Reporting part-time work while on EDD SDI - confused about certification process

You're on the right track! When you certify for continued benefits, there's a specific question asking if you did any work or earned any wages during that period. Make sure to accurately report the days worked and amounts earned. SDI will calculate a partial reduction of benefits for those days based on your earnings. You don't need a special form - just be honest on your regular certification. Keep documentation of your hours/pay in case EDD requests verification later.

same thing happened to me last year, make sure u report EVERYTHING cuz they ended up auditing me later and i almost got in trouble for not reporting one day i worked at my job. better safe than sorry!

Let me add some important information here. When you work part-time while on SDI, you need to report the gross wages (before taxes) that you earned on the days you worked. SDI will then reduce your benefits on those specific days using their wage offset formula. They don't look at hours worked, but rather the amount earned. If your earnings for a day exceed 1/7 of your weekly benefit amount, you won't receive disability benefits for that day. In your case, if you earn more than about $178 in a day (1/7 of $1,250), you won't get SDI for that particular day, but you'll still receive benefits for the other days in your certification period. Keep in mind that SDI is a seven-day-a-week benefit, so each day has a daily benefit amount (your weekly amount divided by 7).

Just went thru this and it was a nightmare!! EDD kept saying i didnt report my work properly and froze my payments for almost 3 weeks!!! i was trying to do the right thing by working a couple days and ended up with all sorts of problems

I've been trying to reach EDD about this exact same situation for days with no luck. Did anyone else have trouble actually getting through to a human to ask questions about partial return to work?

Pro tip from someone who deals with SDI claims all the time: If your doctor hasn't specifically updated your work status with EDD, you should have them fill out a supplemental medical certification (DE 2525XX) form showing you're cleared for modified/partial work. This protects you if there's ever a question about whether you were authorized to return to work. Some claims examiners can be really strict about this!

dont they reduce ur benefit by like a % of what u make? i feel like when i worked a couple days they took away more than what i even earned which made no sense

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! Based on your advice, I'm going to: 1) Report my work days and earnings accurately on my regular certification, 2) Ask my doctor to complete that DE 2525XX form to document my partial work status, 3) Keep detailed records of all my work hours and pay in case of an audit. I really appreciate all the insights - this has been causing me so much anxiety!

I'm in a similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! One thing I wanted to add - make sure you understand the difference between "able to work" and "available for work" when you're doing partial return. Even though you're cleared to work limited hours, you might still be considered "unable to work" your regular full-time position due to your disability. This distinction is important for SDI eligibility. Also, if your employer is accommodating your restrictions now, document that arrangement in case EDD asks questions later about why you're working if you're still disabled. The key is showing that you're working within your medical limitations, not that you've fully recovered.

Great point about the "able to work" vs "available for work" distinction! I hadn't thought about that nuance. Since I'm only cleared for 3-4 hours twice a week due to my back injury, I'm definitely not able to perform my regular full-time job duties yet. I'll make sure to emphasize this in any communications with EDD - that I'm working within strict medical limitations, not because I've recovered. Thanks for bringing this up, it's really important context that could prevent misunderstandings about my disability status.

As someone who recently went through this exact process, I can't stress enough how important it is to be proactive with documentation. I was on SDI for a knee injury and started part-time work after 8 weeks. Here's what worked for me: 1) Get your doctor to fill out the DE 2525XX form BEFORE you start working - don't wait like I did, 2) When certifying, I actually wrote brief notes in the comments section explaining my limited work schedule (like "worked 4 hours within medical restrictions"), 3) I kept a simple spreadsheet tracking my work days, hours, and gross pay for each shift. The extra documentation saved me when EDD called to verify my work status 3 months later. They appreciated having everything clearly documented and my case went smoothly. Also, don't panic if your first certification takes longer to process - they often review partial work cases more carefully, but that's normal. You're doing the right thing by asking questions upfront!