Does EDD count plasma donation or medical trial money as income? Need to know ASAP

plasma donatins dont count as income i did it for like 6 months while on ui last year. never reported it and had no problems

There's actually a specific rule about this. Plasma donation payments are technically considered "compensation for a service" not "income from employment" by the IRS. However, EDD has a broader definition of reportable income during certification. For plasma donations: Most people don't report this because it's considered selling a biological product, not performing work. The money is for your time and the inconvenience, not wages. For medical trials: This is more complicated. The compensation is for your participation in research, not employment, but the amounts are typically larger and usually reported on a 1099. I would recommend reporting this during certification to be safe. Either way, document everything in case of an audit later. Keep receipts from the plasma center and any paperwork from medical trials.

my cousin did medical trials while on unemployment and he just didnt report it cuz they pay in cash sometimes and EDD doesnt know about it unless you tell them lol

I went through something similar last year and called EDD for clarification. Took me FOREVER to get through to someone (kept getting the "we're experiencing high call volume" message for days). When I finally spoke to a rep, they told me that technically ANY income received during a certification period should be reported, regardless of source. For plasma donation, they said it should be reported as "other income" on your certification. Same for research studies. However, the rep also mentioned that these types of payments fall into a gray area because you're not technically employed or performing work services. If you want an official answer directly from EDD, I'd recommend using Claimyr to get through to an agent quickly. I found it at claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. It helped me get through to clarify my situation rather than guessing what to do.

I'm so confused right now! I was about to start donating plasma tomorrow! Does this mean i'll lose my unemployment benefits?? I NEED that money for rent but I also can't afford to lose ANY of my weekly benefit amount. This is so stressful!

To add some clarity here: 1) EDD uses a specific formula for deductions when you report income: They disregard the greater of $25 or 25% of your earnings. The remainder is deducted from your weekly benefit amount. 2) For plasma donation: The official EDD stance is that compensation received should be reported, but in practice, many donation centers classify these payments as "reimbursement for time/travel" rather than income. 3) For medical trials: These typically issue 1099 forms at year-end for tax purposes, which creates a document trail that could be problematic if you don't report it during certification. The safest approach is always to report both, but understand that if you report plasma donation earnings, you'll still receive most of your benefits due to the partial earnings formula EDD uses.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO KEEP US BROKE!!! Why should we have to report selling OUR OWN BODILY FLUIDS just to survive??? This is exactly why I hate dealing with EDD - they make it impossible to get ahead when you're struggling. Can't work, can't not work, can't even sell your own plasma without them taking a cut. SMH

After seeing all the discussion, here's what I recommend: 1. For plasma donation: If you're doing this occasionally, the amounts are relatively small, and many people consider this in a grey area. If you report it, use the "other income" option during certification. 2. For medical trials: Definitely report this. The amounts are larger, and research facilities issue tax documents. 3. Remember EDD's partial income formula: They ignore the greater of $25 or 25% of your income before reducing your benefits. So reporting small amounts won't dramatically impact your benefit payment. 4. Document everything regardless of what you decide: Keep receipts, payment records, and any tax forms you receive. The safest approach is always full disclosure during certification, but many claimants make their own risk assessment regarding plasma donation specifically.

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who's been on both sides of this. I did plasma donation for about 4 months while on UI and chose to report it every time. Yes, it reduced my weekly benefit slightly, but I never had any issues or audits. The peace of mind was worth it for me - I sleep better knowing I'm fully compliant. Plus with the partial earnings formula, I was still coming out ahead financially. Made about $160/week from plasma, they ignored the first $40 (25% of $160), so only $120 was deducted from my $400 WBA. Still got $280 in UI plus the $160 from plasma = $440 total vs just $400 if I hadn't done anything. My advice: report it, keep good records, and don't stress about it. The system is actually designed to encourage people to earn some income while on benefits, not punish them for it.

I'm a newcomer here but have been following this discussion closely since I'm in a similar situation. Based on what I've read, it seems like the consensus is that plasma donation falls into a gray area but medical trials should definitely be reported due to the 1099 forms. @Sean Murphy - thank you for sharing your actual numbers! That really helps me understand how the partial earnings formula works in practice. Your example shows that even when reporting plasma income, you still come out ahead financially overall. I think I'm leaning toward being conservative and reporting both types of income if I pursue them. The stress of wondering if I'll get audited later isn't worth the risk, especially after reading about the potential fraud penalties. Better to be transparent and let EDD make the determination than to guess wrong and face consequences down the road. Has anyone here ever been audited by EDD? I'm curious what that process looks like and what kind of documentation they typically request.

I've been through this exact situation and can share what worked for me. I did plasma donation while on UI benefits and chose to report it every time during certification. Here's what I learned: 1) The EDD certification form asks about "work performed" and "income earned" - plasma donation technically falls under income even though it's not traditional employment. 2) I reported it as "other income" and included a note that it was plasma donation compensation. EDD never questioned it or asked for additional documentation. 3) The partial earnings formula actually worked in my favor - I was earning about $70-80 per donation, twice a week. So roughly $140-160 weekly. With the 25% disregard, only about $105-120 was deducted from my $450 WBA. I still came out ahead by $20-40 per week compared to not doing it at all. 4) For medical trials, I'd definitely report those since they're larger amounts and often issue tax forms. My advice: report both to be safe. The partial earnings formula means you'll still benefit financially, and you won't have to worry about potential issues later. I kept all my plasma center receipts and payment records just in case, but never needed them. The peace of mind was worth the slightly reduced weekly benefit amount.

As someone who just went through a similar situation, I wanted to add my perspective. I was hesitant about plasma donation while on UI benefits, but after reading through EDD's guidelines more carefully, I decided to report it as "other income" during certification. What I found helpful was calling the plasma center beforehand to ask how they classify their payments. The center I went to explained that they consider it compensation for time and biological material, not wages for work performed. However, they still recommended I check with EDD about reporting requirements. I ended up doing plasma donation for about 2 months and reported every payment. The partial earnings formula meant I only lost about 75% of what I earned from my weekly benefit amount, so I still came out ahead financially. More importantly, I never had any compliance issues or follow-up questions from EDD. My takeaway: when in doubt, report it. The financial impact isn't as bad as you might think due to the partial earnings formula, and you avoid any risk of fraud accusations later. Plus, documenting everything properly gives you a clear paper trail if questions ever come up during an audit.

I'm new to this community but have been reading through this entire discussion because I'm in almost the exact same situation as the original poster. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - this has been incredibly helpful! Based on what I've learned here, I think the safest approach is to report both plasma donation and medical trial income as "other income" during certification. The examples from @Sean Murphy, @Ethan Campbell, and @Ravi Patel really helped me understand that even with reporting, you still come out ahead financially due to the partial earnings formula. I'm planning to start plasma donation next week and will definitely document everything and report it properly. The peace of mind of being fully compliant is worth more to me than trying to navigate the gray areas. Plus, seeing that multiple people have done this successfully with EDD gives me confidence. For anyone else considering this - it seems like the key takeaways are: 1) Report as "other income" with notes about what it is, 2) Keep all receipts and documentation, 3) Remember that the partial earnings formula works in your favor, and 4) Medical trials should definitely be reported due to 1099 forms. Thanks again everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver for navigating these confusing EDD situations!

I just wanted to thank everyone in this thread for sharing such detailed, real-world experiences! As someone who's been struggling to make ends meet on UI benefits, this discussion has been incredibly valuable. What really stands out to me is how multiple people (@Sean Murphy, @Ethan Campbell, @Ravi Patel) actually went through the process of reporting plasma donation income and came out ahead financially even after EDD's deductions. The specific numbers and calculations you all shared make it so much clearer how the partial earnings formula actually works in practice. I think the key insight here is that EDD's system is designed to encourage some supplemental income, not punish it completely. The fact that they disregard the first 25% or $25 (whichever is greater) before making deductions shows they understand people need ways to get by while job searching. For anyone else reading this who's on the fence - the consensus seems clear: report both plasma donation and medical trial income as "other income," keep detailed records, and don't stress about it. The peace of mind of full compliance plus the actual financial benefit (even with deductions) makes this a win-win approach. Thanks again to this community for providing such practical, experience-based guidance instead of just guessing or speculation!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to share my perspective after reading through this entire discussion. I'm currently on UI benefits and have been considering plasma donation to help with expenses, so this conversation has been incredibly helpful. What strikes me most is how many people here have actually gone through the process of reporting plasma donation income and had positive experiences. The real numbers shared by @Sean Murphy, @Ethan Campbell, and @Ravi Patel really demonstrate how the partial earnings formula works in practice - you still come out ahead financially even after EDD's deductions. I was initially worried that reporting any supplemental income would completely wipe out my benefits, but seeing the actual calculations shows that's not the case. The 25% disregard before deductions means you're still better off than not earning anything at all. Based on everything I've read here, I'm planning to start plasma donation and will definitely report it as "other income" during certification. The peace of mind of full compliance outweighs any risk of trying to navigate gray areas. Plus, keeping detailed records and being transparent seems to be the approach that's worked best for everyone who's shared their experiences. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share real-world examples instead of just speculation - it's made my decision much clearer and less stressful!

I'm new to this community but have been following this discussion closely since I'm facing a similar situation. After reading through everyone's experiences, I'm really grateful for all the detailed, real-world examples shared here. What's been most helpful is seeing the actual numbers from @Sean Murphy, @Ethan Campbell, and @Ravi Patel showing how the partial earnings formula works in practice. I was initially terrified that reporting plasma donation income would completely eliminate my UI benefits, but the calculations you all shared prove that's not the case. The 25% disregard rule means you still come out financially ahead even after deductions - that's such a relief to understand! I'm planning to start plasma donation next week and will definitely report it as "other income" during certification based on all the positive experiences shared here. One quick question for those who have done this - do you recommend calling EDD ahead of time to clarify, or is it sufficient to just report it properly during certification and keep good records? I want to make sure I'm handling this the right way from the start. Thanks to everyone for creating such a helpful resource thread - the real experiences and specific examples have made this decision so much clearer for newcomers like me!

As someone new to this community, I wanted to jump in and thank everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences! I'm currently on UI benefits and have been considering both plasma donation and potentially a medical research study to help with expenses. Reading through all the specific examples from @Sean Murphy, @Ethan Campbell, and @Ravi Patel has been incredibly reassuring. The actual numbers you all provided really help illustrate how the partial earnings formula works - it's not nearly as scary as I initially thought. Knowing that EDD disregards 25% or $25 (whichever is greater) before making deductions means you still come out ahead financially. Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm planning to go the transparent route and report both plasma donation and any medical trial income as "other income" during certification. The peace of mind of full compliance seems worth way more than trying to navigate gray areas and potentially facing issues later. One thing that really stands out is how consistent everyone's advice has been - report it, keep detailed records, and don't stress about it. The system actually seems designed to encourage some supplemental income rather than punish it completely. This thread has been a lifesaver for understanding how to handle this situation properly. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their real experiences instead of just speculation!

I'm new to this community and have been reading through this entire discussion - thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences! I'm currently on UI benefits and considering plasma donation to help make ends meet. What's been most helpful is seeing the actual numbers and calculations from people like @Sean Murphy, @Ethan Campbell, and @Ravi Patel who actually went through this process. The specific examples showing how the partial earnings formula works in practice (25% disregard before deductions) really demonstrates that you still come out ahead financially even when reporting plasma income. I was initially terrified that any supplemental income would completely wipe out my benefits, but the real-world examples here prove that's not the case. EDD's system actually seems designed to encourage some additional income rather than punish it entirely. Based on all the positive experiences shared here, I'm planning to start plasma donation next week and will definitely report it as "other income" during certification. The peace of mind from being fully compliant is worth way more than trying to navigate gray areas and potentially facing fraud issues later. This thread has been incredibly valuable - it's exactly the kind of practical, experience-based guidance that newcomers like me need when trying to supplement UI income safely. Thank you all for taking the time to share your actual experiences instead of just speculation!

I'm new to this community and just wanted to add my voice to thank everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences! As someone currently on UI benefits who's been considering plasma donation, this discussion has been incredibly enlightening. What really stands out to me is how consistently positive the experiences have been for people who chose the transparent approach. Seeing the actual calculations from @Sean Murphy, @Ethan Campbell, and @Ravi Patel showing that you still come out ahead financially even after reporting really puts things in perspective. The 25% disregard in EDD's partial earnings formula means this isn't the financial disaster I was worried it might be. I've been hesitant about supplementing my income because I was afraid any additional money would completely eliminate my benefits, but the real examples here prove that's not how the system works. It actually seems designed to encourage people to earn some additional income while job searching. Based on everything I've read, I'm going to start plasma donation next week and will definitely report it as "other income" during certification. The peace of mind from being fully compliant, plus the actual financial benefit (even with partial deductions), makes this the obvious choice. This thread should honestly be pinned as a resource for anyone on UI considering supplemental income - the combination of real experiences, specific numbers, and consistent advice is exactly what people in our situation need to make informed decisions safely!

I'm new to this community but this discussion has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently on UI benefits and was considering both plasma donation and medical trials to help with expenses, so seeing all these real-world experiences is exactly what I needed. What really convinced me was reading the specific examples from people like @Sean Murphy, @Ethan Campbell, and @Ravi Patel who actually went through the process of reporting plasma income. The fact that you all still came out ahead financially even after EDD's deductions (thanks to the 25% disregard in the partial earnings formula) makes this decision so much clearer. I was initially terrified that any supplemental income would wipe out my benefits completely, but seeing the actual numbers proves that EDD's system is designed to encourage some additional earning rather than punish it. The peace of mind from being fully compliant seems worth way more than trying to navigate gray areas. Based on everyone's consistent advice here, I'm planning to start plasma donation next week and will report it as "other income" during certification. I'll also keep detailed records of everything just like you all recommended. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share real experiences instead of just speculation - this thread has been a lifesaver for understanding how to handle supplemental income safely while on UI!