EDD certification for work done but not yet paid - will they skip these weeks or pay then reclaim?

You need to certify that you worked for those two weeks even though you won't be paid until later. EDD goes by when you WORKED, not when you got PAID. When you certify, you'll need to answer 'Yes' to the question about whether you worked, and enter the hours worked each day. Since you worked full time, EDD will consider you employed those weeks and won't pay benefits for them. This actually works in your favor - you won't get benefits for the 2 weeks you worked, but your 3 remaining weeks of eligibility will be preserved. So if you remain unemployed after this contract job, you can still claim your 3 remaining weeks later (as long as it's before your benefit year ends in 6 months).

just fyi edd is gonna look at when u worked not when u got paid. i did some website work last fall and didnt get paid til way later but had to report the weeks i actually did the work. they froze my payments for those weeks but i still had my other weeks available later

You're asking a really important question that comes up a lot with freelance and contract work. When you certify for benefits, you need to report work when it's performed, not when you're paid for it. This is specified in EDD guidelines. The good news is that EDD will indeed "skip" those two weeks you worked and preserve your remaining three weeks of eligibility. Think of it like this - you have 3 weeks of benefits left, and if you work for 2 weeks in between, you'll still have 3 weeks available after the work ends (as long as it's within your benefit year). The key thing when certifying is to be truthful about your work activity. For those two weeks, report that you worked, provide the hours, and indicate your expected earnings even if you haven't received payment yet. EDD will then put your claim on hold for those two weeks and resume it afterward if you certify that you're unemployed again. This is much better than the alternative scenario of receiving benefits during weeks you worked and then dealing with an overpayment notice later, which could include penalties.

If you're having trouble getting clear answers from EDD directly about this situation, you might want to try Claimyr. I was stuck in a similar situation with questions about reporting freelance work, and couldn't get through to anyone at EDD for weeks. A friend recommended Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes instead of spending days redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The agent I spoke with confirmed exactly what others are saying here - you report when you work, not when you get paid. Your remaining weeks stay available for later use within your benefit year.

WATCH OUT FOR THIS!!! I made this EXACT mistake last year and it caused me HUGE problems!! I did 3 weeks of contract work but didnt report it properly because I hadnt been paid yet, and EDD hit me with an overpayment notice AND slapped on a false statement penalty that added 6 penalty weeks to my claim!!! YOU MUST REPORT THE WORK WHEN YOU DO IT not when you get paid!!! EDD doesnt care when the money hits your bank account. They care when you performed the work. If you dont report it correctly, they will eventually find out (probably when the company reports paying you to the IRS) and then youll be in a whole mess of trouble. Best way is exactly what you're planning - report the work when you do it, don't collect benefits for those weeks, and then you'll still have your 3 weeks of eligibility to use later when you're truly not working.

i think everyone else already answered ur main question but just wanted to add that u should keep track of ur hours SUPER carefully for those 2 weeks. like keep a daily log of exactly what time u started and stopped working. i got audited by edd once and they wanted to see proof of my work hours for some freelance stuff and i didnt have good records and it was a huge headache.

One additional note - make sure you understand how to properly report your work status during certification. When you certify for the weeks you worked, you'll need to: 1. Answer "Yes" to the question asking if you worked 2. Enter the number of hours worked each day 3. Report your expected gross earnings (before taxes) even if you haven't been paid yet 4. Answer "No" to the question asking if you're still unemployed Then for the certification after your contract ends, you'll go back to answering that you're unemployed and available for work. This approach preserves your remaining 3 weeks of eligibility while ensuring you remain in compliance with EDD regulations. As long as you're truthful in your reporting, you won't have to worry about overpayments or penalties later.

wait i just thought of something does ur benefit year end soon? cuz u said u have like 6 months left but only 3 weeks of payments? if ur gonna use those 3 weeks make sure u use them b4 the benefit year ends or ull lose them!!!

One time i worked for a week but didnt report it to EDD cause i didnt get paid for like 2 months and they found out anyway and i had to pay it all back plus a penalty. Not worth it. Just tell them when u actually did the work and youll be fine

Just want to echo what everyone else is saying - you're handling this exactly right by planning to report the work when you do it! I had a similar freelance situation last year where I did a 3-week project but didn't get paid until months later. I was nervous about reporting it before getting paid, but I'm so glad I did because EDD preserved my remaining weeks of eligibility for when I needed them later. The key thing that helped me was keeping really detailed records of exactly what I did each day and my expected earnings. When I certified, I reported the work honestly and EDD just paused my benefits for those weeks. After the project ended and I was unemployed again, I was able to use my remaining weeks without any issues. It sounds like you've got a good plan - just make sure to use those 3 remaining weeks before your benefit year ends in 6 months!

This is such a common confusion point with EDD! You're absolutely doing the right thing by asking ahead of time. Just to add one more perspective - I went through something very similar with a consulting gig earlier this year. When you certify for those 2 weeks you're working, EDD will essentially "pause" your claim for those weeks since you're employed full-time. Your remaining 3 weeks of eligibility will stay intact and available for you to use later when you're unemployed again (as long as it's within your benefit year). The important thing is being completely honest when you certify - report the work when you do it, estimate your earnings as accurately as possible, and answer all the questions truthfully. EDD's system is designed to handle exactly this type of situation where payment comes later than the work performed. One tip: when you do your certification online, there should be a section where you can add notes or explanations. I found it helpful to mention something like "contractor payment expected in 2025" just to have it documented in case there are any questions later. You're being super responsible by thinking this through in advance rather than trying to figure it out after the fact!

I work for a workforce development agency and see this exact scenario frequently with our clients. You're absolutely on the right track by planning to report the work when performed rather than when paid - this is crucial for staying compliant with EDD rules. What you're describing is called "work separation" and it's actually a common situation that EDD's system handles routinely. When you certify for those 2 weeks of contract work, you'll report the employment and EDD will mark those weeks as "not payable due to employment." This preserves your remaining 3 weeks of eligibility to use later. A few additional tips from what I've seen work best: - Keep copies of your work contract/agreement showing the dates you worked - Document your daily work hours in a simple log or calendar - When estimating earnings on your certification, be as accurate as possible based on your contract rate - After your contract ends, resume normal unemployment certifications The key advantage of this approach is that you maintain your benefit eligibility timeline while staying completely above board with EDD. Those 3 remaining weeks will be there for you to use if you need them before your benefit year expires. You're being very smart by asking about this in advance rather than trying to sort it out retroactively!

This thread has been super helpful! I'm actually in a somewhat similar situation where I might have some temporary work coming up while on EDD. Reading through all these responses has really clarified the process for me. The consensus seems crystal clear - report work when you perform it, not when you get paid, and EDD will preserve your remaining weeks for later use. It's great to see so many people sharing their real experiences with this exact scenario. One thing I'm taking away from all the advice here is how important it is to keep detailed records. Seems like having a paper trail of your work hours, contract details, and accurate earnings estimates can save a lot of headaches if EDD ever has questions later. @dd84d3bd2424 you're definitely handling this the right way by asking in advance. Better to be prepared than to figure it out after the fact and potentially run into compliance issues!

I'm new to this community but this thread has been incredibly informative! I'm currently on EDD and have been wondering about this exact scenario for weeks. It's so reassuring to see multiple people confirm that EDD preserves your remaining weeks when you report work properly. What really stands out to me from everyone's advice is the importance of being proactive and honest with reporting. It seems like the people who ran into trouble were those who tried to game the system or didn't report work when it was performed. The detailed record-keeping advice is gold too - I'm definitely going to start a work log template now so I'm prepared if any contract opportunities come up. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially those who went through this exact situation successfully!

This is such a thorough discussion! As someone who's dealt with EDD for both traditional employment and freelance work, I can confirm everything everyone is saying here. The key principle is simple: work weeks are based on when you perform the work, not when you receive payment. Your situation is actually pretty straightforward - when you certify for those 2 weeks of freelance work, EDD will mark those weeks as ineligible due to full-time employment, which preserves your remaining 3 weeks for later use. This is exactly how the system is designed to work. One thing I'd add that I don't think anyone mentioned yet: make sure you have a clear end date for your freelance contract. When you go back to certifying after the work ends, EDD will want to know that you're truly available and actively seeking work again. Having documentation of when your contract officially ended can be helpful if they have any questions. You're being really smart by planning this out in advance. So many people get tripped up by trying to figure out the reporting requirements after they've already started working. Keep detailed records, be completely honest in your certifications, and you should have no issues using those 3 remaining weeks when you need them!