What is the maximum weekly California disability benefit?

The maximum weekly disability insurance benefit paid out by the California Employment Development Department is $1,104 as of 2015. Qualifying for this maximum benefit payment requires an individual to earn at least $25,385.46 in a calendar quarter during the base period.

The base period is the 12-month period 3 months prior to the first disability claim. A claim filed in September, for example, has a base period of April through March of the following year. The wages of an individual during this base period are used to calculate the State Disability Insurance paid; it is approximately 55 percent of wages earned during the base period.