CAN I GET UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS
Federal benefit programs have ended. However, you may still be eligible for regular unemployment benefits or other support services from the EDD
1. How to Apply
You may be eligible to receive unemployment insurance (UI) benefits from the Employment Development Department (EDD) if you recently lost your job or had your hours cut at work, and you are actively looking for work and ready, willing, and able to accept work when you find it. EDD also sometimes approves training courses that allow you to gain skills while you are unemployed.
Apply online at: https://edd.ca.gov/unemployment/ or call: (800) 300-5616
A recorded message about general unemployment insurance benefit information is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. You can file claims at the same number Monday through Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On the EDD website www.edd.ca.gov you can also manage extensions, certify for benefits online, and get useful information.
An individual who files for unemployment insurance benefits must meet specific eligibility requirements before benefits can be paid. Individuals must:
• Have received enough wages during the “base period” to establish a claim
• Be totally or partially unemployed
• Be unemployed through no fault of their own (Laid off or fired, but not fired for “misconduct,” or quit for a very compelling reason)
• Be physically able to work
• Be available for work which means to be ready and willing to immediately accept suitable work
• Be actively looking for work
• Meet eligibility requirements each week benefits are claimed
• If you are seeking training benefits, you must be approved for training before training benefits can be paid
The amount of your weekly benefit is based on your earnings during your base period. The minimum weekly benefit amount is $40, and the maximum weekly benefit amount is $450.00. The normal maximum benefit period is 26 weeks. During bad economic times or when there are high unemployment rates, the maximum benefit period is sometimes extended. Check the EDD website www.edd.ca.gov for updated information.
Employers report wages to the state for each employee. The state uses this information to decide whether you earned enough wages in a “base period” to establish a UI claim, and how much will be paid. The “base period” is a 12-month period, starting 12-18 months before you filed your claim.
Always tell the truth to the EDD about why you are no longer working for your last employer. When in doubt as to whether you were fired or laid off, tell EDD you think you were fired. Even if you were fired, you may still be eligible for benefits.
After you apply and are approved, EDD will give you a debit card and give you payments through it. You can also request to be paid by paper checks if you prefer.
You are required to file a Continued Claim Certification for every week that you want to claim unemployment benefits. You must file a certification within 14 days of any period that you want to claim unemployment benefits, or you will lose your right to claim benefits for that period. Most claimants file their continued claim certifications online through EDD’s unemployment benefits web site. You can also request that EDD mail you paper claim certification forms, which you can fill out and return to EDD by mail every two weeks. Alternatively, you can certify for benefits by telephone using EDD Tele-Cert at
1-866-333-4606. It is a good idea to keep copies of your continued claim certification information for your records.
If you are denied benefits and decide to appeal, you must keep filing your continued claim forms with EDD so that if you win the appeal, EDD can give you back benefits.
Your UI application process will usually include a telephone interview. After the phone interview, EDD will mail you a notice indicating whether or not they think you qualify for benefits. If EDD approves your claim, they will send you a Notice of Unemployment Insurance Award. If they decide that you are not eligible for benefits, they will send you a Notice of Determination explaining why they decided to deny your claim.
2. Appeal Your Denial
If you disagree with the EDD decision, you should appeal and ask for a hearing before the appeal deadline. Your past employer also has a right to appeal a decision by EDD. You can appeal by filling out the appeal form that is included with the Notice of Determination denying your benefits. The appeal deadline is 30 days from the mailing date of the Notice of Determination.
At the hearing, an administrative law judge will consider the evidence, including your testimony, and decide whether you should get benefits.
Even if you are fired or if you quit, you may be eligible for benefits. If EDD says that you were fired for misconduct or that you quit without a good reason, you can appeal it. Misconduct means that you did something bad that could harm the employer, and you either did it on purpose or you completely disregarded the employer’s interests. To show that your actions were not misconduct, you can argue that the employer’s accusations are false, or that you simply made a mistake, or you could not do the job, or that the action was a minor or isolated occurrence. Also if you can show you had a very compelling reason to quit a job, and you did everything possible to preserve the job before you quit, then you can get UI benefits. Call legal services for help. If you appeal, make sure to keep filing your forms with EDD! If you win the appeal, you can get back benefits. Besides unemployment benefits and State Disability Insurance (SDI), the EDD offers California Training Benefits (CTB) which allows qualified persons to receive unemployment benefits while in approved training. They also provide links to job training resources and other programs. Go to https://www.edd.ca.gov/jobs.htm .