Do I need to report affiliate income under $25/week to EDD? Will it affect my UI benefits?

YES report it! The certification specifically asks if you made ANY money. EDD considers ANY income reportable, no matter how small. I know it seems like overkill for such a small amount, but not reporting it technically counts as fraud. Even though it probably won't affect your weekly benefit amount much (if at all), it's better to be safe than sorry.

i didnt report when i made $30 selling stuff on ebay one time and nothing happened. prob not worth the hassle for small amounts tbh

You absolutely need to report it. Here's how it works: EDD has a formula for partial benefits. The first $25 or 25% of your weekly benefit amount (whichever is greater) doesn't count against you - that's called the earnings disregard. After that, they deduct dollar for dollar. Example: If your weekly benefit is $450 and you earn $23.47, you wouldn't lose any benefits because it's under the $25 disregard! The formula would be: $450 - ($23.47 - $25) = $450 (no reduction). However, if you earned $50, the formula would be: $450 - ($50 - $25) = $425 weekly benefit.

Report it!!! My cousin didn't report some side gig income and got hit with an overpayment notice 8 months later! Now she has to pay back all that money PLUS a penalty. Not worth it!!!

I was in this exact situation last year with my Etsy shop. The rule is ANY income must be reported, but as someone already explained, the first $25 or 25% of your WBA is exempt. So if you're making less than $25/week, you'll report it but your benefits won't be reduced at all. Just make sure you're reporting the income for the week you EARNED it, not when you got paid. That's a common mistake people make. And keep good records of everything.

Trying to reach EDD to ask these kinds of questions is a nightmare. I spent 3 weeks trying to get clarification on reporting my gig work income. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to an agent in 20 minutes who explained everything. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The agent told me exactly what others here are saying - report ALL income no matter how small, but the first $25 or 25% of your weekly benefit amount won't reduce your payment.

the whole system is so confusing!! why cant they just make it simple??

One more thing - make sure you're actually counting as self-employed for this affiliate income. You'll need to report it differently than if you're an employee. When you certify, you'll report it as self-employment income. Just thought I'd mention that since it can be confusing.

I went through this with my DoorDash income last year. Called EDD and they confirmed what others are saying here - you must report ALL income but the first $25 or 25% of your weekly benefit amount (whichever is higher) is exempt. So if you're making under $25, your benefit won't change, but you STILL must report it. Better to be honest about small amounts than risk penalties later on. The EDD fraud department is no joke - they can and do cross-reference with tax records.

Just want to add my experience here - I had the same question when I started doing freelance graphic design work while on UI. The key thing I learned is that it's not just about the current week's benefits, it's about protecting your entire claim. Even though reporting small amounts under $25 won't reduce your weekly payment (thanks to the earnings disregard), NOT reporting creates a paper trail issue. When you file taxes next year, that affiliate income will show up on your 1099s. If EDD audits your claim later and sees unreported income on your tax return, they can flag your entire claim period for review. I know it feels like bureaucratic overkill for $20, but think of reporting as insurance against future headaches. The 2 minutes it takes to report during certification is way better than months of dealing with overpayment notices and penalty fees later.