How to calculate potential EDD benefits and understand base period without filing a claim?

The base period is basically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if you file in April, May, or June 2025, your base period would be January 1 through December 31, 2024. You can estimate your weekly benefit amount without filing by using EDD's calculator here: https://edd.ca.gov/en/Unemployment/UI-Calculator To get the maximum $450/week, you need to have earned at least $11,676 in your highest quarter of the base period. The exact formula is your highest quarter earnings divided by 26, but it caps at $450 regardless of how much you earned above that threshold.

I think its based on how much u made the previous 18 months. My roomate just got on unemployment and he gets like $320 a week even tho he was making like $25/hr at his job. Definitely not the full $450

If you're trying to find out your potential benefit amount without filing a claim, you'll need to calculate your base period earnings yourself. Here's how: 1. Gather all your pay stubs or income records for the past 18 months 2. Organize them by calendar quarters (Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, Oct-Dec) 3. Add up your total earnings for each quarter 4. Identify your highest-earning quarter 5. Divide that amount by 26 (this is the EDD formula) 6. The result is your estimated weekly benefit amount (up to max $450) To qualify for the maximum $450, your highest quarter earnings need to be at least $11,676. If you earned less, you'll get a proportionally smaller amount. The minimum you need to earn in a quarter to qualify for ANY benefits is $1,300. For partial unemployment (reduced hours), you can earn up to $599 per week before your benefits are completely eliminated, but any amount over $25 reduces your weekly benefit dollar for dollar.

Also, just to make it extra clear about the timing: The base period is NOT the 12 months before you apply. It's the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters. So there's a gap of 1-3 months between your base period and when you file. Example: If you file in May 2025 - Last 5 completed quarters: Jan-Mar 2024, Apr-Jun 2024, Jul-Sep 2024, Oct-Dec 2024, Jan-Mar 2025 - Base period: First 4 of those = Jan 2024 through Dec 2024 This matters because if you had higher earnings in the most recent quarter (which isn't counted), you might want to wait until the calendar quarter changes to file your claim.

FWIW the EDD website has that calculator but it's super confusing to use. I tried calling EDD directly to get an estimate when I was in your situation and kept getting that stupid "we're experiencing high call volume" message for DAYS. Finally I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes who explained my potential benefits. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The agent was able to look at my wage history already in their system (from employer reporting) and gave me an exact estimate without filing. Way easier than trying to dig through all my old pay stubs!

I went through EXACTLY this same situation last year! Was trying to figure out if taking a lower-paying job would be better than unemployment. Here's what I learned the hard way: 1) The base period thing is SUPER frustrating because if you earned a lot in the most recent quarter, it won't count 2) If you've had inconsistent income, your benefit might be a lot lower than you expect 3) SAVE ALL YOUR PAYSTUBS!!! EDD sometimes doesn't have all your earnings on record (especially if you worked for multiple employers) 4) If you're still employed but with reduced hours, you HAVE to report ALL earnings when certifying each week, even small amounts I ended up getting about $380/week when I thought I'd get the full $450. It was because one of my highest-earning quarters fell just outside my base period. So timing really matters!

Doesnt the base period start when u file for unemployment? thats what i thought

Oh and I forgot to mention - if you have truly inconsistent income (like it sounds like you do), there's something called the "Alternate Base Period" that EDD can sometimes use if you don't qualify under the standard base period. It uses the 4 most recently completed quarters instead of the normal base period. But they don't automatically check this - you have to specifically request it if you don't qualify under the standard calculation.

Just wanted to add a practical tip for anyone in a similar situation - if you're planning ahead like the OP, it's worth checking your Social Security earnings record at ssa.gov/myaccount to see what wages employers have reported for you. This can give you a good baseline for your quarterly earnings, though it might not be 100% up to date. Also, if you do end up filing for partial unemployment due to reduced hours, keep detailed records of your work schedule changes. EDD will want to see documentation that your hours were reduced through no fault of your own (like a letter from your employer or updated work schedule). This can help speed up your claim approval process. One more thing - if you're commission-based, make sure you understand how EDD treats commission payments. They count commission as wages in the quarter when you actually receive the payment, not when you earned it. So if you have a big commission check that gets paid in a different quarter, it could affect which quarter ends up being your "highest" for benefit calculations.

For commission-based work like yours, I'd also suggest keeping a spreadsheet tracking when you earned commissions vs when you received them. This helped me tremendously when I had to provide documentation to EDD. One thing that caught me off guard - if you end up filing for partial unemployment, EDD requires you to actively seek full-time work even if you're still employed part-time. They'll ask for job search activities during your weekly certifications. Some people don't realize this requirement and it can cause issues with their claims. Also, if your employer offers you additional hours or shifts during your partial unemployment period, you generally have to accept them or risk losing benefits. Just something to keep in mind as you're planning ahead!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that if you're currently employed and anticipating reduced hours, you might want to consider the timing of when to file your claim strategically. Since California has a one-week waiting period before benefits begin, and your base period calculation depends on completed calendar quarters, the specific week you file can impact both when you start receiving benefits and how much you get. Also, for commission-based workers like yourself, keep in mind that EDD will look at your total base period earnings to determine if you meet the minimum threshold (you need at least $1,300 in your highest quarter AND total base period wages of at least 1.25 times your highest quarter earnings). With irregular commission income, sometimes people meet the high quarter requirement but fall short on the total base period requirement. If you do end up filing, make sure you have documentation ready showing your hour reduction was involuntary - this is crucial for partial unemployment claims. A letter from your employer stating the business reason for the hour cuts can save you a lot of headaches during the eligibility review process.

One more consideration for commission-based workers - if you're expecting a large commission payment in the near future, you might want to factor that into your timing decision. Since EDD counts commission when it's actually paid (not earned), receiving a big commission check could potentially bump up your quarterly earnings and affect your benefit calculation if it falls within your base period. Also, I'd recommend calling your HR department or payroll to confirm exactly when they report wages to the state. Some employers report quarterly, others do it differently, and this can affect what earnings EDD has on record for you. Having this info ahead of time can prevent surprises if you do need to file. For the partial unemployment scenario with reduced hours, remember that you'll need to report your exact weekly earnings during certification, so keep detailed records of your reduced schedule and any commission payments you receive. EDD is pretty strict about accuracy on these weekly reports, and discrepancies can cause payment delays or overpayment issues down the road.

Just wanted to add something that might be relevant for your commission-based work situation - if you end up needing to file for partial unemployment, be aware that EDD can be pretty particular about how they calculate your "weekly earnings" when you have irregular commission income. They typically look at your earnings for the specific week you're certifying for, not an average over time. So if you have a week where you receive a large commission check but your hours were still reduced, that could potentially disqualify you from benefits for that particular week even if your overall monthly income is down significantly. I learned this the hard way when I was on partial unemployment with irregular bonus payments. One week I got a quarterly bonus that put me over the earnings threshold, so I lost benefits for just that week, then qualified again the following week when I was back to reduced hours with no bonus. It's frustrating but important to understand if you're trying to budget and plan ahead. The weekly certification process doesn't really account well for the reality of commission-based income fluctuations.

One thing I'd add that might help with your planning - if you're still employed but anticipating hour cuts, you can actually start gathering your documentation and preparing your claim information now without filing. Create an EDD online account and familiarize yourself with the UI Online system so you're ready to file quickly when/if you need to. Also, since you mentioned inconsistent commission income, consider reaching out to your current employer's HR department to get a written statement about your upcoming hour reduction. Having this documentation ready ahead of time can really speed up the approval process if you do end up filing for partial benefits. One last tip - if your hours do get cut, file your claim on Sunday if possible. California's benefit week runs Sunday-Saturday, and filing on Sunday means you won't lose any potential benefit days for that first week (minus the one-week waiting period). It's a small detail but can add up over time!