Do I report strike retro pay and COVID bonus to EDD while on unemployment?
Just came back from a labor strike and I'm confused about reporting requirements with EDD. I've been collecting unemployment during our work slowdown and subsequent strike. Good news is the strike is over and we won! But now I'm getting 3 different payments and not sure what I need to report to EDD: 1) A wage increase that's retroactive to cover the strike period, 2) Back pay for the strike duration, and 3) A separate COVID appreciation bonus (I wasn't on unemployment during COVID though). Do I have to report ALL of these on my bi-weekly certification? Just some? None? I'm worried about messing up and getting hit with an overpayment notice later. Would appreciate any guidance on this!
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Ava Thompson
Yes, you need to report ALL income received during the weeks you're certifying, even if it's for work performed in the past. The retroactive pay should be reported for the week you receive it, not the weeks it covers. The COVID bonus would also need to be reported when received. EDD considers any payment as income for the week it's paid, regardless of when the work was performed. Make sure to have the exact amounts ready when you certify!
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
•Thanks for the quick response! So even the COVID bonus needs to be reported even though it has nothing to do with the current unemployment claim? It's gonna be about $3,800 total so I'm worried it'll completely disqualify me for several weeks...
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Miguel Ramos
My union went on strike last yr and i got similar payments. Let me tell u how it worked 4 me - report everything ON THE WEEK U GET PAID not when u earned it. EDD doesnt care when u did the work only when u got $$. The system will auto calculate if ur eligible for partial benefits that week or nothing.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
•That makes sense. Did you have any issues after reporting the lump sum? Like did EDD ever contact you about it or question the payment?
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Miguel Ramos
•Nope no problems at all. Just make sure u report the GROSS amount before taxes are taken out! That's the #1 mistake ppl make.
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Zainab Ibrahim
WRONG ADVICE ABOVE!!! Retro pay for strikes is NOT reportable because it's for weeks you WEREN'T eligible for benefits!!!! I had this EXACT situation last year and when I called EDD they specifically told me strike pay doesn't count against current benefits! The COVID bonus probably doesn't either since it's for a different time period!!! Don't report it and lose benefits you deserve!!!
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Ava Thompson
•That's not accurate information. EDD regulations clearly state that income is reported when received, not when earned. I understand you may have been told something different, but the official policy is that ALL income must be reported during certification. Failing to report income can result in penalties, fraud charges, and having to repay benefits with interest.
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StarSailor
I had to deal with this situation before. Here's what you need to know: 1. Yes, you MUST report ALL income when certifying, including retroactive pay, strike pay, bonuses, etc. 2. Report it for the week you RECEIVE it, not when you earned it 3. If the amount exceeds your weekly benefit amount, you'll be considered "excessive earnings" for that week and won't receive benefits 4. The following week, if you have no income to report, your benefits resume normally The EDD system will automatically calculate whether you're eligible for partial or no benefits based on what you report. Being honest is crucial - unreported income can trigger fraud investigations and penalties.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
•This is really helpful, thank you. So basically I'll just lose benefits for the week I get these payments, but then it goes back to normal. That's not as bad as I feared. I was worried they'd average it out over multiple weeks or something.
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Connor O'Brien
congrats on winning the strike! i went thru something similar and yes u gotta report everything but its only for that one week u get paid then ur benefits continue like normal so dont worry too much
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
•Thanks! Yeah it sounds like I just need to take the hit for one certification period. Glad to hear it worked out for you too!
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Yara Sabbagh
Ugh I've been dealing with EDD for months about a similar issue. Tried calling them at least 30 times to get clarification but kept hitting the "we're experiencing high call volume" message. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an EDD agent in about 20 minutes. They have a demo video here: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The agent confirmed what others are saying - you have to report all income for the week you receive it, even if it's retroactive. Better to report everything and be transparent than risk an overpayment issue later.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
•Thanks for the tip! If I still have questions after I get the payments, I might try that service. EDD's phone system is basically impossible to get through on your own.
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Keisha Johnson
i think you're overthinking this lol... just don't report it since it was for work before your unemployment claim started. my cousin didn't report his bonus from his old job and nothing happened
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Ava Thompson
•This is dangerously incorrect advice. EDD regularly cross-references income reported to them against what employers report to tax authorities. Intentionally failing to report income is considered fraud and can result in disqualification from benefits, repayment with penalties, and in serious cases, criminal charges. Please do not encourage others to commit unemployment fraud.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
UPDATE: Thanks everyone for your advice! I talked to our union rep who confirmed I need to report all payments when received. She said what typically happens is people just don't get benefits for that one week when the large payment hits, but then everything goes back to normal. She also warned that EDD and our company's payroll system definitely share information, so trying to hide income would be a really bad idea. I'll be reporting everything when I get paid and just accept the one-week gap in benefits.
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StarSailor
•That's the right approach! Always better to be honest with EDD - the temporary loss of one week's benefits is nothing compared to the headache of dealing with fraud allegations or overpayment notices down the road. Glad you got it sorted out!
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