Will previous unreported earnings affect my upcoming maternity leave benefits with EDD?

omg i had almost the exact same thing happen!!!! except mine was doordash not instacart. the penalty weeks SUCK. i think ur SDI pregnancy claim should be separate from ur old UI claim but not 100% sure. following to see what others say

The good news is that your Disability Insurance (DI) pregnancy claim and subsequent Paid Family Leave (PFL) baby bonding are separate programs from Unemployment Insurance (UI). The penalty weeks are specific to UI claims. However, if you still owe money to EDD from the overpayment, they may offset your DI/PFL benefits to recover what you owe. Make sure you're proactive about this - contact EDD about your outstanding balance and set up a payment plan before filing your maternity claim. Also, be 100% accurate on your upcoming claims. Since you already have a penalty on record, any future issues could be treated more seriously.

I don't think what you did is considered serious fraud, more like a reporting mistake. The system flags unreported income and assigns penalty weeks automatically. BUT that doesn't mean you're in the clear. EDD departments do share information, so when you file your DE2501 for pregnancy disability, they'll see you have an outstanding balance. They likely won't deny your claim outright, but as the previous poster mentioned, they might reduce your weekly benefit amount to recover what you owe. My suggestion is to call EDD and explain your situation BEFORE you file. Getting ahead of the problem shows good faith. Have you tried contacting them about this yet?

I had something similar happen with my UI claim a while back (didn't report some freelance work). When I called about it, the EDD rep told me it wouldn't affect future disability claims as they're different programs. But yes, they can take some of what you owe from your upcoming benefits. Just a heads up tho - calling EDD is a NIGHTMARE. I tried for 3 days straight and never got through.

Technically what you did IS fraud (not reporting income), but it's considered minor since it was only for 2 weeks. The system flags it as a "false statement" rather than "willful misrepresentation" which is the more serious category. For your maternity leave, here's what you need to know: 1. Pregnancy Disability (SDI) is processed by a different department than UI 2. You need to file form DE2501 through your doctor around 4 weeks before your due date 3. Any outstanding balance may be partially withheld from your benefits 4. Your weekly benefit amount will be based on your highest quarter of earnings in the base period Don't stress too much! They don't typically deny claims entirely for small past issues. Just be 100% accurate going forward.

Look I'm just gonna be real with you - EDD's internal systems are a MESS. Half the time the different departments don't even communicate properly. I've had plenty of issues with them over the years. My sister had a similar situation and they never even connected her old UI penalty with her pregnancy claim. But why risk it? Pay off what you owe if you can, and be super transparent going forward. The fact that you closed your previous claim when you returned to work actually works in your favor - shows you weren't trying to double-dip long term.

random question but how far along are you? i'm 6 months and just starting to figure out all this paperwork stuff too! the whole process is SO confusing... i'm filling out my DE2501 next week! 🤰