How much can I earn while on unemployment in California EDD?

Wait so the buffer is whichever is BIGGER between $25 and 25%? So if my weekly benefit is $200 the buffer would only be $50 because 25% of $200 is more than $25? That actually makes sense now, thank you

The math example you laid out is exactly how I understood it too. People keep thinking they lose ALL their benefits the second they earn anything and that's just not how it works in California

does the buffer reset every week or is it like a monthly thing

Resets every week, it's based on what you earn in each individual week you're certifying for

Oh that's really important, I would have definitely reported it when I got paid not when I worked. So I need to report it in the certification for the week the work actually happened?

Exactly. Week you earned it, not week the check cleared. EDD is pretty clear on this one and it trips up a lot of people doing side jobs

I made this mistake early on and had to contact EDD to correct it because you can't fix it yourself in UI Online once the week is already certified. Had to send a message through my account and explain the error

this is the part people skip over and then act shocked when they get an overpayment notice lol

Does that include like if a family member just gives me money to help out, not for doing any actual work?

Gifts aren't wages so that would be different. It's specifically money paid to you in exchange for work or services. If your aunt sends you $200 because she feels bad you got laid off, that's not something you'd report. If she pays you $200 to clean her gutters, that's work income

the way you explained the difference between gifts and wages actually clicked for me, I was confused about this too

your cousin is spreading the same myth half the people on here believe lol

wait does this mean if I have a low weekly benefit amount the buffer is worse? that seems kind of backwards

Kind of, yeah. Lower weekly amount means lower 25 percent, so more of your side earnings get subtracted. But you're also getting less to begin with so it balances out in a way. The buffer formula is what it is

This thread is saving me from so many potential mistakes honestly

How does EDD define full time though? Is it 40 hours or does 35 hours count as full time?

EDD doesn't publish a specific hour number that defines it. Generally it's what your industry or employer considers full time. When in doubt, report all your hours and let EDD do the calculation

I've seen people argue about this exact point. Best thing is to report accurately and not try to game the definition of full time

didn't know this feature existed, where do you find it

It's in your UI Online account, should be listed in the options on the main screen. It's separate from certifying, specifically for previewing how wages affect a payment

Going to look for this tonight when I log in, this sounds really useful

I actually got two weeks of severance when I was let go from the warehouse. I already filed and started certifying, is that okay?

Filing right away is correct. Just report the severance pay when your certification asks about it for the weeks it covers and EDD handles the calculation. You did the right thing by filing immediately

a lot of people delay filing because of severance and lose weeks they could have been getting paid. good info

the overpayment notices are brutal, I got one for a totally different reason and it was stressful to deal with

Even non-fraudulent overpayments have to be paid back, they just don't add the penalty on top. So you're on the hook either way

Yeah I want to do everything by the book, that's why I'm asking before I take any work rather than finding out the hard way

by review do you mean like an audit or just pending status

Usually it shows up as your weeks going to Pending in Claim History. EDD might then schedule a phone interview to ask about your work activity. It's not an automatic disqualification but it delays your payment until they sort it out

How long does pending usually last in a situation like that?

Varies a lot honestly. Could be a couple weeks, could be longer. The main thing is keep certifying even when weeks are pending so if they do clear things up they can pay back weeks you certified for

Yep, tips are on EDD's list. They're wages just like hourly pay

delivery drivers especially because tips in the app are actually tracked. not exactly cash that disappears

I hadn't even thought about it that way, so working a little actually puts more in my pocket total not less

Exactly. The formula is designed to make working more always better than not working. You never lose money by earning money unless you go full time, which zeros out your benefit for that week

This is true and it's the part people most need to understand. The fear of 'I'll lose my benefits' stops people from taking any work when really partial work is encouraged by how the math works

Oh I did see something about CalJOBS in my documents. I haven't done that yet, is 21 days from the date on the notice or from when I applied?

The notice itself has the date and it's 21 days from that date specifically. Look for the DE 8405 in your mail, it'll spell out the deadline

CalJOBS is at caljobs.ca.gov and the registration takes maybe 20 minutes. Don't put it off, missing that deadline can pause payments

wait social security doesn't count against unemployment? I thought all income did

Not SS benefits. Those are specifically excluded from what reduces your unemployment payment. EDD decides how pensions affect things but SS is off the table as a deduction

This one surprised me too when I first found out. Important distinction for anyone collecting SS at the same time

The pending situation sounds really stressful. How long did it take for the weeks to clear after the agent made that note?

About a week after that call the weeks moved out of pending and payment processed. The agent couldn't promise it would but said everything looked in order on their end

four long days is exactly the kind of situation where I'd have no idea what to report

Good to know I have options if I make a mistake. I'll be really careful but it's reassuring that there's a way to correct it

The message through UI Online is probably the easier route. Phone lines are rough

Agreed, message first. Keep a record of when you sent it too in case there's any question later

I actually already got my DE 429Z in the mail so I know my weekly amount. But I'll check the calculator for future reference

DE 429Z is the real number anyway so use that. The calculator is more useful before you've filed to get a ballpark. Since you have the actual notice you're set

Chat timing out mid-session is so frustrating. The phone line at 1-800-300-5616 open 8 to 5 weekdays is the more reliable route if you actually need to talk through a situation

I had the same chat timeout happen, got disconnected right when I thought someone was about to respond

At least the phone line has set hours and you know what you're dealing with. Chat feels like a lottery

I've been a little uncertain about that question. So I can say yes to available even if I did some part time gigs during that week?

Yes, available for work means ready and able to take a full time job, it doesn't mean you were sitting at home doing nothing. You'd answer yes to available and also accurately report what you did earn that week

This is a point where people mix themselves up and either answer wrong or panic and overcomplicate it. Available means what it means, not all-or-nothing

This whole thread has honestly made me feel so much better about my situation. I went from nervous about taking any work to understanding exactly how to handle it

That's the goal. File correctly, report every week accurately, keep looking for full time work, and the system works the way it's supposed to

Agree completely. The partial wage formula is one of the things California actually got right with unemployment

I was wondering about that exact thing, like if I do two different side gigs in the same week do I add them together or list them separately

Add them together for the week total. That's what the agent confirmed. All your earnings from that week in one number when you report

Combined weekly total is the right approach, the certification isn't set up to take job by job breakdowns anyway

wait so if I work full time one week and then go back to part time the next week I can still certify and get partial benefits again?

Correct. Each week is evaluated on its own. One full time week means zero benefit that week but the next week if you're back to part time hours you go back to the partial formula. Your claim doesn't get shut down from one full time week

That is a really important thing to know. I thought one full time week would end everything

Pretty common misconception. Week by week is how EDD evaluates it. That's why accurate weekly reporting matters so much