Do I need to report Social Security retirement benefits to EDD while collecting unemployment?

Yes, your dad MUST report Social Security retirement benefits when certifying for UI benefits with EDD. However, Social Security retirement is NOT deducted from UI benefits in California. He should report it in the section asking about "pension, retirement, or annuity payments" when he certifies every two weeks. Make sure he specifies it's Social Security retirement so EDD doesn't mistakenly deduct it. The important thing is to be transparent - not reporting it could trigger an overpayment situation later.

my mom went thru this last yr & had the same worry. just report it when u certify and ur fine. social security doesnt affect unemployment but u still gotta tell them about it

To be 100% clear: Social Security retirement benefits need to be reported but don't reduce your UI benefits in California. However, employer pensions CAN reduce your benefits if they're from a base period employer. Your dad should make sure he's selecting the correct type when reporting. He needs to report the gross amount before any deductions. When he certifies, there's a specific question about receiving pension/retirement income. He answers YES, enters the amount, and specifies it's Social Security retirement. I also recommend he keeps screenshots or printouts of his certifications as proof he properly reported everything in case there's ever a question later. Better safe than sorry!

When I was dealing with this exact situation I got so frustrated trying to get a clear answer from EDD! Called 78 times in one day and couldn't get through!! Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a rep who confirmed that Social Security retirement benefits must be reported but don't reduce your UI benefits. Their video demo shows how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km - saved me hours of redial hell.

Yes it's legitimate - they just connect you with EDD faster. Was skeptical myself but it works. Better than trying to call hundreds of times.

I had the WORST experience with this last year because I didn't report my retirement properly!!! Got hit with a $4,800 overpayment notice and had to go through appeals!!! EDD's system is SO CONFUSING because the certification questions aren't clear about what counts as income!!! Tell your dad to DEFINITELY report the Social Security during certification and be VERY SPECIFIC that it's SS retirement. The system might ask follow-up questions about who paid into it - make sure he answers all those correctly!!!

wait im confused now. do benefits get reduced or not? i thought any income reduces ur unemployment?

Thank you all SO much for the helpful information! I'm going to sit down with my dad tonight and help him understand exactly how to report his Social Security retirement during certification. It's a huge relief to know it won't reduce his benefits but also that he definitely needs to report it to avoid problems later. Will definitely have him keep documentation of everything too!

Just wanted to add that it's also important to know that Social Security retirement benefits are considered "non-countable income" by EDD, which is why they don't reduce your UI benefits. However, if your dad ever receives any OTHER type of retirement income (like a 401k distribution or employer pension), those might be treated differently. Also, make sure he's not confusing Social Security retirement with Social Security Disability (SSDI) - the rules can be different for disability benefits. The key is always being honest and specific about the type of income when reporting during certification!

This is such an important topic! I went through this exact same situation with my grandmother last year. One thing I'd add is that your dad should also be aware that if he's receiving both Social Security retirement AND unemployment, he might want to double-check his tax situation. While the Social Security won't reduce his UI benefits, both are taxable income and it could push him into a higher tax bracket. Also, if he hasn't already, he should consider having taxes withheld from his unemployment benefits to avoid a big tax bill next year. The EDD certification system will ask if he wants taxes withheld. Just something to keep in mind while he's navigating all this!

Just chiming in as someone who recently helped their parent through this exact situation! Your dad is lucky to have you helping him navigate this - the EDD system can be overwhelming. Based on my experience, everything others have said is spot on: report the Social Security retirement benefits during certification but they won't reduce his weekly benefit amount. I'd also suggest having your dad call EDD (or use one of those callback services mentioned) to confirm his specific situation just for peace of mind. Sometimes hearing it directly from an EDD rep can really help reduce the anxiety. Also, if he's tech-savvy, the EDD website has a pretty detailed FAQ section about reporting different types of income that might be helpful for future reference. Good luck to both of you!

I've been lurking in this community for a while but this is my first post - dealing with a very similar situation with my elderly neighbor who asked for help. Just wanted to confirm what everyone else has said and add that when your dad reports the Social Security retirement income, make sure he has the exact monthly amount handy because EDD will ask for the specific dollar figure. Also, if he gets confused during the certification process (the questions can be worded strangely), it's totally okay to exit out and start over - I learned that the hard way! The most important thing is being accurate with the amounts and categories. Your dad is fortunate to have someone helping him through this - these systems weren't really designed with seniors in mind unfortunately.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since I just went through this exact same situation with my mom last month. She was so worried about making a mistake that she almost stopped certifying altogether! What really helped us was calling EDD first thing Monday morning (seems to be the best time to get through) and having them walk us through exactly how to report her Social Security retirement benefits. The rep was actually really patient and explained that California is one of the states where SS retirement doesn't reduce your UI benefits, but you absolutely MUST report it to stay compliant. She also mentioned that EDD has been cracking down on unreported income lately, so transparency is key. My mom has been reporting it for 6 weeks now with no issues. One small tip - when you're helping your dad, have his Social Security award letter handy because it shows the exact monthly amount which makes the reporting much easier!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! My father-in-law just started collecting Social Security retirement while on unemployment and we were so confused about the reporting requirements. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that Social Security retirement doesn't reduce UI benefits in California but still needs to be reported. We've been putting off his certification because we were worried about doing it wrong, but now I feel confident enough to help him through it. The tip about having the award letter ready and taking screenshots for documentation is perfect. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - it's such a relief to know we're not alone in navigating this confusing process!

I'm brand new to this community but had to jump in because I'm literally going through this exact same thing with my stepdad right now! He's 67, just started getting Social Security retirement last month, and has been on EDD unemployment since December. We were both SO stressed about whether to report it or not - he was convinced he'd lose his unemployment benefits if he did. Reading all these responses has been such a huge relief! It sounds like the key points are: 1) Yes, definitely report it during certification, 2) It won't reduce his UI benefits in California, 3) Report the gross amount before deductions, 4) Be specific that it's SS retirement, and 5) Keep documentation. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread is literally going to save us so much anxiety! We have his next certification tomorrow so perfect timing.