How many pay stubs needed for EDD base period calculation after waiting week?

You actually don't need to submit any pay stubs yourself for the initial claim. EDD calculates your base period using wage information reported by your employers to the state. The base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. They use that to determine your weekly benefit amount. If there's a discrepancy (like if your employer didn't report all your wages), THEN you'd need to provide proof of earnings. In that case, keep paystubs from the base period quarters, which would be roughly 12-18 months before your claim filing date.

congrats on getting thru the waiting week! thats the worst part lol. i didnt submit any paystubs when i applied in january, edd already had all my wage info. but definitely save all ur stubs from the last 18 months just incase they ask for proof later

THE EDD SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE YOU ON PURPOSE!! They make everything complicated so people give up and don't get the benefits they deserve. I had to fight for MONTHS to get my correct benefit amount because my employer under-reported my wages. SAVE EVERYTHING - paystubs, W2s, 1099s, EVERYTHING from the past 2 years!!! The base period is a SCAM because they use old quarters instead of your most recent work history which is usually HIGHER PAY!!!

I've been through this exact situation before! Here's what you need to know about the base period: it's the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before your claim. So if you filed in April 2025, your base period would be January 1 through December 31, 2024. You don't need to submit paystubs upfront, but definitely keep them handy in case there's a discrepancy. The most common issue is when employers misreport wages or if you had multiple jobs. In those cases, having documentation ready can save you weeks of delays. Also, make sure you're correctly certifying each week after your waiting week. That's where most people run into problems!

weird question but what industry did you work in? My husband works in construction and they calculated his benefits completely different than when I was on unemployment from my office job. Something about how they looked at hours vs. salary made a big difference.

When I filed last month, I spent 3 DAYS trying to reach someone at EDD to ask questions about my base period calculation because my previous employer went out of business. Literally couldn't get through - constant busy signals or got disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an EDD rep in 20 minutes. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The rep confirmed I didn't need to provide paystubs because they already had my wage info in their system. But she said to keep any documentation from the base period (18 months before filing) in case there's an appeal or dispute later.

I think everyone's overcomplicating this. EDD just uses your reported wages. They don't need your paystubs. Keep them just in case but don't stress about it.

Just to clarify based on the discussion here - for most people, EDD calculates benefits automatically based on reported wages. But here's when you WOULD need those paystubs: 1. If you believe your employer didn't report all your wages 2. If you had out-of-state employment during your base period 3. If you're requesting an alternate base period calculation 4. If you receive a Notice of Wages Used for UI Claim that looks incorrect For restaurant workers specifically, make sure all your tip income was properly reported as wages, as unreported cash tips won't count toward your benefit calculation.

Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me when I was in a similar situation - if you do end up needing to provide wage documentation later, make sure you have records that show your GROSS wages (before taxes), not net pay. EDD calculates benefits based on gross earnings, so net pay amounts won't be helpful if there's ever a discrepancy to resolve. Also, since you mentioned working in restaurants with inconsistent hours, don't worry if your weekly earnings varied a lot. The base period calculation averages everything out over the quarters, so those slow weeks won't hurt your overall benefit amount as long as your total quarterly wages were reported correctly. Good luck with your claim! The hardest part (waiting week) is behind you now.

Hey Rhett! I went through this exact same stress when I filed my claim last year. Everyone here has given you great advice - you really don't need to submit paystubs upfront. EDD already has your wage information from your employers' quarterly reports. Since you mentioned working in restaurants, just make sure when you get your "Notice of Wages Used for UI Claim" that it includes all your reported tip income. Sometimes there can be discrepancies there, especially if you worked at multiple restaurants or if there were any payroll issues. The base period calculation can seem confusing at first, but it's actually pretty straightforward once you understand it covers those 4 quarters. Keep your documentation handy just in case, but try not to stress too much about it. The system works for most people without any issues. Congrats on getting through the waiting week - that really is the hardest part mentally! Your first benefit payment should come through pretty smoothly now.

Hey everyone! As someone who's been through the EDD process a few times over the years, I just wanted to jump in and confirm what others have said - you really don't need to stress about gathering all those paystubs upfront. EDD has your wage information already from employer reports. One thing I'd add is to check your online EDD account regularly after filing. Sometimes there are small requests for additional info that people miss, and responding quickly can prevent delays. Also, since you mentioned restaurant work, if you had any periods where you worked as an independent contractor (like delivery driving), those earnings work differently and you might need documentation for those. The waiting week is definitely the worst part psychologically - once you're past that and start certifying weekly, it becomes much more routine. Hang in there!

Just went through this same process a few months ago and can confirm what everyone's saying - you don't need to submit paystubs initially! EDD uses the wage data your employers already reported to calculate your base period automatically. One thing that really helped me was understanding that the base period is specifically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed. So if you filed in March 2025, your base period would be October 2023 through September 2024. Since you mentioned restaurant work, definitely keep an eye on your Notice of Wages to make sure all your tip income shows up correctly. I had a friend who worked at a place that under-reported her tips and she had to fight to get it corrected later. But for most people, the process is pretty smooth once you get past that waiting week! The weekly certifications are where you really need to be careful - make sure you're honest about any work or income during each week. That's where most people run into trouble, not with the initial base period calculation.

Hey Rhett! I totally understand the stress - I went through the same anxiety when I filed my claim earlier this year after being laid off from my retail job. The good news is that everyone here is absolutely right - you don't need to gather and submit all those paystubs upfront! EDD already has your wage information from your employers' quarterly wage reports, so they'll automatically calculate your base period benefits using that data. The base period covers the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed, which sounds complicated but basically means they're looking at about 12-15 months of your work history. Since you mentioned restaurant work with inconsistent hours, I'd definitely recommend keeping all your documentation organized just in case there are any discrepancies later. With tip-based income especially, sometimes there can be reporting issues that need to be sorted out. But for the vast majority of claims, everything processes smoothly without needing any additional paperwork. The waiting week really is the hardest part mentally - once you start getting your weekly payments and fall into the certification routine, it becomes much less stressful. Just make sure to be super accurate with your weekly certifications going forward. That's where most people run into problems, not with the initial claim setup. You've got this! The hardest part is behind you now.

Hey Rhett! I just went through this exact same situation last month and can totally relate to the stress. I was overthinking everything too! The great news is that everyone here is spot on - you really don't need to submit any paystubs initially. EDD automatically pulls your wage data from what employers have already reported to the state. Since you mentioned restaurant work, I'd just add one tip from my experience: when you get your "Notice of Wages Used for UI Claim" in a few days, double-check that all your employers from the base period are listed. I had worked at three different restaurants during my base period and initially only two showed up. Turned out the third one had reported under a slightly different business name, but EDD was able to locate and include those wages once I called. The base period calculation ended up being way less scary than I thought - they basically just add up all your reported wages from those 4 quarters and use that to determine your weekly benefit amount. Keep your documentation handy just in case, but try not to stress about it. The hardest part (that waiting week) is definitely behind you now! You're going to do great with the weekly certifications. Just be honest and accurate with everything and you'll be all set.

Hey Rhett! I totally get the anxiety around getting everything right with EDD - I was in the exact same boat when I filed my claim a few months ago after getting laid off from my server job. Like everyone else has said, you really don't need to worry about submitting paystubs upfront! EDD already has all your wage info from your employers' quarterly reports. Since you mentioned restaurant work, one thing I'd add is to make sure you understand how your tip income was reported. Most restaurants report your tips as part of your wages, but if you ever had any cash tips that weren't properly reported, those won't count toward your base period calculation. Just something to keep in mind when you review your Notice of Wages. The base period thing seems super confusing at first, but it's really just looking at those 4 quarters of earnings to figure out your weekly benefit amount. You've already done the hard part by getting through that waiting week! Now you just need to stay consistent with your weekly certifications and you'll be all set. Good luck with everything!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who recently went through this process! I was stressed about the same thing when I filed my claim a couple months ago. Everyone here is absolutely right - you don't need to submit paystubs initially. EDD uses the wage data that employers already reported to calculate your base period automatically. Since you worked in restaurants, definitely keep an eye out for your "Notice of Wages Used for UI Claim" to make sure all your tip income is included correctly. I had a similar situation with variable hours and was worried about those slow weeks, but the quarterly averaging really does smooth everything out. One thing that helped me was setting up the EDD online account right away and checking it regularly for any updates or requests. The whole process became much less intimidating once I realized how much is automated on their end. You've made it through the waiting week which is honestly the hardest part mentally! The weekly certifications are pretty straightforward as long as you're honest about any work or income. You've got this!