Do I report employer bonus checks on EDD SDI bi-weekly certification?
My boyfriend has been on SDI since November 2024 after having back surgery. His previous employer just sent him a surprise bonus check for $1,800 for work he did completely BEFORE he went on disability. This was totally unexpected and we're confused about how to handle it with EDD. Does he need to report this as 'income' on his bi-weekly SDI certification form? It's not technically wages earned while on disability but I don't want him to get flagged for not reporting income. Anyone dealt with bonuses while on disability before? I'm worried about him getting in trouble or having his benefits reduced. Thanks for any advice!
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Laura Lopez
Bonuses earned for work BEFORE disability started don't count as wages for SDI certification purposes. Your boyfriend only needs to report income actually earned during the certification period (like if he worked part-time while on disability). Since this bonus was for work completed before his disability began, he doesn't need to report it. The key question on the certification asks if you received any wages during that specific certification period - this is asking about active work performed, not delayed payments from previous work.
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Gabriel Freeman
•Thank you so much! That makes sense. I was so worried about him getting in trouble if we handled it wrong. Just to double check - even though he physically received the check during this certification period, since it was for work done before disability, we leave that question blank (or select 'no')??
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Victoria Brown
When I was on disability last year my work sent me my annual bonus and my accountant said not to report it since it was for past work. Nothing bad happened with my claim.
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Samuel Robinson
•Just be careful with this advice. It really depends on when the bonus was earned vs. when it was paid. I nearly got in trouble with EDD because my situation was different - my bonus was partially for time I worked while on disability. The rules can be confusing!
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Camila Castillo
I would report everything to be safe!!!! EDD can check with employers and they WILL find out he got money. Better safe than sorrry and deal with overpayment later. That happen to my cousin and they made him pay back like $2,500 because he didnt report some money.
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Brianna Muhammad
•There's an important distinction to make here. The SDI certification form specifically asks about wages earned during the certification period, not about money received. Since the bonus was for work performed before disability began, it doesn't count as wages earned during disability. Reporting income that doesn't need to be reported can actually cause more complications with claim processing.
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JaylinCharles
Have you tried calling EDD to ask? That's probably the safest bet for getting an accurate answer specific to your situation. It took me FOREVER to get through when I had a question about my pregnancy disability claim last month - kept getting disconnected after waiting for hours. So frustrating!
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Eloise Kendrick
•The EDD phone system is a nightmare! I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual SDI agent when I had questions about my back pay. They got me connected with an agent in like 10 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd. Totally worth it for peace of mind on complicated questions like this bonus situation.
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Victoria Brown
What about taxes tho? Will he have to pay taxes on both the bonus AND the disability pay?
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Laura Lopez
•Yes, both the bonus and SDI benefits are typically considered taxable income for federal purposes (though CA state doesn't tax SDI benefits). But this is separate from the reporting requirement for disability certification. Tax obligations don't change the fact that pre-disability bonuses aren't reportable as wages on the bi-weekly SDI certification.
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Samuel Robinson
I work in payroll and can tell you definitively that bonuses paid for work performed prior to disability do NOT need to be reported on your SDI certifications. The certification form is specifically asking about work performed during the certification period. However, if you want to be extra cautious, your boyfriend can include a note with his certification explaining he received a bonus for work completed before his disability began. This creates a paper trail showing good faith if questions ever arise later.
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Gabriel Freeman
•That's super helpful, thank you! I didn't even think about adding a note to explain the situation. Is there a specific place on the online certification to add notes like that? Or would he need to call?
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Lucas Schmidt
when i was on disability they told me ALL income has to be reported no matter what!!!! the certification form asks if u got ANY income so technically the bonus is income isn't it??
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Brianna Muhammad
•The SDI certification form specifically asks: "Did you work or earn wages during the period shown above?" This is asking about work performed during the certification period, not money received from past work. A bonus for work completed before disability began doesn't count as wages earned during disability. The question is about current work activity, not about receiving delayed compensation for past work.
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Gabriel Freeman
Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! We decided not to report the bonus since it was for work done before disability started. His next certification is due tomorrow so this was perfect timing. It's a relief to know we're handling it correctly!
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Laura Lopez
•Good decision. Just make sure he continues to report any actual work he might do while on disability. Hope his recovery from back surgery goes smoothly!
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Ian Armstrong
I went through something similar when I was on SDI for a knee injury. My employer sent me a performance bonus three months after I went on disability for work I completed the quarter before my surgery. I was terrified about reporting it wrong! After calling EDD (took forever to get through), they confirmed that bonuses for work performed BEFORE the disability period don't need to be reported on certifications. The agent explained that the certification is asking about current work activity during that specific two-week period, not delayed payments from previous employment. Just keep records of when the work was actually performed vs when you received payment in case there are ever questions later. Hope this helps ease your worry!
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