How to Backdate a California EDD Unemployment Claim

If you have been trying to call daily to ask unemployment to backdate a claim you don’t have to. You can use the website to submit the same request as the 833.978.2511 representatives can do, and sometimes even the main number reps cannot do any more than that either!

When you go to the edd.ca.gov website, you can log in or just go to the benefits login page, scroll down & click Contact EDD. Then scroll down to the bottom footer, click on ASK EDD or just click here to begin with (askedd.edd.ca.gov).

Use the drop down menu to select “unemployment insurance benefits.”

Next, select sub-category “Claims.”

Then, the first option under “select a topic:” “Backdate the Effective Date of My Claim Due to COVID-19 (Ask EDD).” Read the instructions and click continue.

This will take you to a form. Follow the instructions carefully. Triple check your spelling and answers.

Make you you indicate in the comments “Backdate my claim to xx/xx/xxxx…” Use the Sunday after your last day of work. So for example, if your last day of work was August 25, you would use August 30 as your claim effective date. You can explain more, but I would separate the first sentence from any explanation or additional information you wish to provide.