EDD Certification Question: Reporting $100 job I worked before filing claim but got paid after approval
I'm confused about how to handle a small job on my certification. Here's my situation: I worked a one-day gig about a month ago (before I even applied for unemployment), but the company just now sent me a check for $100. My EDD claim was approved 3 weeks ago. When I'm certifying this week, do I need to report this $100 payment? The certification instructions say you're supposed to report when you WORK not when you get PAID. Since I worked before my claim started but got paid during my claim period, I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to mess up my claim over $100, but I also don't want to report income incorrectly and trigger some kind of review. Has anyone dealt with this timing issue before?
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Carmen Ortiz
The EDD certification is always about when you WORKED, not when you got paid. So if you worked before your claim was established, and you weren't claiming benefits for that period, you don't report it. What matters is the week you performed the work, not when the money arrived in your account.
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Yuki Yamamoto
•Thank you! That makes sense. So even though I got the money now, since I did the work before my claim started, I shouldn't include it on this certification?
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Andre Rousseau
BE CAREFUL WITH THIS! I had almost the same thing happen and didnt report it and got hit with an overpayment notice SIX MONTHS LATER. EDD is super confusing because the certification asks about "any income" during your certification period but yeah technically its supposed to be when you worked. The system is BROKEN!!
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Carmen Ortiz
•That's because your situation was probably different. If the work was performed during a week you were claiming benefits, then yes, you must report it regardless of when you got paid. But OP clearly stated they worked BEFORE filing their claim.
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Andre Rousseau
•OK FINE but the EDD website is still confusing as hell and they should make this clearer!!!!
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Zoe Papadakis
this happened to me too, i just called and asked them directly
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Yuki Yamamoto
•Were you able to get through to someone? I've been trying to call for days but can't get past the automated system.
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Jamal Carter
•If you need to speak with an EDD representative quickly, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. I was stuck in the same situation last month - couldn't get through on the phones for days. Claimyr got me connected to an EDD agent in about 20 minutes. Really worth checking out their video demo: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km or going to claimyr.com. They basically navigate the phone system for you and call you back when they have an agent on the line.
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Zoe Papadakis
•nah i just kept calling over and over til i got thru lol. took like 2 hrs
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AstroAdventurer
To add some clarity here - the official EDD rule is that you report income for the week you EARNED it, not when you received payment. Since you worked this job before your claim began, this income is not reportable on your current certification. However, if you're really concerned, you can always include a note in the additional information section of your certification explaining the situation. This creates a paper trail showing you were trying to be honest. One important note: make sure this income was properly reported on your initial application. When you first applied, EDD asked about your work history and earnings. This $100 should have been included there if it fell within the base period they were asking about.
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Yuki Yamamoto
•Thanks for the detailed explanation! I did include all my previous work history on my initial application, including this small job. I just got confused when the check showed up this week. I'll go ahead and certify without reporting it since I worked before my claim started.
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Mei Liu
dude its only $100 i wouldnt even worry about it tbh
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AstroAdventurer
•This is not good advice. While $100 may seem small, misreporting income - even unintentionally - can lead to penalties, overpayment notices, and potentially even fraud investigations. Always report according to EDD guidelines regardless of the amount.
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Mei Liu
•whatever man, EDD has bigger problems than chasing down a hundred bucks
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Liam O'Sullivan
When I first got on unemployment I was so confused about all this too! The paperwork is not clear at all. Last year I had a similar issue with delayed payment from a catering gig I did right before filing. I ended up reporting it just to be safe and then had to deal with a whole mess of paperwork to explain why my certification didn't match my earnings report from the employer. Such a headache!
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Yuki Yamamoto
•That sounds frustrating! I definitely want to avoid creating paperwork problems. Based on the advice here, I think I'm going to follow what most people are saying and not report it since I worked before my claim began.
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Carmen Ortiz
Just to be 100% clear for you and anyone else reading this thread in the future: 1. Report work when you PERFORM it, not when you get paid 2. If you worked before your claim began, that work is not reportable on certifications 3. If you're ever unsure, contact EDD directly for guidance specific to your situation Following these guidelines will keep your claim in good standing.
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Yuki Yamamoto
•Thank you for breaking it down so clearly! This makes complete sense now. I'll certify normally without reporting the $100 since I did the work before filing my claim.
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