CA: help w maze in case I need to apply for 2nd year UI (file, receive)

[pinkonlypink]

Hi,
My first EDD or UI claim “year” ends 12/17/16.
I think that to file for a second year of benefits I need to earn $1300 in some quarter of the year, but I’m confused about what exactly this means.
Is a quarter the same as a “base period?” Or literally 3 months of the year – so I need to earn $1300 between 10/17 and 12/17? Does work I did in August and September, but do not get paid for until October count?
I babysit a couple times a month and my neighbor pays me to watch her dogs once a week – do I need to ask the family/neighbor to document the $40 they pay me occasionally? Also do online surveys and focus groups for prepaid Visa cards count as work?
I appreciate any input or opinion.
Thanks, HB
PS I am not asking for another year of unemployment because I’m lazy – I'm hustling like mad. But in some weird switch I have started spending more time hustling to pay next month's bills instead of spending the time looking for work and any financial help would allow me to refocus.
By hustle I mean in the past 9 months I’ve applied for 226 jobs, attended 8 job fairs and asked everyone from the DPSS guy who approved me for food stamps to the guy selling fruit in a parking lot near my house if they know of a job for me. I have lowered my monthly bills to $1600 including car, mortgage and HOA: my student loan payments are deferred, I have low speed internet for $15, my cell phone bill is $18, I get food stamps and medi-cal, I filed for lower rate utilities, I get my hair colored for free, mystery shopping has covered car maintenance and I show up at 4am to wait in line for free dog checkups and vaccinations.

[Ariadne22]

Originally Posted by pinkonlypink

My first EDD or UI claim “year” ends 12/17/16.

I think that to file for a second year of benefits I need to earn $1300 in some quarter of the year, but I’m confused about what exactly this means.

Is a quarter the same as a “base period?” Or literally 3 months of the year – so I need to earn $1300 between 10/17 and 12/17? Does work I did in August and September, but do not get paid for until October count?

I babysit a couple times a month and my neighbor pays me to watch her dogs once a week – do I need to ask the family/neighbor to document the $40 they pay me occasionally? Also do online surveys and focus groups for prepaid Visa cards count as work?

You need "bona fide" wages of $1,300 in one quarter, or $900 in one quarter and $225 outside that quarter before 12/17/16. Bona fide wages are W-2 wages. If work in August/September was W-2, it will count even if not paid until October.

Your babysittng, dogwatching, online survey income, etc. will not count unless they are paid as W-2 wages, reported to the State of California, and UI taxes are paid thereon.

Try to find some W-2 work between now and 12/17 - waitressing, fast food, busing tables, temp work.

[pinkonlypink]

Thank you for the reply.
My math is probably a little off, but last year I got $450 a week and I figured out that the total award was based on approximately 55% of my highest quarter (or base period).
Using the same formula, if $1300 is my highest quarter, I would receive approximately $27 a week (before federal taxes).
Not to seem ungrateful, but I can get that much selling plasma without all the paperwork.
Is there any other benefit to filing for a second year other than the cash?
And do you please know where/who/how I can find specifics on applying for year 2?
Thank you!!

[Ariadne22]

Originally Posted by pinkonlypink

My math is probably a little off, but last year I got $450 a week and I figured out that the total award was based on approximately 55% of my highest quarter (or base period).

Using the same formula, if $1300 is my highest quarter, I would receive approximately $27 a week (before federal taxes). Not to seem ungrateful, but I can get that much selling plasma without all the paperwork.

Is there any other benefit to filing for a second year other than the cash?

And do you please know where/who/how I can find specifics on applying for year 2?

Your original question was on earnings, only.

Relative to weekly benefit and length of a 2nd claim, provided you have new earnings before Dec., both are primarily determined by your LAG.

Your 2nd year benefit could very well be almost as good as the first if the LAG (unused earnings) from your first claim is strong. BUT, again, that LAG cannot be used unless you meet the W-2 earnings requirements given above.

Check your first monetary award letter. What quarters of earnings were used? What quarters did you work which were not used?

In other words, if you applied in 12/15, under its standard base period CA would use earnings July 1, 2014-June 30, 2015 - leaving a LAG of July-December 2015 earnings for the second claim - which would most assuredly create a second excellent claim; under the alternate base period Oct 1, 2014-Sept. 30, 2015, you would have a LAG of Oct.-Dec. 2015 earnings - you might still have a high weekly benefit, but fewer number of weeks paid.

So, your weekly benefit would be based on high quarter earnings in that LAG, number of weeks paid would be based on 50% of total earnings in the new claim base period divided by the weekly benefit.

You need to find W-2 work before your benefit year ends and earn the requisite amount in order to utilize that LAG for a 2nd yr. claim. Self-employment earnings are not bona fide.

You apply for the claim just as you did when you first applied - online or by phone. Applying the week your current claim expires will avoid the waiting week.