California Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment Insurance (UI) in California is an initiative taken up jointly by the state and the federal government. The purpose of this initiative is to provide financial support to California workers who have lost their jobs due to reasons beyond their control. 

The government, along with providing financial support, also provides an opportunity for unemployed workers to find training and counseling programs to improve their skill sets. It also provides outlets where a job seeker can connect with a prospective California employer to seek employment opportunities.

Learn more about the services provided by the Employment Development Department (EDD), California unemployment eligibility requirements, and much more.

California UI Benefits Calculator

The California Unemployment Benefits Calculator helps you estimate your UI weekly benefits amount.

California Unemployment Calculator

Eligibility to Apply for UI Benefits in California

To qualify for unemployment benefits in California, applicants must gain eligibility on three parameters set by the EDD. The three parameters are monetary eligibility, job separation, and maintaining eligibility.

Monetary Eligibility

While applying for Unemployment benefits in California, applicants must first meet the monetary eligibility requirements. The applicants must earn a minimum wage during the four-quarter base period. The weekly benefit amount and the maximum benefit amount of the applicant are dependent on the wages earned during the base period.  

To be eligible for unemployment benefits in California, an applicant must have earned at least:

• $1,300 in the highest earning quarter of your base period, or
• $900 in your highest earning quarter, and a total base period earnings of 1.25 times the highest earning quarter

The base period is a 12-month period, which is divided into four quarters. The California Employment Development Department (EDD) has designed two types of base periods to calculate wages to establish a UI claim. They are:

• Standard Base Period
• Alternate Base Period

A standard base period is the first four of the last five calendar quarters. In this method of calculation, the quarter prior to which you apply for benefits is not considered, but four quarters prior to this is considered.

If you do not have sufficient wages in your standard base period, the EDD will then calculate your wages using the alternative base period. The alternative base period consists of the last four calendar quarters prior to the beginning date of the unemployment claim. The alternative base period can only be considered when the applicant does not have enough wages in his or her standard base period, but has sufficient wages in the alternative base period.

Learn more about eligibility requirements

Job Separation

Once the monetary eligibility is established, the step for qualification will be to prove that the applicant lost his job due to no fault of his or her own. The applicants must meet the below-mentioned criteria to meet the job-separation criteria:

• The applicant must not lose the job through their fault
• The applicant was not involved in any illegal, criminal, or unethical activities in his or her workplace, which resulted in you getting fired
• The applicant was fired or work time was decreased due to lack of work
• The applicant did not quit the job due to lack of interest

Please note that not all those who are unemployed will be eligible for  the unemployment benefit program. The benefits are given to only those who meet all the eligibility criteria set by EDD.

EDD will verify the reason given by the applicant for separating from your previous organization. It will contact your former California employer to verify the reason given by the applicant. If any discrepancies are found, the applicant’s eligibility will be affected. The EDD will conduct a telephonic interview with those who were fired or quit the job on their own to hear the issue on job separation. A notice will be mailed to the applicant if he or she is not eligible for benefits. In the event that the applicant is not happy with the response, he or she can file an appeal against the decision of EDD.

Maintaining Eligibility

Establishing monetary eligibility and meeting the job separation criteria will get the applicant qualified for the unemployment insurance program in California. However, the applicants are expected to maintain the eligibility factors throughout the benefits weeks. Failing to maintain the eligibility requirement will lead to interruptions in the payment of weekly benefits.

The applicants must take note of the following points to maintain eligibility during the benefits weeks:

• Be physically able to work throughout the benefit week period
• The applicant must be available to work
• Applicant must be ready to accept the work offered to him or her
• The applicant must be actively seeking for job opportunities

Applicants must certify for unemployment insurance benefits each week by providing a certificate while applying for benefits. The information on the certificate will show if the applicant has met with all the eligibility criteria during the week.

Learn about UI job search requirements

How to Apply For UI Benefits in California?

Applicants will need the following documents to apply for unemployment benefits in California:

Online

In the state of California, applying through the online portal is the most convenient mode to apply for benefits. Log in to UI Online to register your unemployment claim. Available times to register for benefits differ on different days, which is listed below:

• Sunday – 5:00 AM to 8:30 PM
• Monday – 4:00 AM to 10:00 PM
• Tuesday-Friday – 2:00 AM to 10:00 PM
• Saturday – 2:00 AM to 8:00 PM

Applicants can take advantage of services such as opening a new UI claim, certifying for continued unemployment insurance benefits, updating the address and phone number, and receiving important notifications. Applicants can also view, request and print a copy of form 1099G for up to the past five years.

Note – If you face any trouble while applying online, you can call the EDD customer service number.

Telephone

Applicants can also file claims for the unemployment benefit through a phone call in California. They can call from Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 12 noon, on the following unemployment contact number as per their language choice. View the California unemployment phone number.

Fax or Mail

The applicant can send their application for unemployment benefits through fax or by mail. All they have to do is to download the California Unemployment Insurance Application forms from the Forms and Publications page of the edd.ca.gov website. Fill up the relevant forms and fax it or mail it to the EDD using the address on the forms.

Learn how to apply for California unemployment compensation

How to File Weekly Claims

To continue receiving California unemployment insurance benefits, you must certify your eligibility every two weeks. One of your main obligations is to actively search for employment while you collect benefits. To fulfill the work search requirement for unemployment benefits in California, you must demonstrate a good faith effort to seek employment each week when you certify for benefits. This involves applying for jobs, attending job interviews, and undertaking other measures that showcase your dedication to securing employment. If you fail to meet this requirement, your UI benefits may be denied or reduced.

To verify compliance with the work search requirement, you must document your job search activities and provide this information to the Employment Development Department (EDD) as requested. The EDD may also require you to participate in reemployment services such as job training programs or career counseling to enhance your job search skills and hasten your job search. You must also answer a series of questions about being able and willing to work, and to accept any suitable job offer.

After filing your initial unemployment insurance claim, you will receive your first Continued Claim Form in the mail. This must be submitted once two weeks. You file certify online, over the phone, or by mail. 

Learn how to claim weekly benefits

Things to Know After Filing An Application

Once the application is filed, the claimant will begin to receive the benefit amount every week. There is a need for the claimants to be aware of all the rules and regulations imposed on them throughout the benefit period. The applicants must also know about the services imparted to the unemployed workers to make the best of the benefit period.

Overpayments and Fraud

Overpayments arise when the applicant receives benefits which he or she was not entitled to. If in case the applicant draws an excessive benefit payment from the EDD, he or she will receive a Notice of Overpayment via mail.

The Notice of Overpayment will contain information on the nature of overpayment that is drawn by the applicant, the amount to be paid back to EDD and penalties levied (if any). It will also contain information on the applicant’s right to appeal against the imposition of overpayment, and about the procedure to appeal.

The EDD has classified overpayments into two categories – Non-Fraud and Fraud.

Non-Fraud: If you received a benefit payment that you aren’t entitled to, but not intentionally, it will be considered as a non-fraud overpayment. In such a case, the applicant will receive a notice stating that he or she received an overpayment and the excessive amount needs to be paid back. However, In some exceptional cases, the applicant may not be asked to repay the excessive amount. 

There will be no penalties or interest levied on the applicants in the case of non-fraud overpayment.

Fraud: A fraud overpayment occurs when the applicant intentionally misleads the EDD into paying more benefits than he or she was entitled to. If the applicant withholds an important piece of information, lies about his or her earnings during the base period, gives false or fake documents to prove eligibility, fails to disclose information of wages earned during the benefits weeks and similar misleading tactics are considered as a fraud in the state of California.

If a California unemployment fraud overpayment case is established, the applicant will be expected not only to pay back the excessive amount but also pay a penalty of 30% of the amount of the overpayment. He or she may also face disqualification from anywhere between 5 weeks to 23 weeks.

If the applicant fails to repay the excessive amount along with the stipulated fine amount, the EDD may deduct the money from his or her future weekly unemployment benefits amount, which is referred to as an offset.

As a policy of offset, the EDD may also deduct from or totally withhold the applicant’s state income tax refunds, lottery winnings, or any other source of income owed by the state. The EDD may also file a case against the applicant in a court of law, charge him or her court costs and interest, and record a lien on his or her property.

Benefits Extension

EDD and the federal government can offer extended unemployment benefits during economic-downturn or when the California unemployment rate is beyond the threshold level. Currently, there are no extended benefits available for California residents. There were a variety of federal extensions during the COVID-19 pandemic, but programs such as Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) are no longer available.

Job Training Assistance

The state of California provides ample opportunities for California workers to improve their skill set to get better employment opportunities. California Training Benefits (CTB) provides opportunities to the applicants to further their education, improve their skill sets, and/or learn a new trade to improve their competitiveness in the job market.

If get approved by CTB, the applicant will be exempted from certain conditions such as to be available for work, to be actively seeking job opportunities, and accept job offers, while you are participating in a training program.

California has over 190 America’s Job Centers located throughout the state. These centers are a group of organizations, including local, state, private, and public entities, that provide employment services at no cost.

The America’s Job Centers of California serve as a network of employment resource centers that assist job seekers by offering various public services. These services include assistance in job searches, career counseling, training programs, and connections to other community resources.

By utilizing the resources available at the America’s Job Center locations, individuals can search for job openings and meet the requirements for unemployment eligibility. These centers aim to assist individuals in finding and keeping employment by providing workforce services and resources, such as workshops for resume writing, job fairs, and access to job listings, labor statistics, and training programs.

The America’s Job Centers network helps promote California’s workforce development and economic growth by connecting job seekers with employment opportunities and resources.

Learn more about job training opportunities in CA

California unemployment contact information

If you have questions about your claim for California unemployment benefits, or require assistance with filing, you can call the unemployment claims center.

If you are looking for help with finding a new job, including resume writing help and training programs, visit your local American Jobs Center.