How much would I get on unemployment from California EDD?

Wait so the max is really only $450 a week? That's way less than half of what I was bringing home. Is that really the most they pay anyone in California?

Unfortunately yes, $450 is the current weekly maximum for regular UI in California. It hasn't been updated in a while which is frustrating for a lot of people. That said, $450/week for up to 26 weeks is still significant support while you job search.

yeah the max has been $450 forever seems like, california is actually pretty low compared to some other states for max benefit amounts its kind of ridiculous

Ok that formula actually makes sense, thank you. So divide highest quarter earnings by 26. My paystubs should show me what I need to calculate this right?

Exactly - your W2 or paystubs will have the quarterly breakdown you need. Or honestly just file and EDD will calculate it for you automatically based on wage records your employer already reported to the state.

this is the most useful explanation of the formula ive seen on here honestly

Did Claimyr actually work for you? I'm kind of nervous about needing to call EDD at some point and not being able to get through to anyone.

Yeah it worked great for me. Got a callback within a few hours and spoke to an actual EDD agent who walked me through exactly how my benefit was calculated. Way better than hitting redial for 6 hours straight.

i've heard of claimyr before, good to know it actually works for benefit amount questions and not just claim issues

Just looked up that video, seems pretty legit. Bookmarking claimyr.com for when I eventually need to call EDD because you literally cannot get through otherwise

Part time workers can still qualify for unemployment in California as long as you meet the minimum earnings requirements in the base period. The benefit amount would just be lower since it's based on your actual earnings. The formula is the same - highest quarter divided by 26, capped at $450.

oh ok so I might get less than $450 then. makes sense I guess

Right - the $450 is just the ceiling. Plenty of claimants receive anywhere from around $40 to $450 depending on their prior earnings.

What's the alternate base period? Is that something I need to request or does EDD automatically figure that out?

EDD is supposed to automatically check the alternate base period (the 4 most recently completed quarters) if you don't qualify under the standard base period. But honestly it doesn't hurt to mention it when you file or call them if you think your standard base period earnings might be too low.

the alternate base period saved my claim when I had a gap in employment. didn't even know it was a thing until someone on here mentioned it

That sounds incredibly stressful. Have you tried Claimyr? That's exactly the situation it's designed for - when you absolutely need to get through to EDD and can't. claimyr.com - it got me through when I was in a similar spot.

I've tried everything at this point I'll literally try anything. Going to check out that site right now

Adjudication delays are unfortunately common right now. While you're working on getting through to EDD, make sure you're still filing your weekly certifications even while in adjudication - if you stop certifying you'll lose those weeks even if your claim is eventually approved.

Oh god I didn't know I was supposed to keep certifying during adjudication. I missed two weeks. Is that fixable???

Oh wow I had no idea about the federal tax thing. Glad you mentioned this - I would have definitely been caught off guard.

yes this is so important!! I owed like $800 extra at tax time because I didn't withhold. definitely opt for the 10% withholding if you can afford to.

wait seriously california doesn't tax unemployment?? that's actually one good thing i guess

That's actually really useful info because I was thinking about picking up some gig work while job searching. So I don't have to choose between doing a little work and getting benefits?

Right, just make sure you report every dollar you earn on your weekly certification. Don't try to hide it - EDD cross-references employer records. But doing some part time or gig work while collecting is totally fine and common.

The partial benefits calculation: EDD disregards the first $25 or 25% of your wages (whichever is higher) and deducts the rest from your WBA. So if your WBA is $450 and you earned $200 in a week, they'd disregard $50 (25% of $200) and deduct $150, leaving you with $300 from EDD plus your $200 earnings = $500 total for the week.

That formula from above is correct. It's actually a decent setup compared to some states that just cut you off entirely if you earn anything while on UI.

Yeah I think I've been overthinking it. Going to file today. Thanks everyone for the help.

good luck! make sure you have your employment info ready - last employer name, address, your last day worked, reason for separation. goes faster if you have all that ready.

Wait really? A week just disappears with no pay?

yeah it's called the waiting period week. you still have to certify for it, you just don't get paid for it. it's basically week 1 of your claim but counts as week zero for payment purposes.

Correct - and just to add, the waiting period was temporarily waived during COVID but it's fully back in effect now. Plan for no payment week 1, your first actual payment comes after certifying week 2.

this catches SO many people off guard. they file, certify week 1, nothing shows up, they panic and call EDD thinking something is wrong. it's just the waiting week.

Gonna look that up right now, thanks

That calculator is pretty accurate in my experience, usually within $5-10 of the actual determination. Good tool to have before committing to filing.

that's such a relief to hear it actually worked. bookmarking this for myself

Glad you got through and got some answers! Make sure to document everything the agent tells you about the adjudication dispute resolution process.

yes agent told me to upload the separation documentation through UI Online under the Ask EDD portal, doing that today. feels like there's actually light at the end of the tunnel now

this is genuinely the most useful thread update i've seen on here in a while lol

This is accurate and an important distinction. A lot of people who had inconsistent work history or recently returned to the workforce get tripped up by the standard base period showing lower earnings than their recent wages.

Exactly. The alternate base period was designed specifically for that situation - seasonal workers, people returning after a leave, folks who changed jobs recently, etc.

Severance can affect when your UI payments start depending on how it's structured. If it's paid as a lump sum it typically doesn't delay benefits. If it's paid on a regular payroll schedule like a continuation of wages it may delay your benefits by the number of weeks it covers. Report it when you file and let EDD make the determination.

oh interesting, mine was a lump sum so hopefully that means I can collect right away. going to report it when I file like you said

Lump sum severance generally doesn't affect UI start date in California but always disclose it. Better to be transparent and let EDD sort it than to omit it and create an overpayment situation later.

How do you set up direct deposit? Is that an option during the initial filing?

You can set it up through UI Online after your claim is established - there's a payment options section. Takes a few days to verify but totally worth it. Payments hit your bank account like 2 days after EDD processes them.

seconding this hard. the EDD debit card through Bank of America is such a headache. direct deposit is 100x easier

3 job search activities per week - is that per week or per two weeks? And what counts as an activity?

It's per week. Activities include submitting applications, attending job fairs, going on interviews, networking events, posting/updating your resume on job boards. EDD has a pretty broad definition of what counts. Just keep a log with dates, employer names, positions, and method of contact.

Also worth knowing - you need to register with CalJOBS (California's job search platform) within 21 days of filing. EDD will flag your claim if you don't. It's free and straightforward to set up at caljobs.ca.gov.

I had no idea about CalJOBS. This thread has been way more helpful than anything I found googling. Thank you all seriously.

My separation was a straight up layoff, position eliminated. Should be clear cut I hope.

layoff for position elimination is about as clean a separation as you can have for UI purposes. you should sail through without any adjudication issues.

Wish mine had been that clean lol. Going through a separation dispute right now and it's exhausting. Definitely file if you were laid off, it's so much simpler.