Do I need to report Social Security income when certifying for EDD unemployment benefits?

yes you DO have to report it!! i got in big trouble last year for not reporting mine and had to pay back like $2300 to edd... they consider it income

That's not right. Social Security retirement benefits are NOT reportable income for EDD certifications. They specifically ask about work income, pension payments, and disability payments - but regular Social Security retirement benefits don't count as income for UI certification purposes. You only report earnings from work, self-employment, or certain retirement plans specifically from employers.

I've been dealing with this exact situation. Social Security retirement benefits are NOT deductible from UI benefits in California, so you do NOT need to report them when certifying. Social Security retirement is different from pension payments. This is directly from the EDD handbook: "Pension or retirement pay is deducted from UI benefits if your pension is based on work for a base period employer. Social Security retirement benefits are not deductible from UI benefits." So whoever told you that Social Security counts as reportable income for EDD certification was incorrect. The only time you'd report Social Security is if you're getting SSDI (disability), not regular retirement benefits.

Wait im confused... so social security isnt a pension? i thought they were the same thing. is that why my uncle had problems with his claim?

I had this EXACT same worry when I started getting my SS checks. I called EDD to confirm and it took me 2 weeks to finally get through to someone. When I finally did, they confirmed that Social Security retirement benefits do NOT need to be reported as income when certifying for unemployment. The rep told me that the certification questions are specifically asking about work income, self-employment, or certain pension payments - but not Social Security retirement. If you're struggling to reach EDD for confirmation, try Claimyr (claimyr.com). I used their service to get through to an EDD rep after failed attempts for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. It's honestly much easier than spending hours redialing.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE US!!! They make these forms impossible to understand on purpose so they can hit us with overpayments later. I bet half the EDD reps would give different answers if you asked 10 of them this same question!!!!

To summarize for anyone else with this question: 1) Social Security retirement benefits are NOT reportable income for EDD certifications 2) You DO need to report pension payments, especially from base period employers 3) You DO need to report any work income or self-employment income 4) You DO need to report SSDI (Social Security Disability) as that's different from retirement The confusion comes because people mix up pensions and Social Security, or because some states may have different rules, but California EDD specifically does not count Social Security retirement as deductible income.

My cousin had something like this happen but with his 401k withdrawal and it was a whole thing with EDD. he had to pay back like $4000!!! dont mess around with unreported income

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I feel much better now understanding that Social Security retirement benefits don't need to be reported when certifying for unemployment in California. I'll make sure to continue answering "no" to the income questions since my only other income is my Social Security retirement. Really appreciate everyone clearing this up for me!

Just wanted to add my experience here - I went through the same confusion when I started collecting Social Security at 62 while still on unemployment. After reading through the EDD handbook multiple times and finally getting through to a rep, I can confirm what others have said: Social Security retirement benefits are NOT reportable income for EDD certifications. The key distinction is that Social Security retirement is a federal benefit you've earned through your work history, not a pension from a specific employer. The certification questions are specifically looking for work income, self-employment income, and employer-based pension payments that might reduce your UI benefits. I've been certifying for 6 months now without reporting my SS retirement and haven't had any issues. Just make sure you're getting regular Social Security retirement benefits, not SSDI (disability) which would be different. Hope this helps ease your mind!

I'm new to this whole process and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I just turned 62 and am starting to collect Social Security while still looking for work. I was so stressed about whether I needed to report it during certification - I even postponed certifying this week because I was scared of making a mistake. Reading everyone's experiences and the clarification about Social Security retirement vs. pensions vs. work income has really put my mind at ease. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and helping newcomers like me navigate this confusing system!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Started collecting Social Security at 62 last month and have been so anxious about the certification process. This thread is a lifesaver - I've been going back and forth on whether to report it or not. It's such a relief to see multiple people confirm that Social Security retirement benefits don't need to be reported for EDD certifications. The distinction between SS retirement and pensions makes so much more sense now. I was actually considering calling EDD but after reading about the wait times, I think I'll just proceed with confidence based on all the helpful info shared here. Thank you everyone for taking the time to explain this - you've saved me weeks of worry!

I'm so grateful I found this thread! I'm 63 and just started collecting Social Security two months ago while still on unemployment. I've been losing sleep over whether I was supposed to report it during certification - I even called the EDD hotline three times but could never get through. Reading everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief. The way you all explained the difference between Social Security retirement benefits and employer pensions finally makes it click for me. I've been answering "no" to the income questions on my certifications, but I was second-guessing myself constantly. Now I feel confident I'm doing it right. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and helping those of us who are new to navigating this confusing process!

I'm in a very similar situation and this discussion has been incredibly helpful! I just started receiving Social Security retirement benefits at 62 and have been terrified about making a mistake on my EDD certifications. I've been putting off certifying for the past two weeks because I was so confused about whether to report it or not. The clarification about Social Security retirement vs employer pensions is exactly what I needed to hear. I had no idea they were treated differently by EDD - I just assumed all retirement income was the same. It's such a relief to know that Social Security retirement benefits don't need to be reported during certification. I really appreciate everyone who took the time to share their experiences and explain the differences. The stress of potentially getting an overpayment notice has been keeping me up at night, but now I feel confident moving forward with my certifications. This community is such a valuable resource for navigating these confusing government systems!

I'm just starting to navigate this same situation and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I turned 62 three months ago and began collecting Social Security, but I've been terrified about whether I'm handling my EDD certifications correctly. I've been answering "no" to the income questions but constantly worrying that I was making a huge mistake. Reading through everyone's experiences here has finally given me peace of mind. The distinction between Social Security retirement benefits and employer pensions was something I never understood before - I thought all retirement income was treated the same way. It's such a relief to know that multiple people have been successfully certifying without reporting their SS retirement benefits. I actually tried calling EDD four different times to get clarification but could never get through. Having this community where people share their real experiences and knowledge is honestly a godsend. Thank you all for taking the time to explain this so thoroughly - you've saved me countless hours of worry and stress!

I'm so relieved I found this thread! I just turned 62 last month and started collecting Social Security while still on unemployment. I've been absolutely paralyzed with fear about whether to report it during my EDD certifications. I actually skipped certifying for two weeks because I was so scared of making the wrong choice and ending up with a massive overpayment. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge weight off my shoulders. The way you all explained the difference between Social Security retirement benefits and employer pensions finally makes it all click for me. I had no idea they were treated so differently by EDD - I just assumed any retirement income would affect my unemployment benefits. I tried calling EDD six times over the past month but never got through to anyone. This community sharing real experiences is honestly more helpful than anything I could have found on the official EDD website. Thank you all for taking the time to explain this so clearly - you've literally saved me from weeks more of sleepless nights worrying about this!

I'm new to this community and dealing with this exact same situation! Just turned 62 and started collecting Social Security last month while still unemployed. I've been so stressed about whether to report it on my EDD certifications - I actually delayed certifying for almost 3 weeks because I was terrified of making a mistake and getting hit with an overpayment. This entire thread has been incredibly reassuring! The way everyone explained the difference between Social Security retirement benefits and employer pensions finally makes sense to me. I had no idea EDD treated them so differently - I just assumed all retirement income would reduce unemployment benefits. I tried calling EDD multiple times but could never get through (shocking, I know). Having this community where people share their real experiences is honestly invaluable. Reading about all of you successfully certifying without reporting SS retirement benefits gives me the confidence to move forward. Thank you everyone for taking the time to help newcomers like me navigate this confusing system!

I'm just joining this community and this discussion couldn't have come at a better time! I'm 63 and started receiving Social Security retirement benefits about 6 weeks ago while still collecting unemployment. I've been absolutely agonizing over whether I need to report it during my weekly certifications. I've been answering "no" to the income questions but second-guessing myself constantly, especially after reading some conflicting information online. The fear of getting an overpayment notice has been keeping me awious at night - I keep imagining having to pay back thousands of dollars I don't have. This thread has been such a relief! The clear explanations about how Social Security retirement benefits are treated differently from employer pensions or work income finally makes sense. I had no idea there was such an important distinction. I tried calling EDD several times but gave up after waiting on hold for hours without getting through. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and knowledge - this community is invaluable for navigating these confusing government systems. It's so reassuring to know that multiple people have been successfully certifying without reporting SS retirement benefits. I can finally move forward with confidence!

I'm so grateful to have found this community and this thread! I just turned 62 and started collecting Social Security retirement benefits two weeks ago while still on unemployment. I've been completely overwhelmed trying to figure out if I need to report this income when certifying for EDD benefits. I actually postponed my certification this week because I was so confused and scared of making a mistake. The EDD website and forms aren't exactly clear about the distinction between different types of income, and I kept reading conflicting information online that made me even more anxious. Reading through all of your experiences and explanations has been such a huge relief! I had no idea that Social Security retirement benefits are treated differently from employer pensions or work income by EDD. The way you all broke down the differences finally makes it all click for me. I tried calling EDD multiple times over the past two weeks but could never get through - the wait times are absolutely insane. Having this community where people share their real experiences is honestly more valuable than anything on the official EDD resources. Thank you all for taking the time to help newcomers like me understand this process. Now I can move forward with my certifications confidently, knowing that I don't need to report my Social Security retirement benefits. This thread has literally saved me weeks of stress and worry!