Does EDD require reporting plasma donation money as income during certification?

YES, you absolutely need to report that as income. EDD requires you to report ANY money earned during your certification period. It doesn't matter if it's from an employer, side gig, cash work, or plasma donation. If you're getting paid, you need to report it. In certification question #6, it asks if you received any income - that's where you'd report it, then select "Other" as the income type.

I went through this EXACT situation last year! You defnitely need to report it, but it gets complicated. EDD considers it 'self-employment' income even though it feels weird to call it that. Report it on the day you RECEIVED the payment, not when you donated. And keep ALL your payment receipts in case EDD ever questions it during an eligibility interview.

Important clarification: According to EDD guidelines, plasma donation payments are considered miscellaneous income, not wages or self-employment. You should report it under "Other" on your certification form, and report it for the week you RECEIVED the payment. Also keep in mind that EDD uses a partial unemployment formula - they don't deduct dollar-for-dollar from your benefits. They deduct 75% of what you earn over $25. So if you earn $120 in plasma money, they'll deduct $71.25 from your weekly benefit amount ((120-25)×0.75).

my friend did plasma donation and didnt report it and got in HUGE trouble later. edd did some kinda audit and found out somehow. he had to payback all the benefits plus a 30% penalty!!! dont risk it man

I hate to be that person BUT.... how would EDD even know you're donating plasma? These places pay in prepaid cards, not checks with your name on them. Not suggesting you lie, just wondering how they ever caught your friend??

I've been trying to contact EDD about income reporting questions like this for weeks with no luck! Always get the "we're experiencing high call volume" message and then they hang up. So frustrating when you're trying to do everything right but can't get answers!!

Update for anyone finding this thread later: I called EDD (finally got through after trying at exactly 8:01 AM) and confirmed that plasma donation money DOES need to be reported as "Other" income. Report it for the week you RECEIVE payment, not when you donate. The rep also said to keep documentation of all payments in case they need to verify the income later. Thanks everyone for your help!

Thanks for sharing the update! This is super helpful for anyone else in the same situation. I'm curious - when you called EDD, did they give you any guidance on how to handle the partial unemployment calculation? Like @Alice Fleming mentioned, they deduct 75% over $25, but I'm wondering if there are any other considerations when it comes to plasma donation specifically. Also, did they mention anything about how this affects your work search requirements?

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone reading this thread - I've been donating plasma for about 6 months while on UI and have been reporting it as "Other" income the whole time. Never had any issues with EDD, and like others mentioned, the partial benefit calculation means you still get most of your weekly amount. One tip: I keep a simple spreadsheet tracking donation dates, payment amounts, and which week I reported each payment on my certification. Makes it super easy if EDD ever asks questions. Also worth noting that some plasma centers will give you a year-end summary statement that breaks down all your payments - really helpful for tax purposes too!

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation but with a twist - I donate plasma at two different centers to maximize my earnings (one pays more for first-time weekly donors, the other has better bonuses for regular donors). Should I report the income from both centers separately on my certification, or can I just combine the total amount under "Other" income? Also, does anyone know if switching between multiple plasma centers affects how EDD views this income? I want to make sure I'm not accidentally making this look more complicated than it needs to be when I certify.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is that some plasma centers also offer referral bonuses or special promotional payments that might be higher than your usual donation amount. Make sure to report ALL payments you receive from the center, not just your regular donation fees. I got a $50 referral bonus last month when my friend signed up, and almost forgot to include it in my weekly certification because it felt "different" from my regular plasma money. But EDD doesn't distinguish between types of payments from the same source - if the plasma center pays you anything, it all needs to be reported as income. Also, if you're getting those promotional "donate X times and get a bonus" payments, those usually hit your card weeks after you complete the requirement, so pay attention to when bonus payments actually arrive vs when you earned them.

This thread is gold! I'm about to start donating plasma and was stressed about how to handle the income reporting. One question I haven't seen addressed - what happens if you miss reporting plasma income one week but then remember later? Like if I donate on a Friday, the payment hits my card the following Monday, but I already certified for benefits on Sunday before the payment arrived. Can I report that income on the next week's certification, or do I need to contact EDD to correct the previous week? I'm paranoid about getting the timing wrong since everyone's emphasizing how important it is to report everything correctly!

This entire discussion has been incredibly thorough and helpful! As someone who's considering plasma donation while on unemployment, I really appreciate how you all broke down the specifics. One additional question - for those of you who have been doing this for a while, have you noticed any seasonal variations in how plasma centers pay? I've heard some places offer higher rates during certain times of year (like around holidays when blood supply is lower), and I'm wondering if those temporary rate increases should be handled any differently for EDD reporting purposes, or if it's just treated as regular "other" income regardless of the amount? Also, has anyone had experience with plasma centers that pay via direct deposit instead of prepaid cards, and does that change the reporting timeline at all?

This thread has been incredibly detailed and helpful! I want to add one more consideration that might be useful for people doing plasma donations while on unemployment. If you're planning to donate regularly, it's worth factoring the income into your budget planning since it will reduce your weekly UI benefits through that 75% deduction formula. For example, if you're earning $120/week from plasma and your regular UI benefit is $300, you'll end up with about $229 total ($300 UI minus $71.25 deduction plus $120 plasma income). It's still extra money in your pocket, but not the full $120 on top of your benefits like some people might expect. Also, keep in mind that plasma donation can be physically demanding - make sure you're eating well and staying hydrated, especially if you're also dealing with the stress of job searching. The last thing you want is to get sick or run down and miss donation appointments you were counting on financially!

This has been such a comprehensive discussion - thank you everyone for sharing your experiences! I'm actually a former EDD eligibility worker, and I wanted to add a few professional insights that might be helpful. First, you're all absolutely correct about reporting plasma donation income as "Other" income. What I'd emphasize is that EDD's computer system automatically flags accounts when there are discrepancies between reported income and third-party data sources (like those 1099s mentioned earlier), so honesty really is the best policy here. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is that if you're donating plasma regularly, EDD might eventually ask for a statement from the plasma center during a routine eligibility review - not because you're in trouble, but just to verify the income source. Most centers can provide a summary statement if requested. Also, for anyone worried about the work search requirements, plasma donation time doesn't excuse you from your weekly work search activities, but the income won't disqualify you from benefits as long as you're reporting it correctly. Keep doing what you're doing - being proactive about reporting requirements shows good faith compliance!