Can I delay reporting income to EDD until next certification period - will this trigger fraud flags?

Please don't do this. EDD is very strict about reporting income for the week you actually worked, not when you got paid. This would be considered misreporting and could potentially trigger a fraud investigation. They cross-reference with employer tax records, so they'll eventually discover the discrepancy. You could end up with an overpayment notice plus penalties, and possibly even disqualification from future benefits. It's not worth risking your entire claim over one payment.

yea dont listen to that person, EDD is so backed up they barely check anything. i did somethin similar last year when i was in a bind and nothin happened. just reported it later and everything was fine 🤷‍♂️

I MADE THIS MISTAKE LAST YEAR AND IT HAUNTS ME STILL!!! EDD sent me a Notice of Overpayment six months later with a $3700 bill plus a 30% penalty!!! They said I committed "willful misrepresentation" because I didn't report income for the correct weeks. I lost my appeal and now have to pay back EVERYTHING plus penalties. They can garnish wages, take tax refunds, everything. DON'T DO IT!!!

have you tried talking to your landlord about a payment extension? most of them will work with you if you communicate ahead of time. might be worth trying before risking your benefits

Let me explain how EDD's income verification works: When employers submit their quarterly wage reports, EDD's automated system cross-references those dates and amounts against what claimants reported during certification. The system specifically checks which weeks you earned income, not just when you received payment. The verification might not happen immediately, but it will eventually occur. If discrepancies are found, it triggers a review that could lead to disqualification for misrepresentation and required repayment with penalties. Consider alternate solutions like requesting partial unemployment for weeks with reduced income, emergency rental assistance programs, or requesting a payment plan with your landlord.

If you're struggling to get through to EDD to ask about your options, I found this service called Claimyr that really helped me. They get you through to an EDD representative without the endless busy signals and disconnections. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. The rep I spoke with explained exactly how to report partial income correctly and how it would affect my benefits. It was worth it just to get a clear answer directly from EDD instead of guessing.

not to get off topic but is anyone else having issues with the certification questions? the new wording on question 3 about "reasonable efforts to maintain benefits" is so confusing. i never know if im answering right

One option that many people don't know about: If you report your income correctly but it's significantly lower than your weekly benefit amount, you may still receive partial unemployment benefits. This is called partial UI. For example, if your weekly benefit amount is $450 and you earn $200 in a week, after the standard earnings disregard, you would still receive some benefits. This is a legal way to maximize your income while maintaining honest reporting.