Reduced from 40 to 18 hours - Can I get partial EDD benefits?

Yes, you absolutely can apply for partial unemployment! It's called "Partial UI Benefits" and it's specifically designed for situations like yours where your hours have been significantly reduced. Since you've lost more than 50% of your hours, you should definitely qualify. Here's what you need to do: 1. File a regular UI claim through UI Online 2. When certifying, report your part-time earnings each week 3. EDD will calculate a partial benefit based on your full-time wages minus what you're earning now The Work Sharing program is different - that's something your employer would need to set up, not you individually. If your employer hasn't established a Work Sharing plan, just apply for regular UI and report your reduced hours.

i went thru this last year when my retail job cut me from 38 to 15 hrs. u def qualify!! but warning its confusing AF to report ur earnings every 2 weeks...make sure u keep track of EXACTLY what u make each day u work

To answer your questions: 1. There's no specific minimum number of hours lost to qualify, but your weekly earnings need to be less than your weekly benefit amount to receive anything. With a reduction from 40 to 18 hours, you'll almost certainly qualify. 2. You always report GROSS earnings (before taxes) when certifying. Very important! 3. You'll need to report earnings for the week you performed the work, not when you get paid. A tip: EDD uses a formula that deducts the first $25 or 25% (whichever is greater) of your earnings for the week, and the remainder reduces your weekly benefit amount.

Just adding that EDD might require you to do a phone interview to verify why your hours were reduced. They want to make sure the reduction wasn't because of something you did wrong. Make sure you have documentation from your employer about the hours reduction if possible. Also, you'll need to meet the work search requirements, which means applying for full-time jobs even though you're still employed part-time. Most people don't realize this and get in trouble later.

I went through EXACTLY this last year!! My construction job cut me from 40 to 15 hrs because of "slow season" and I got partial UI. BUT it took FOREVER to get through to EDD on the phone when I had questions about reporting my hours correctly. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual EDD rep after I'd been trying for days. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km Totally worth it because I was making errors on my certification and needed to fix it before I got hit with an overpayment notice.

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED!!! I had my hours cut last year and EDD kept "pending" my payments for MONTHS saying they needed to "verify" my information. Meanwhile my landlord was threatening eviction!!! Make SURE you call them if ANYTHING shows as pending for more than a week. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and take screenshots of all your certifications!!! They will try to say you made a mistake and take the money back 6 months later!!!!!

I think you also have to make sure your reduced hours weren't voluntary. My cousin tried to get unemployment when she asked for fewer hours to take care of her mom and they denied her. But since your employer cut your hours, you should be good.

To answer your latest question - you just apply normally for regular UI benefits. There's no special application for partial benefits. The system is designed to handle both full and partial unemployment. During the application, you'll indicate that you're still working but with reduced hours, and then when you certify every two weeks, you'll report your earnings. The system automatically calculates your partial benefit amount. And yes, as someone else mentioned, keep solid records of all your hours and earnings. I recommend creating a simple spreadsheet with dates, hours worked, and gross earnings for each day. This makes certification much easier and more accurate.

i just used the notes app on my phone lol. but ya just write down how many hrs u work each day + how much u make (before taxes!!!). EDD is super picky about reporting right.

Hey Mateo! I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago when my restaurant cut me from 35 hours to 12 hours due to "slower business." Here are some practical tips that really helped me: 1. Apply ASAP - there's a waiting week, so the sooner you file, the sooner you might start receiving benefits 2. When you file, you'll answer questions about why your hours were reduced - be honest that it was your employer's decision, not yours 3. Get something in writing from your manager about the hour reduction if possible (even a text or email works) 4. The work search requirement is real - I had to apply to 3 jobs per week and keep records, even though I was still working part-time One thing that surprised me: my first certification was confusing because I had to report earnings for a week where I hadn't been paid yet (since payday was later). Just remember it's about when you WORKED, not when you got paid. The partial benefits really helped bridge the gap while I looked for a second part-time job. Don't let people scare you off - yes, EDD can be frustrating, but the program exists for exactly your situation. You've got this!

I'm in almost the exact same situation! My hours just got cut from 40 to 20 per week at my office job, and I've been really stressed about making ends meet. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially knowing that I need to report gross earnings and track everything carefully. One question I have that I didn't see addressed: if my employer decides to increase my hours back up in a few months, do I just stop certifying for benefits at that point, or is there a formal process to close out the claim? I want to make sure I handle everything properly from start to finish. Also, does anyone know if having a side gig (like occasional freelance work) affects partial UI benefits? I do some graphic design work here and there and want to make sure I report that correctly too if I get any projects while collecting benefits. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's really reassuring to know this program exists for situations like ours!