Unemployment benefits in California

Can I get benefits?

You must have been paid at least $1,300 in the quarter of your base period with your highest wages, or at least $900 in that quarter and total base-period wages of at least 1.25 times that quarter's wages.

Law: Cal. Unemp. Ins. Code secs. 1275, 1281(a)

If you quit

If you quit, you need to show you had good cause for leaving and that you made reasonable attempts to keep your job, such as asking for a leave of absence or a transfer.

If you were fired

Being fired does not by itself stop benefits.

Law: Cal. Unemp. Ins. Code secs. 1256, 1257(b), 1260(a)-(b)

Quit, fired, refused work and the federal rules →

The wage test, the amount and your estimate →

How much and how long?

Weekly benefit

$40–$450

Weeks

Up to 26 weeks

Waiting week

A waiting week

Working part time

The amount not deducted is the greater of $25 or 25% of your earnings that week.

How it is figured, the full rules and the estimate tool →

How to file in California

Apply online through myEDD (fastest). You can also apply by phone at 1-800-300-5616, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or fax or mail the paper Unemployment Insurance Application (DE 1101I).

Apply as soon as you lose your job or your hours are cut.

What to have ready

• Your name, birth date, address and Social Security number
• Photo ID (driver's license, ID card or passport) and one more identity document (such as a W-2, utility bill or birth certificate)
• Employer names, addresses, dates worked, gross wages and hours for the last 18 months

Certify (claim your weeks)

Every two weeks. Certify every two weeks online, by phone or by mail to show you are still eligible.

Everything about filing →

Appeal a denial

• Appeal to an Administrative Law Judge — 30 calendar days from the mailing date on your Notice of Determination and/or Ruling (DE 1080CZ) or Notice of Overpayment
• Board appeal (second-level appeal) — 30 calendar days from the date of the judge's decision
• Petition for writ of mandate in superior court — 6 months

Deadline calculator, appeal letter and hearing checklist: Appeal details →

The hearing

Format

Most hearings are by telephone; some are in person.

Notice before the hearing

10 days

Overpayments and waivers

An overpayment means you were paid benefits you were not eligible for.

Respond within

15 days

Appeal within

30 days from the mailing date on the Notice of Overpayment (DE 1444) or Notice of Denial of Benefits and Overpayment (DE 1480)

Fraud penalty

30% added when the overpayment is fraud

Waiver

The state can waive some overpayments.

Law: Cal. Unemp. Ins. Code secs. 1375, 1375.1, 1377

Waiver details and the hearing checklist →

Someone filed a claim in your name

If you got an EDD form or a Form 1099G but did not apply, someone may have used your information. Report it through AskEDD or call the Fraud Hotline at 1-800-229-6297 (1-866-401-2849 for a 1099G you did not expect), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Report it online
• Phone: 1-800-229-6297
• If you got a Form 1099-G you did not expect: 1-866-401-2849

National steps

1. Report it to the state where the claim was filed and follow its instructions. Some states ask for a police report or a sworn statement.
2. If you got a 1099-G for benefits you did not receive, the state will send a corrected 1099-G. When you file taxes, report only the income you actually received; do not wait for the corrected form.
3. Check your free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com or 877-322-8228. Report other identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov.
4. You can also report unemployment identity fraud that happened after March 2020 to the U.S. Department of Justice National Center for Disaster Fraud. You must still report it to the state.

U.S. Department of Labor: report unemployment identity fraud

Good to know in California

• California's maximum weekly benefit has been $450 for new claims since January 1, 2005.

  Law: Unemp. Ins. Code sec. 1280(c)

• Since January 1, 2026, a notice EDD sends electronically counts as mailed, and for electronic notices the postmark date is the date it was sent.

  Law: Unemp. Ins. Code sec. 22, SB 854

• Claimants for Disaster Unemployment Assistance have 60 days to appeal.

  Source: EDD Appeal Form DE 1000M

Changes in 2024–2026

January 1, 2026: new Unemployment Insurance Code section 22 says "mail" includes electronic transmission, and the postmark date of an electronic notice is the date it was sent. No 2024-2026 changes to the weekly benefit amount, duration, waiting week, appeal deadlines or overpayment waiver sections.

Law: SB 854, Stats. 2025, ch. 240

Questions about unemployment in California