California Unemployment Insurance

In California, unemployment insurance benefits are available to some people who are between jobs. The California Employment Development Department administers the program under guidelines set by the Federal government. Each state is responsible for developing its own formula for the level of benefits paid and how long an unemployed person can collect them.

Financial help for unemployed workers is available.

Here are the basic criteria needed to qualify for unemployment insurance benefits in California:

• You must have worked in order to claim benefits. The amount you receive will depend on how much you earned during a 12-month "base period" that starts to approximately 15-17 months before you file your claim.

• You must be involuntarily unemployed. Under California legislation, your unemployment must be "through no fault of your own." If you were laid off from a job, then you would likely qualify for benefits. If you were fired for cause or quit your job, then the claim may be denied. In those circumstances, the matter will be investigated by Employment Development Department staff, who will contact your previous employer before determining whether you are eligible for benefits.

• You must file a claim and be actively looking for work. The Employment Development Department (EDD) may ask you questions about your job search efforts. You will also be required to inform the Department if you turned down a job offer.

• You must be ready to accept a job if you receive an offer of employment.

As of March 2009, qualified applicants will be paid $40-$450 per week. To receive the maximum benefit, a recipient must have earned at least $11,674.01 per calendar quarter year in the base period used to determine eligibility. Federal stimulus money has also been made available to increase payments by $25 per week.

There are a number of ways that unemployed workers can file a claim for unemployment benefits in California:

• Online: The fastest and most convenient way to file a claim for benefits is to do so online. The EDD office uses a secure server to collect information about your claim, including your contact information.

• By Telephone: You also have the option of submitting your information by phone from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

• By Submitting a Paper Application: The EDD will accept application forms for benefits by mail or by facsimile transmission. You can get the form from the EDD web site, print your answers on it, and then submit it to be processed.

The EDD will need you to provide the following to evaluate your claim:

• Full name and Social Security Number
• Address (mailing and residence, if they are different)
• Phone number
• Driver's license number
• Name, address, phone number of your last employer
• Last date worked
• Reason you are not working

You will also be asked to provide a list of all employers you worked for during the last 18 months. (This information is used to calculate your benefit rate.) The EDD will need the name, address, and phone number, as well as your pay rate and how often you were paid.

You should make your claim as soon as you become unemployed. All benefit recipients must serve a one-week waiting period before they can receive any payments. You will need to file the claim before the waiting period starts to run.

Once you apply for California unemployment insurance, the claim runs for a 12-month period. During that time, you may receive benefits for 12-26 weeks.

The goal of the California Unemployment Insurance program is to provide some financial support to people who have lost their jobs. If you live in CA and are unemployed, apply for benefits right away.

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