"I don't want to apply for unemployment and take away from someone else" is a common misconception. This is the first reason why people do not want to apply. The truth is, every time you work a payroll job, your employer pays into unemployment -- you do not take away from anyone by collecting your benefits.
As a gig worker, we do not always work a regular five days a week compared to someone who is on payroll with a set schedule. Unless you are a rare freelancer who has always booked work, there are times where it's slow. How do we get by when there is no work available? Unemployment is a way to help pay for essentials while you are looking for your next job. Keep your savings in your savings!
The second reason why people avoid applying is because it simply is confusing. This is why I am writing this article - to help explain it in a more digestible way.
Each state has their own eligibility requirements, so make sure you check your state's government website. This article will be referencing California specifically.
To go to the California unemployment website, officially called the Employment Development Department (EDD) here is a direct link. There are steps on the official website, but I will break it down here for you as well.
NOTE: Here is a presentation we created for a Los Angeles Young Workers Group workshop if you want to see something visual:
1. Gather your paychecks from the past year and a half (18 months) - W2 only.
Why W2? Unemployment will only count W2 paychecks towards your award. You can attempt to report your 1099 jobs, but they will ignore it and award you based on W2 wages only. 1099 jobs are invoicing jobs and because they are not taxed, they will not be contributing to your unemployment award. Technically due to the AB 5, crew are supposed to be classified as employees and be paid W2, but 1099 are still very happening.
TLDR; you can report the 1099 jobs but it's a bit a waste of time.
Gather all your paychecks from the past year and six months. This is how far of a history you need to check eligibility. If you want to be more specific on the time period in which you need to gather checks, use this calculator, put in when you plan to apply and it will populate which window of time they will be looking at. Additionally, you can use this handy dandy spreadsheet we've created:
Note: If you are new to California and have not earned enough wages, I would recommend waiting to apply. If you apply only after a couple months of working in CA, you may either not have enough wages earned to be eligible, or you will be awarded a small amount. You can use this calculator or use one of the spreadsheets to check your eligibility and what your estimated award amount would be before you apply.
2. Organize your paychecks by quarter and payroll company. A quarter is every three months.
Quarter 1: January 1 - March 31
Quarter 2: April 1 - June 30
Quarter 3: July 31 - September 30
Quarter 4: October 1 - December 31
The reason why you have to organize it this way is because the application is going to ask you this. It's nicer to have all this information gathered and then apply, instead of trying to do some calculations while you're in the middle of the application.
Fortunately we have created this really great resource to make it more seamless. All you need to do is enter the start date, end date, gross amount earned (not net!!), supervisor name and project type. The supervisor name and project type is more for your own reference than needed in the application.

Once you log that information, you can choose payroll company from the dropdown menu and it will AUTO-POPULATE the address and phone number. I have listed the more common payroll companies in California, but if you want to add a payroll company not listed, you can go to the "Payroll Companies" tab and that should auto-populate into the dropdown menu. :)

Once you have entered all your jobs, there is a summary page to help you check your eligibility OR will give you an estimated amount of how much you will receive. It also will include all the information you will need to know for the application - it breaks down everything by quarter and by payroll company so you don't have to.

3. Check your eligibility. These are the following eligibility requirements for California:
a) Have earned enough wages during the base period. Use this calculator or the spreadsheet to see if you earned enough to be eligible. Both tools will give you an estimation on the amount of money you could potentially receive every week you are not working. The maximum is $450, but if you partially work, you can receive a portion of your weekly award amount but it's dependent on exactly how much you make.
b) Be totally or partially unemployed. This means if you are totally unemployed or working part-time, you meet this qualification.
c) Be unemployed through no fault of your own. This means you could not have voluntarily quit. Those who have quit do not qualify. For gig workers, if you completed a job - you qualify. For example, you did a commercial job for 3 days and it was completed, but you don't have another job booked -- you can apply for unemployment since your assignment was completed and it's no fault of your own. We will get into this when we get into the details of certifying for benefits (what happens after you apply).
NOTE: If you DO end up booking a job later that week, that's still OK! You can still submit an application based on your previous job, leave you claim open, and when that one week happens where you do not have work - you can claim it. As for the week you DID have work, simply answer the questions honestly and they will label your week as "excessive earnings". This is not a disqualification. To summarize, apply once a job is complete and keep a claim open for the weeks you really need it.
d) Be physically able to work. If you cannot work due to being physically limited, you may want to consider getting on disability. You have to be physically able to work to qualify for unemployment.
e) Be available for work
f) Be ready and willing to accept work immediately
Some of these requirements are so the Employment Development Department (EDD) knows that you WANT to work, but you are unable to. It's a way to say that you aren't trying to benefit off unemployment to simply benefit off of it and that you actually need it. I list out these requirements because they will play an important role later (certifying for benefits), so get familiar with what makes you eligible.
4. Gather your documents.
Social Security number
California driver license or ID card
Proof of US citizenship, or a green card, or a visa that allows you to work in the US, or an Alien Registration Number
Work history (Last 18 months of work including employer, employer address, supervisor name, phone number and total wages earned)
If you are a former federal employee, have your Notice to Federal Employees About Unemployment Insurance (Standard Form 8) ready.
If you served in the military in the last 18 months, have your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD 214) ready.
5. Create an account. Go to https://myedd.edd.ca.gov/ and create an account if you do not already have one.
You will have to go through the process of creating an account for ID.me in order to verify your identity before you apply if you have never done so before.
6. Apply for Unemployment.
a) Click UI Online
b) Click File A Claim and complete the application
We will cover the actual application in a later blog!
7. Wait 2-3 weeks for a letter.Â
It'll take 2-3 weeks for your claim to process
You should receive your EDD account number via mail, which will allow you to sign in and see your online account <-- don't miss this step!
Sign up for CalJOBS and upload your resume
Your online account will say "Check back on xx/xx/xxxx" - log in after that listed date to certify for the two weeks prior
Once you get paid, your money will appear in the MoneyNetwork account and you can transfer it to your personal account
Repeat certification every two weeks (or when you are not working), payment should take only a day or so after you're in the system
8. Certify for benefits. EDD will ask you to certify for benefits on their portal. This relates back to step #3 regarding eligibility. Every two weeks, you will "certify for benefits". This basically is a fancy way to say they are going to ask you a set of questions to see if you qualify to receive unemployment benefits (money) from them.
Simplify Searching for Earned Wages with FreeMe! Applying for unemployment can be an overwhelming task. Use FreeMe as a way to keep track of your past jobs and gross wages so applying for unemployment can be less of a hassle. Streamline your workflow, stay organized, and focus on getting that next gig and let FreeMe do all the administrative work for you.
FAQ's About CA Unemployment Application
Do I put gross or net wages? Gross
Who do I put for my supervisor? Employer? Employer number?
Supervisor - Department head
Employer - Payroll company
Employer number - Payroll number
Employer address - Payroll address
How do I get an accurate idea of how many hours per week with an employer? Make your best guess regarding hours when applying
When filing, it's asking me to submit the dates I worked for various employers. Is it absolutely necessary to get those dates accurate? Again, do your best in filling it out as accurately as possible. EDD has information reported from payroll companies, so they will cross check it. The max number of employers you can report is 8. Report as much wages as you can.
Should I include my 1099 wages? No. 1099 wages do not contribute to unemployment via taxes, so they will not contribute to you raward amount
I lost my paystubs, what do I do? Check the list of payroll companies and ask for a copy of your paystub
I just moved to CA, should I file? In order to qualify, you need to have earned enough wages. Use the calculator tool or spreadsheet provided in this article to check eligibility.
I worked out of state, but live in California - how do I apply? Double check your wages are truly out of state by checking your paystub and seeing where you paid taxes to. Apply via fax with a paper application or by phone.
Can I also apply for Disability? No, you cannot be on both unemployment and disability at the same time.
Should I wait for my current paychecks to process before applying? No, apply as soon as you are unemployed. It won't mess up applying for benefits.
FAQ's on CA Unemployment - After Filing
I received such a low amount, why? Use the calculator or you can read how EDD calculates benefit amounts, or see their benefit table
I applied, what now? It will take 2-3 weeks for them to process your application
How can I increase my benefit amount?
There is a calculator that will tell you how much benefit you will receive based on your highest quarterly earnings with W2 income. There is not a way to increase your benefit amount since it is based on what you've earned.
Based on your highest quarterly earnings, here is benefit table.
I made a mistake!! What do I do? The only way to correct a mistake is contacting EDD. You cannot make changes online. Make sure you double check your work - it is not easy to get in touch with them.
I faxed my application, waited 2-3 weeks, and heard nothing. What do I do? Call EDD and see if they received your application. You can apply over the phone as well.
My claim says $0.00 balance, did I do something wrong?
If you did not wait 2-3 weeks, then you need to wait for them to process it.
If your identity has not been confirmed with ID.me, this may be the problem
If your highest quarterly earnings were less than 900, it's possible you did not qualify since you did not earn enough wages
If you are a 1099 worker, none of your 1099 income contributes to your award amount if this is the majority of your income
If you see a $0.00 balance, have waited 2-3 weeks, know you earned enough wages to qualify - you need to contact EDD
It says "Check back on xx/xx/xxxx" - what does that mean?
It means check back on that date
On that date you will have weeks to certify for. Log in online and you will have to answer eligibility questions for specific weeks
Once you answer those questions, if there are no problems and you meet eligibility, it should be processed and paid within 48 hours.
What's included in the letters?
A continue claim form (certification)
A notice of claim filed and insurance award
Informational booklet on UI benefits
EDD account number and info
A notice of requirement to register to work (CalJobs)
A form to decide payment options (EDD debit card or by mailed check)
Not all these will come in one packet -- they can be mailed to you separately and out of order
FAQ's About Certifying for Weeks
Do I report when I've earned it or when I've received it? Earned
When reporting my wages, do I separate jobs by production company or just the umbrella payroll company that several production companies happen to use? Umbrella payroll company. For example, if you had three different jobs but they all were paid out through Entertainment Partners, think of Entertainment Partners as your employer, not the specific production
Do I report wages as gross or net? Gross - before taxes
Who do I put for my supervisor? Your DP or Producer. Use payroll companies phone number for the phone number section.
Disclaimer: FreeMe is not a legal firm and should not be relied on for legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Readers of this website should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter.