What You Need to Know About Collecting Unemployment Benefits in California
California offers unemployment benefits to eligible individuals. Here’s how to collect unemployment benefits in California.
California’s Employment Development Department handles all unemployment benefit claims. They outline when and how individuals can claim benefits in various situations.
What Are Unemployment Benefits?
California offers unemployment benefits in the form of payments to unemployed individuals. The Employment Development Department (EDD) oversees unemployment benefits. The EDD requires individuals to meet eligibility requirements to collect payments.
Eligibility requirements include:
- Totally or partially unemployed,
- Unemployed through no fault of one’s own,
- Earned sufficient wages during the base period to qualify for benefits,
- Physically able to work,
- Actively seeking work, and
- Ready and willing to accept work immediately.
- In California, individuals qualify for benefits if they have earned at least $1,300 in their highest-paid quarter, or $900 in their highest-paid quarter, and at least 1.25 times their high quarter earnings. Individuals can also calculate the wages they earned from their base period using an online calculator on the EDD’s website.
Related: Community Property Laws in California
How Long Can You Collect Unemployment in California
In California, individuals can collect unemployment for up to 26 weeks by opening a claim with the EDD. After reviewing the claim, the EDD will outline how long they can collect benefits. Individuals have to certify their claim every two weeks to confirm eligibility for unemployment benefits. Once an individual receives a job offer, they will stop receiving unemployment benefits.
Can You Work Part-Time and Collect Unemployment in California?
California allows individuals who work part-time or have a reduction in work hours to collect unemployment. The EDD still requires that individuals meet the requirements. Individuals and their employers need to complete a Notice of Reduced Earnings to apply for unemployment benefits. Part-time workers may receive reduced or partial unemployment benefits without showing that they actively seek work.
Can I Collect Unemployment in California if I Worked in Another State?
An interstate claim is when California residents worked in another state within the past 18 months. Interstate claims allow these individuals to open a claim for unemployment benefits within the state they worked in last. Each state outlines the eligibility requirements to collect unemployment benefits. The EDD asks California residents who worked in the U.S. Virgin Islands to contact them since the process is a little different.
Can a 1099 Employee Collect Unemployment in California?
A 1099 employee is another term for an independent contractor. 1099 employees have different rights and procedures for filing financial documents than W-2 employees. While both 1099 and W-2 employees can file for unemployment through the EDD, 1099 employees have to answer additional questions.
The EDD explains how applicants should fill out the online claim. On the Employment History screen where individuals supply their last employer’s information, they should select “No.” Individuals on the Availability Information page should answer question 7 with “No.” On the Disaster Information page, they should answer question 1a.3 with “You are an independent contractor.” If the individual received payment in cash, they should select “None of these options apply to me.”
Related: Does Cheating Affect Alimony in California?
Legitimate Reasons to Quit a Job and Collect Unemployment in California
California allows individuals to collect unemployment if they were not at fault for losing their job through no fault of their own or had a good cause to quit.
California’s courts consider the following good causes to quit:
- Caring for a relative,
- Domestic violence,
- Relocation because of a spouse or family,
- Health or medical reasons,
- Another job,
- Discrimination and/or,
- Unsafe working conditions at their current job.
Collecting Unemployment in California After Quitting
The EDD will evaluate whether individuals had a good cause to quit to assess eligibility for unemployment benefits. Employees must demonstrate they took steps to remedy the situation and that leaving was their only viable option. If the EDD approves the claim, individuals will follow all other conditions that the EDD requires to continue the removal of benefits.
Collecting Partial Unemployment in California
Partial unemployment is when a worker is still employed but is not currently working because of a lack of work. California allows partially employed individuals to open partial claims. Employers should provide a form certifying they expect the employee to return to work to open a partial claim. The employee should then file a claim with the EDD.
Can Substitute Teachers Collect Unemployment in California?
Depending on the circumstances, some substitute teachers qualify for unemployment. If a school does not reassure substitute teachers they can reasonably return to work, a substitute can open a claim with the EDD. California does not require that schools provide a definitive start date; instead, just an assurance of work is sufficient.
Can You Go to School and Collect Unemployment in California?
The California Training Benefits (CTB) program allows individuals to go to school while collecting unemployment. CTB is open to individuals who have an active unemployment claim with the EDD and want to participate in an approved program. CTB participants still need to continue to confirm their unemployment status but do not need to actively seek or accept work while in school.
Can I Collect Social Security AND Unemployment in California?
Individuals 62 and older or with a disability can collect Social Security benefits. California allows individuals collecting unemployment insurance to receive Social Security benefits. The EDD does not reduce unemployment benefits if individuals also collect Social Security.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one would like to learn more about how to collect unemployment benefits in California, get your free consultation with one of our most qualified attorneys today!