How to refile for unemployment after going back to work and getting laid off again in California EDD

That makes sense, thank you. So I reopen and then whatever the old weekly amount was is what I get, even though the new job paid more?

Pretty much, yeah. The weekly amount on a claim is set when you open it and doesn't change based on later work. If the benefit year ends in June you could potentially file a new one then with the higher wages counted in, but right now you're working with what the old claim has.

Agreed, reopening is the move. Had a friend who tried to file a brand new claim while her old year was open and EDD flagged the whole thing and it took weeks to sort out.

How long did it take before you were actually talking to someone? I've been scared to even try calling because I burned two hours on hold last time and got nothing.

Honestly just ended up with an agent without sitting on hold myself — that's the whole point of using the service. The agent was pretty helpful once I had her on the line.

Good to know that's an option. My old claim year ends next month and I've been going back and forth on whether to try to reopen or just wait and file new.

I've called that number like six times over the past two weeks and can't get through. It either goes straight to a recording saying they're at capacity or I hold for an hour and then it disconnects.

Yeah the phone lines can be brutal. The live chat through the Help button in UI Online sometimes works better, Monday to Friday 9 to 2, though it's not always available either. That or try calling right when they open at 8.

I didn't know about the live chat, going to try that tomorrow morning.

Wait, really? That's annoying but good to know in advance. So the first cert I get nothing and then the second one pays out?

That's how it went for me. First certification covered the waiting week, nothing paid. Second one had an actual dollar amount. Just make sure you're certifying consistently from the week your layoff started.

Can confirm this happened to me too. I definitely panicked when I saw $0 and thought something was wrong with my account.

Pending weeks usually mean EDD is checking something on your eligibility — it could be related to the new job you just left or your work search. It doesn't automatically mean denied, but it does mean something needs to be resolved before they release the payments.

I reported my final paycheck from the job right, everything I earned the last week I worked. Could that have triggered something?

Reporting wages correctly is always the right call. The pending status is more likely because there's an open question about why you left the new job or whether you're doing your work search. If EDD needs more info they'll schedule a phone interview.

Mine ends in June so I'm in the reopen situation, but this is helpful for people whose year has already closed.

My benefit year ended in September and I didn't realize I needed to file a completely new application. I thought I could just log in and start certifying again and wondered why nothing was happening. Filed new and it's been three weeks, still waiting on the DE 429Z to come in the mail.

DE 429Z coming in the mail is the normal part of the process — it shows what your weekly amount will be for the new claim. Takes about two weeks after they process the application, give or take.

The base period for a new claim covers the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. So those seven months of wages would very likely fall within that window and yes, they'd be counted. It's worth using EDD's Unemployment Benefit Calculator on their site to get an estimate.

That's what I was hoping. So going back to work for those months actually means a potentially higher weekly amount on the new claim.

Exactly. Working more and earning more during that period means the highest quarter wages used to calculate your benefit could be higher than on the original claim. Definitely run the numbers on EDD's calculator first so you know what to expect before the DE 429Z arrives.

Oh no, I didn't even think about CalJOBS. I registered when I first filed but haven't logged in since March. Going to check it today.

Log in and update your resume. The notice I got said I had 21 days from the date on it to have everything posted. I missed it by like four days and had a whole mess to sort out.

I had no idea reopening could trigger a new CalJOBS deadline. Good thing this came up, adding it to my list of things to do immediately.

That is a really easy mistake to make because the interface doesn't stop you or warn you. Did they eventually straighten out your payments?

Yeah after I actually called and spoke to someone they fixed it and released the weeks, but it added two extra weeks of delay I didn't need.

UI Online really should give a warning message or something before you certify if you haven't officially reopened. It's such a common thing and the interface acts like it's fine.

I reported my last week of pay when I certified that first week. Didn't get a vacation payout, thankfully. Is there a way to check what I already reported to make sure it was entered correctly?

Check your Claim History in UI Online — it'll show what was reported for each week. If you think something was entered wrong, you'd need to contact EDD through a message in UI Online or by phone since you can't edit a week after you've already certified it.

The Report Wages tool in UI Online is good for calculating before you certify but yeah, once it's submitted that's it. Contact EDD if something's off.

Contract ending without renewal is generally considered a separation through no fault of your own, same as a layoff. EDD will likely ask about the circumstances but a contract expiring is usually pretty clean from an eligibility standpoint.

That's reassuring. I was nervous EDD would treat it like a voluntary quit because I technically knew the end date going in.

EDD's question is whether you're out of work through your own choice or through the work ending. Contract expiration is the work ending. You'll want to explain clearly when you certify and if there's a phone interview, but it's not the same as quitting.

It really does feel like starting over even when it's technically a reopen. The uncertainty doesn't get easier just because you've done it before.

Knowing the process at least a little helps but yeah, every day without income feels long when you're waiting.

Does the CalJOBS profile count as part of your work search activity?

Registering on CalJOBS is separate from the work search itself — it's a registration requirement EDD has. The actual work search is you actively applying to jobs and looking. They're related but different obligations.

I always thought CalJOBS registration was the work search, didn't realize they're separate things. Glad I saw this.

So the remaining balance from before I went back to work in March would still be there? That's actually good news if I still have weeks left.

Should be, yes. Check your Claim History in UI Online to see your maximum benefit amount and how much has already been paid out. The difference is what's left.

I didn't know the balance stayed. I assumed going back to work reset everything and I'd have to somehow earn back eligibility from scratch. This thread is genuinely filling in gaps the EDD website is not great at explaining.

That's helpful to hear about the contract situation. Good to have confirmation from an actual agent that it's treated like a layoff.

Knowing your remaining balance from an agent rather than trying to decode UI Online sounds worth the effort of getting through.

The DE 429Z is for new claims only. When you reopen an existing claim within the same benefit year, your weekly benefit amount is already set from when you first filed. No new award letter, same number. If you file a completely fresh claim after your benefit year ends, that's when a new DE 429Z would come.

OK that makes sense. So the weekly amount I see in my Claim History from before is what I'd get now when I reopen.

Exactly that. And just to add — if the amount on that old DE 429Z ever looked wrong when you first got it, the window to appeal it in writing was 30 days from the mailing date. That ship has probably sailed now but good to know for anyone filing fresh.

Three weeks is on the longer side but not unheard of. If your identity verification went smoothly through ID.me and there were no questions about your separation, it might just be processing time. If you got a Request for Identity Verification letter — that's the DE 1326C — responding to that quickly is important if you haven't already.

I did ID.me when I first applied this time around, so that should be done. Maybe I'll try the live chat in UI Online to check if there's something specific holding it up.

Live chat through the Help button is a good call for that. If you can't get through on chat, messaging through your UI Online account is another option that creates a paper trail.

EDD having the wrong date on a CalJOBS registration is a scary thing to find out. At least the agent could actually see what the holdup was.

So even if you do CalJOBS correctly, there can be a data issue on EDD's end? That's frustrating but I'm glad you got it sorted.

From my experience it's one waiting week per time you reopen after returning to work. So if you open a claim, go back to work, get laid off, reopen — that second reopen had its own waiting week when I went through it.

To be specific about how EDD handles this: the waiting week applies to the first eligible week you certify for each time you reopen after stopping due to work. It's served, not paid, and doesn't eat into your total balance. So technically you serve it but it doesn't reduce your maximum benefit amount.

OK so it's unpaid but doesn't actually cost you a week of benefits from your total. That's slightly better than I thought.

If the benefit year is closed, yes, fresh application is the path. Apply as soon as possible because the new claim starts from the Sunday of the week you apply — waiting costs you those weeks.

Filing tonight then. What do I need to have ready? Last time I applied was over a year ago and I don't remember the full list.

Have your Social Security number, your state ID or license number, and information on every employer from the past 18 months — company name, address, dates worked, wages, and why you left. The last employer's full address is especially important. EDD will want to know your last day worked and the reason for separation.