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.