I'm new here but dealing with a similar situation right now! I was on SDI for 6 weeks earlier this year after a work injury, then returned to my job for about 3 months before getting laid off due to budget cuts. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I was also confused about whether to include those disability payments as wages. It sounds like the consensus is clear: only include actual employment wages, not benefit payments. The distinction between "earned income" vs "replacement income" that someone mentioned really clicked for me. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one who found the EDD application confusing on this point.

I just went through this same situation last month! I was on PFL for 6 weeks after having my baby, then returned to work for about 2 months before getting laid off in a company restructuring. I was so confused about the wages section too - the EDD application really isn't clear about what they consider "wages." After reading through all the responses here and calling EDD (finally got through after using one of those callback services), I can confirm what everyone is saying: DO NOT include PFL or SDI payments as wages. Only report your actual employment earnings - basically what you'd see on your W-2 from your employer. The EDD rep told me they already have all your wage history from employers, so including benefit payments could actually flag your application and cause delays. I only included my actual paychecks from when I was working and my claim went through smoothly. There are other sections in the application where you can mention if you received PFL/SDI benefits, which is important for them to know, but it shouldn't go in the wages section. Hope this helps and good luck with your application!

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! I'm feeling much better about my situation now. I'm going to: 1) Report the one day worked when I certify, 2) Gather documentation about my medical needs, 3) Write down a detailed timeline of events, and 4) Prepare for a possible eligibility interview. I'll update this thread after I certify to let you know what happens in case anyone else faces a similar situation in the future.

Just wanted to add - if you do end up needing to talk to EDD about this, don't volunteer too much information upfront. Answer their questions directly but don't over-explain unless they ask for details. Sometimes giving too much context can actually work against you because they might focus on the wrong parts of your story. Also, if they do put your claim on hold for review, that's actually pretty normal for situations like this. It doesn't mean you did anything wrong - they just need to verify that you had good cause for leaving. The medical necessity for health benefits is definitely a legitimate reason, especially since you weren't told about the lack of coverage during the hiring process. One more tip: if you get an interview scheduled, write down your key points beforehand so you don't forget anything important when you're on the call. These interviews can be nerve-wracking and it's easy to forget details when you're stressed. You're handling this the right way by being proactive and honest about it!

I'm new to this community but wanted to add my voice to all the encouragement you're getting here! I just went through a successful second appeal about 6 weeks ago for almost the exact same issue - work search documentation while doing part-time work. What really helped me was realizing that the second appeal isn't just about having "better" documentation, but about telling a clearer story of your genuine job search efforts. I created what I called a "narrative timeline" that showed not just WHAT I did, but WHY each action demonstrated my commitment to finding full-time work. A few things that made a difference in my case: - I included screenshots of my LinkedIn activity showing I was actively engaging with job postings - Added evidence of any networking events or career fairs I attended - Documented times I had to decline part-time shifts specifically to attend interviews or job search activities - Showed how I gradually expanded my search criteria over time (geographic area, salary range, related fields) The Board took about 11 weeks but completely overturned my case. They specifically noted that the ALJ had "applied an unnecessarily rigid standard" to evaluate my work search efforts. My overpayment was $4,900, so I know that financial stress you're feeling. Based on everything you've described and all the success stories in this thread, you really should feel confident about filing that second appeal. The CUIAB genuinely does provide a fresh, more thorough review. Don't let the few negative experiences discourage you - every case is unique, and yours sounds very winnable with the right documentation approach!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share some hope from someone who just successfully completed a second appeal! I won my case about 5 weeks ago after initially being denied for work search documentation issues while doing part-time work - sounds almost identical to your situation. My overpayment was $6,800, so I completely understand that overwhelming financial stress you're experiencing. What made the difference for me was treating the second appeal as an opportunity to tell the complete story of my job search efforts, not just provide better paperwork. Here's my advice based on what worked: **Organization is key**: Create a master spreadsheet with every job application including company, date, position, application method, and any follow-up. But also add a column explaining how each application demonstrated your availability for full-time work. **Context matters**: Include evidence showing you prioritized full-time job searching over your part-time work. I found old emails where I asked my part-time supervisor about schedule flexibility for interviews, and texts where I mentioned potentially leaving for full-time work. **Show progression**: Document how your job search evolved over time - expanding geographic area, salary ranges, related fields. This demonstrates sustained, genuine effort. **Address the denial directly**: Go through your denial letter point by point and respond to each concern with specific evidence. The CUIAB took 9 weeks to completely overturn the ALJ's decision. They specifically noted that the original determination had "failed to adequately consider the comprehensive nature of claimant's job search activities." Based on all the success stories in this thread and the fact that you have additional detailed records to submit, you have a really strong case. Don't let the few discouraging comments get you down - work search documentation appeals actually have good success rates when presented properly. With $7,800 at stake, this is absolutely worth pursuing. You've got this!

I'm a former substitute teacher who dealt with this exact situation! One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet is to be really careful about the timing of when you file. Don't wait until your last day of work before winter break - file your claim about a week before the break starts. This gives EDD time to process your initial application and potentially schedule your eligibility interview while you're still technically employed, which can actually help your case. During my interview, the EDD representative specifically asked whether I was actively working when I filed (I was) and whether my last day of work was clearly defined (it was - the day before winter break). Having that clear end date actually strengthened my claim because it showed there was a definite gap in employment with no guaranteed return date. Also, when you file online, there's a section where you can upload documents - definitely include your employment letter there rather than waiting for them to request it later. The more documentation you provide upfront, the smoother the process tends to go.

I'm a substitute teacher who went through this process twice - once successfully and once with complications. The key lesson I learned is that your resident sub status actually works in your favor compared to regular day-to-day subs, but you need to frame it correctly. When I filed my first claim, I made the mistake of emphasizing that I was a "resident" sub, which EDD initially interpreted as having more job security. This led to a denial that I had to appeal. The second time (different school year), I focused on the fact that despite being called a "resident" sub, my contract explicitly stated that work was contingent on enrollment, funding, and operational needs - and that no specific hours or classroom assignments were guaranteed during or after breaks. I also included documentation showing that my pay stopped completely during breaks (no salary continuation), which helped demonstrate that the district didn't consider me to have ongoing employment during non-work periods. The appeal process for my first claim took nearly 8 weeks, so definitely get your language right the first time. Document everything and keep emphasizing the lack of guaranteed work rather than your title or position type.

To summarize what you should do: 1. Continue certifying for benefits every two weeks without interruption 2. Report the $10,000 payment in the week you actually receive it (not when you do the procedure) 3. Report it under "other income" and briefly describe it as medical research compensation 4. Keep all documentation related to the payment 5. Your benefits will pause only for that specific week 6. Benefits should automatically resume for subsequent weeks when you have no income If for some reason your benefits don't resume automatically after the week you report the income, then you may need to contact EDD directly to sort it out.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who recently went through something similar. I received a $3,200 payment for participating in a week-long clinical trial last summer. I reported it as "other income" during certification and my benefits were paused for that one week only. The key thing is to be completely honest and transparent - EDD has ways of finding out about unreported income later, and the penalties for not reporting can be severe (they can make you pay back benefits plus interest and fees). Also, make sure you understand exactly when you're receiving the payment vs when you're doing the procedure - you report it for the week you actually get the money, not necessarily when you do the study. Good luck with everything!