'm definitely going to ask my manager at the dental office about picking up more shifts this week. And you're right, I should start thinking ahead to January 2026 already. At least by then I'll have a full year of higher earnings to show for it. It's just hard to be patient when $178/week barely covers rent, but knowing there's light at the end of the tunnel helps!
0 coins
Alicia Stern
I feel your pain on this one! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my WBA is way lower than what I could actually earn now. Just wanted to add one thing that helped me - make sure you're tracking your work hours super carefully when you do pick up those extra shifts. I use a simple spreadsheet to log my hours and earnings each day so I don't accidentally go over the partial benefit threshold or mess up my certification. Also, if you're looking for additional income sources while staying under that $188 limit, consider gig work that gives you flexible scheduling. Just remember what Ravi said about reporting ALL income - even small amounts from apps like DoorDash or Uber need to be reported. The key is finding that sweet spot where you maximize your total income (benefits + wages) without losing your UI eligibility completely. The whole system feels backwards when you're in a situation like this, but at least now you know exactly what to expect going forward!
0 coins