Does a workers' comp settlement affect my ongoing EDD unemployment benefits?

ya gotta report it on ur certification when u get it. they ask about any type of income u get and workers comp counts

This is a really important distinction. Workers' compensation settlements can be structured in different ways, and how it affects your UI benefits depends on what the settlement covers. If your settlement is strictly for physical impairment/permanent disability, it typically doesn't affect unemployment. But if any portion is specifically designated as lost wages/temporary disability payments, that part would likely need to be reported. I'd recommend asking your workers' comp attorney to clearly designate what the settlement covers in the paperwork. They can often structure it to minimize impact on other benefits.

I went through this exact situation last year. The key thing to understand is that workers' comp settlements typically have multiple components: 1. Permanent disability (compensation for your injury) - NOT reportable to EDD 2. Temporary disability (wage replacement) - IS reportable to EDD 3. Future medical costs - NOT reportable to EDD Make sure your settlement agreement clearly breaks down these components. My attorney made sure my settlement specified that approximately 85% was for permanent disability and future medical, with only a small portion for wage replacement. This minimized the impact on my UI benefits. During certification, I only reported the portion that was specifically for wage replacement. EDD reduced my benefits for those weeks but didn't disqualify me.

i got a workers comp settlement for $15k last year and never told EDD about it. nothing happened. they never found out. its not like they check that stuff.

WHEN I GOT MY SETTLEMENT the EDD said I was DISQUALIFIED for 6 WEEKS because I didn't tell them!!! They said I committed FRAUD! Had to pay back $2700!!! DON'T MAKE MY MISTAKE!!!!

I'd recommend scheduling an eligibility interview with EDD to discuss this situation before you receive the settlement. That way, you'll have clear documentation of their guidance for your specific case. Unfortunately, calling EDD can be nearly impossible these days with the constant busy signals and disconnections. I recently discovered a service called Claimyr that helps you get through to an EDD representative quickly instead of spending days redialing. It worked great for me when I needed clarification on a similar situation. Check out their demo at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km or visit claimyr.com. Getting official guidance from EDD beforehand could save you a lot of headaches later.

My cousin's roommate got a workers comp settlement last year while on unemployment and EDD made him pay back ALL his benefits! Said he was "double dipping" or something. Be really careful!

One more important thing: make sure you're still actively looking for work and documenting your job search efforts each week. Even with a pending workers' comp settlement, you must remain able and available for work to qualify for UI benefits. If your injury prevents you from working altogether, that could affect your UI eligibility regardless of the settlement.

Based on what I've seen in this community, the most important thing is getting your attorney to structure the settlement properly. From everything I've read here, if it's clearly designated as permanent disability compensation (not wage replacement), it shouldn't affect your UI benefits. But definitely get it in writing from EDD before you accept the settlement - don't rely on assumptions. I've seen too many people get burned by not reporting income properly, even when they thought they were doing the right thing. The peace of mind of having official guidance is worth the effort to get through to them.

Just want to echo what others have said about getting proper documentation from your attorney and EDD. I went through a similar situation about 18 months ago - workers comp settlement while collecting UI benefits. The key is transparency and proper categorization. My settlement was $22K and my attorney made sure it was clearly broken down: 70% permanent disability, 25% future medical costs, and only 5% for temporary disability/wage replacement. I reported only the wage replacement portion during my certifications and had no issues with EDD. One tip that helped me: when I called EDD (using that Claimyr service someone mentioned - it really does work), I asked them to put a note in my file explaining the situation before the settlement was finalized. That way there was a paper trail showing I was being proactive about reporting properly. The worst thing you can do is not report it at all and hope they don't find out - they WILL find out eventually and the penalties are brutal. Better to over-communicate than under-report. Good luck with your settlement!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - been on UI for about 3 months and have a workers comp case pending from an injury at my previous job. From everything I've read here and researched, it really comes down to how the settlement is structured and documented. Here's what I've learned: make sure your attorney clearly separates the settlement into categories (permanent disability vs wage replacement vs medical costs). Only the wage replacement portion typically needs to be reported to EDD. I'd strongly recommend getting written guidance from EDD BEFORE accepting any settlement. Document everything - save emails, take notes during phone calls with dates/times/names. This protects you if there are any questions later. Also, keep in mind that even with a settlement, you still need to be able and available for work to maintain UI eligibility. Make sure your injury doesn't prevent you from accepting suitable employment. The stories here about people getting penalized for not reporting are scary, but it seems like most of those cases involved people who either didn't report at all or had settlements that were clearly for wage replacement. If your settlement is properly structured for permanent disability/injury compensation, you should be okay.