Whats the max for unemployment in California EDD?

So my supervisor was definitely wrong about $600 then. I was making around $22 an hour, usually 40 hours a week. Sounds like I'd probably be closer to the max then?

Probably up there, yeah. The calculator on edd.ca.gov will give you a much more accurate estimate than guessing. Plug in your quarterly wages and see what it shows.

just to confirm - $450 is def the weekly cap in California right now. i learned that the hard way when i was expecting more after getting laid off from my tech job lol

That's really helpful, so the DE 429Z is where I'll see my actual number once it's processed? Good to know what to look for in the mail.

i had almost the exact same quarterly wages and my benefit came out to like $388 a week. so the calculator on EDD's site was pretty spot on for me

Wait so the total payout could be different for two people both getting $450 a week? That's kind of confusing but makes sense I guess.

Exactly right. The 26-week limit is one ceiling, but if your total base period wages were low enough that half of them is less than 26 times your weekly amount, that lower number is what caps you. For most full-time workers at max benefit the 26-week calculation ends up being the binding limit.

This is the part nobody explains well. I thought I'd get 26 weeks guaranteed but mine ran out early because of the half-of-wages rule. Wish someone had warned me.

Oh wow I did not know that. So if I certify right away I'll only actually get paid for one of those two weeks?

Right, the first certification period covers the waiting week (unpaid) and week two (paid). After that it's two paid weeks per certification going forward.

the waiting week thing confused me so much when i first filed. i thought my claim was broken because the first check was half what i expected

Already filed, actually! Did it the same day I got laid off. UI Online said it went through. Now just waiting on that letter.

Good move filing fast. The claim starts on the Sunday of the week you applied, so getting it in quickly matters. Keep an eye out for anything EDD mails you in the next few weeks.

appealing the DE 429Z is something I never knew was possible. that info would have saved me a lot of stress on my last claim

If your highest quarter wages were high enough, yes you can hit it. The cap is real. At $450 a week your quarterly earnings in the base period would need to be in a range that pushes you there - the EDD calculator will show you the cutoff.

ok that's wild. maybe my highest quarter just wasn't quite there. the calculator thing makes sense i'll check it

hit the max on my claim two years ago after getting laid off from my union job. $450 is definitely a real number they pay out

Pending in your Claim History in UI Online usually means EDD hasn't finished deciding eligibility for those weeks, or they might still need something from you. Worth sending a message through your UI Online account to ask what's holding them up.

There's nothing in my account saying they need anything from me. The Claim History just shows pending with no explanation.

Mine did the same thing for about three weeks on my first claim. Eventually they just resolved and payment posted. If it goes longer than a month I'd try reaching EDD directly because sometimes there's an issue they haven't sent a notice about yet.

Good to know since my brother-in-law offered me some weekend work while I'm looking. So I'd still be getting something from EDD even if I picked up a shift or two?

As long as it's part-time and not full-time, yes. The formula EDD uses means partial weeks usually still pay you something. Just make sure you report those wages for the week you earned them, not the week you get paid.

the earning while on UI thing saved me during my last layoff. people act like any work automatically kills your benefits but that's not how it works

How did you know the wages were wrong? Do they show you the breakdown by quarter on that letter?

The letter showed the base period wages they used. I compared it to my pay stubs and one quarter was way off - like half of what I actually earned. That's what tipped me off to contact them.

Good catch. The 30 day appeal window from the DE 429Z mailing date is specifically for situations like this. If the base period wages are wrong it directly affects your weekly amount and you have the right to challenge it.

Severance paid under a company plan or policy isn't counted as wages for UI purposes, so it shouldn't delay or reduce your benefits. That said, EDD still wants you to report it on your certification when it asks about income. EDD makes the final call on how it affects your specific claim.

So I should file right away and not wait until after the severance period ends?

Filing right away is the move. The claim week starts from when you file, so waiting costs you those weeks. Report the severance when you certify and let EDD sort out how it applies to you.

i waited two weeks thinking i couldn't file while getting severance and lost those weeks forever. don't make the same mistake i did - file immediately

About three weeks is roughly how long EDD says the initial processing takes before the first payment goes out. If you're just at the three week mark it might be right on the edge. Give it a few more business days and check UI Online daily.

ugh okay three weeks exactly today so maybe tomorrow or next week. this waiting is brutal

The DE 429Z usually shows up in the mail around the same time your first payment processes. Keep an eye on both.

I haven't gotten anything about CalJOBS yet. Is that something that comes in the mail or shows up in UI Online?

Came by mail for me. It was in a batch of letters EDD sent out. The website is caljobs.ca.gov - worth getting your account set up early so you're not scrambling.

CalJOBS registration is one of those things nobody warns you about and then suddenly payments are paused. Important tip.

Oh that's something I hadn't even thought about yet. So I should probably opt into the withholding when I first certify?

You can turn it on during any certification, not just the first one. But the sooner the better in my opinion. EDD sends a 1099G in January showing what you received during the year, and it's in UI Online too.

The 1099G thing is under Payments in UI Online if you want to find it online rather than waiting for the mail

Extended Benefits in California only kick in when the state's unemployment rate hits a specific threshold set by federal and state law. Right now there's no general extension program running. Standard claims run 26 weeks and that's what most people are working with.

So there's really nothing after week 26? I should probably step up my job search.

California Training Benefits is one option worth looking into - if you enroll in EDD-approved training or school it may allow you to keep collecting without the job search requirement, and in some cases can add weeks through a Training Extension. But you'd need to apply before your 16th week of benefits to be safe, so the timing might already be tight for you.

How does that work exactly - if you miss a certification do you just never get paid for those weeks?

Pretty much. EDD doesn't go back and pay missed certification periods. The weeks are just gone. That's why people say certify on schedule every two weeks no matter what.

i had a gap too and EDD couldn't do anything about it. the two week schedule is non-negotiable

That's good to know. So the benefit year runs for 52 weeks from when I filed even if I exhaust the payments before then?

Exactly. The claim stays active for 52 weeks from the Sunday of the week you filed. You can't open a new one until that period ends.

And if a new job ends before your benefit year is up, you can reopen your existing claim through UI Online rather than starting from zero. Worth knowing.

That's actually really reassuring to hear. My claim just went into pending on my first certification so I've been watching the account like a hawk.

Hang in there, some claims just take longer on the initial processing. If yours goes past three to four weeks with no movement I'd try reaching EDD to ask what's going on.

How does the alternate base period work exactly? That sounds relevant to my situation.

The alternate base period uses your four most recent completed quarters instead of the usual window. EDD only applies it automatically if your wages under the standard period wouldn't be enough to establish a valid claim at all. It doesn't get used just to give you a higher weekly amount on a claim that's already valid.

Right, the agent clarified that for me too - my standard base period claim was valid either way, so the alternate didn't come into play. The calculator difference came from something else in how my wages were counted.

I've only worked in California so this doesn't affect me but good to know for future reference.

This is actually really important and not obvious at all from EDD's website. Good flag.

i almost filed the wrong type of claim because of this. spent three days confused before someone in a forum like this explained the combined wage thing

$418 at $24 an hour is actually useful data for me to compare against since my wage was similar. Gives me a ballpark.

Exact amounts vary based on the specific quarter they pull from so yours could differ, but yeah roughly in that neighborhood if your hours were consistent.

this real world comparison is so much more useful than trying to work through the formula myself

Hadn't even thought about CalFresh honestly. I'll look into that while I'm waiting for EDD to get going. Thanks for the tip.

The first few weeks before EDD payments kick in are the tightest financially. CalFresh can bridge some of that gap if you qualify.

applied for CalFresh during a gap in my last claim and it took about two weeks to get approved. apply early is the advice i'd give