Do I report employer bonus checks on EDD SDI bi-weekly certification?

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.

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.

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.

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!

What about taxes tho? Will he have to pay taxes on both the bonus AND the disability pay?

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.

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??

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!

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!

I had a similar situation when I was on SDI for a shoulder injury. My previous employer sent me a year-end bonus about two months into my disability leave, and I was panicking about whether to report it. After doing some research and talking to other people who had been through this, I learned that the key is WHEN the work was performed, not when you received the payment. Since your boyfriend's bonus was for work completed entirely before his disability began in November, he doesn't need to report it on his SDI certifications. The certification forms are specifically asking about work performed during that certification period. Just make sure to keep documentation showing the bonus was for pre-disability work in case you ever need to provide clarification to EDD later. Hope his recovery is going well!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! My partner is on SDI for a work injury and just received an unexpected commission check from his previous job for sales he made before going on disability. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful - it sounds like the consensus is that since the work was performed before the disability period began, it doesn't need to be reported on the bi-weekly certifications. The key seems to be that EDD is asking about work performed during the certification period, not money received from past work. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's such a relief to have this community to turn to when navigating these confusing situations!

I just wanted to add my experience since I went through something very similar. When I was on SDI for pregnancy disability, my former employer sent me a quarterly bonus about 6 weeks into my leave. I was terrified about reporting it incorrectly! After lots of research and talking to an EDD representative (which took multiple attempts to reach), I learned that the critical factor is the work performance period, not the payment date. Since your boyfriend's bonus was earned through work completed entirely before his November disability start date, it doesn't qualify as "wages earned during the certification period" that EDD asks about. The certification question is specifically designed to capture current work activity while on disability, not delayed compensation from previous employment. I didn't report mine and had no issues throughout my entire claim. Just keep good records showing the bonus was for pre-disability work performance in case you ever need to provide documentation. Hope this helps put your mind at ease!

I'm new to this community and currently navigating SDI for the first time after a recent injury. Reading through everyone's experiences about bonuses and pre-disability payments has been incredibly educational! I had no idea there was such a distinction between when work was performed versus when payment was received. This thread has really helped me understand what to look out for if I receive any unexpected payments from my former employer. It's so valuable to have a community where people share real experiences with EDD's complex rules. Thank you to everyone who took the time to explain their situations - it's making this whole process feel much less overwhelming for those of us who are new to disability benefits!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My husband has been on SDI since December for a herniated disc, and his previous employer just sent him an unexpected year-end bonus of $2,200 for performance metrics he achieved back in October (before his injury). Reading through all these responses has been such a huge relief - we were so stressed about whether to report it or not! It sounds like the clear consensus is that since the work was completed entirely before his disability period began, we don't need to report it on his certifications. The key insight that really helped me understand is that EDD is asking about work PERFORMED during the certification period, not money RECEIVED during that time. We're going to follow everyone's advice about keeping detailed records showing the bonus was for pre-disability work, just in case we ever need to provide documentation later. Thank you to this entire community for sharing your experiences - it's made navigating this confusing situation so much less stressful!

I'm currently on SDI for a work-related shoulder injury and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I had a similar concern last month when my former employer sent me a profit-sharing bonus that was calculated based on the company's performance from earlier in the year, well before I went on disability. I was so worried about reporting it incorrectly that I actually lost sleep over it! After reading everyone's experiences here and doing additional research, I decided not to report it since the "work" that earned the bonus (contributing to company profits) happened before my disability period. My certification went through without any issues. The key point that everyone has made about EDD asking about work PERFORMED during the certification period (not payments received) really cleared things up for me. It's such a relief to have this community where people share real experiences instead of just guessing about these complex rules. Hope your boyfriend's recovery continues to go well!

I'm new to this community and currently going through my first SDI claim for a back injury. This entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! I had no idea about the distinction between when work is performed versus when payment is received - it's such an important concept that isn't clearly explained anywhere in the EDD materials. Reading everyone's real experiences with bonuses, commissions, and profit-sharing has given me so much confidence about how to handle these situations if they come up during my claim. It's incredible how supportive and knowledgeable this community is. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and advice - you're helping so many of us navigate these confusing waters with much less stress and anxiety!

I just went through this exact situation a few months ago! My partner was on SDI for a wrist injury and received a surprise holiday bonus from his previous employer for work he completed back in September, well before his disability started in November. I was panicking about whether to report it because I didn't want any issues with his claim. After calling EDD multiple times (and finally getting through to someone who actually knew what they were talking about), the agent confirmed that bonuses for work performed before the disability period don't need to be reported on the bi-weekly certifications. She explained that the certification question is specifically asking about wages earned through work performed DURING that two-week certification period - not delayed payments from past employment. We didn't report it and his entire claim processed without any problems. The key is keeping good documentation showing when the work was actually performed versus when payment was received, just in case you ever need to clarify the situation later. Hope this helps ease your worry - sounds like you're handling it exactly right by not reporting it!

I'm currently on SDI for a rotator cuff injury and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Just last week I received an unexpected referral bonus from my previous employer for a client I brought in back in August (months before I went on disability in January). I was completely stressed about whether to report it since I'd never dealt with anything like this before. Reading through everyone's experiences here has made it so clear that the key factor is WHEN the work was performed, not when you receive payment. Since my referral work happened well before my disability period, I won't be reporting it on my certifications. It's amazing how this community breaks down these confusing EDD rules in ways that actually make sense! Thank you to everyone who shared their real-world experiences - it's made what felt like an impossible decision much more straightforward.