EDD reporting rules for game show winnings while on unemployment

Congrats on the game show win! For EDD reporting purposes, you only need to report income when you actually RECEIVE it. The fact that you won now but won't get paid until 2025 means you don't report it until you physically have the money. When you do receive it next year, you would report it under "Other Income" during your bi-weekly certification for that period. Remember that only income received during your certification period affects your unemployment benefits. Future income doesn't count against current certifications.

Just to add some practical info to what's already been said - when you eventually report this as "Other Income," EDD will reduce your benefit amount for that specific week based on their formula. Typically, you can earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit amount without reduction, then they deduct dollar-for-dollar after that. So if your WBA is $450, you could earn $112 with no reduction, but anything beyond that reduces your benefit. With $5,200, you'll likely receive no benefits for that certification period, but it shouldn't affect other weeks.

My experience with EDD reporting was completely different! When I won a raffle prize last year (only $800), I called EDD to ask how to report it and spent THREE DAYS trying to get through. Always got the "we're experiencing high call volume" message and disconnects. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual human at EDD. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The rep confirmed I only needed to report when I actually received the money. Was worth it to get a definitive answer directly from EDD since their website is so vague on special situations.

make sure u keep the paperwork from the gameshow proving WHEN they actually paid you. EDD can go back 3 yrs for audits and u dont want them thinking u hid income from them. if they issued the check in 2025 its 2025 income period.

In my experience dealing with EDD's confusing rules, I think everyone is missing something important here. Game show winnings might actually be considered a form of SELF-EMPLOYMENT income, not just "other income." When I worked as a background actor (got paid like $180), EDD made me report it as self-employment and it triggered all kinds of extra questions about whether I was "available for work" that week. The whole system is designed to make you fail somewhere so they can deny benefits. I'd be careful about how you categorize this.

congrats on the big win!! just fyi, taxes wont be taken out of your winnings so put some aside when u get it. they hit me with a huge tax bill when i won a sweepstakes years ago. nothing to do with EDD but just a heads up lol

One last important point - when you do receive and report the winnings in 2025, be sure to certify the question about refusing work as "No." Sometimes when people report large amounts of income in a week, they accidentally answer "Yes" to refusing work, which can trigger a separate eligibility issue. The income reporting and the work availability questions are separate issues with EDD, but people sometimes get confused when filling out the certification.

Hey Ella! Congrats on the game show win - that's amazing! Just wanted to add one more practical tip that might help when you eventually report this in 2025. When you're doing your bi-weekly certification and you report the $5,200 under "Other Income," EDD's system might flag it for manual review since it's such a large amount for one week. Don't panic if your payment gets delayed - this is normal for unusual income amounts. They just want to verify the income source matches what you reported. Having that documentation from the game show ready (like the letter stating payment date and the 1099) will help speed up the review process if they ask for it. You're doing the right thing by planning ahead!

I went through something similar when I won a work raffle prize worth $2,000 last year. The key thing is timing - you're absolutely right to be concerned about doing this correctly! Since you won't receive the money until 2025, you don't report it on your current certifications. When you do get the check in February, report it as "Other Income" for that specific certification period only. One thing I learned is that EDD's system treats prize winnings differently from regular wages - they don't spread it out over multiple weeks, it all gets applied to the week you actually receive payment. So you'll likely get $0 benefits for that one certification period, but it won't affect your other weeks. Also, keep the game show contract or any paperwork showing the payment date - EDD loves documentation and it protects you if they ever audit your claim later.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been dealing with EDD for a while now - you're asking all the right questions! The advice here is spot on about waiting until you actually receive the money in 2025 to report it. One small additional tip: when you do report it as "Other Income" next year, write a brief note in the comments section of your certification (if there's space) like "Game show prize payment received [date]" - this can help prevent confusion if an EDD rep reviews your claim later. Sometimes those little clarifications save you from having to explain unusual income sources multiple times. Enjoy your winnings when they come!

Congratulations on the big win! You've gotten excellent advice here. As someone who's navigated EDD's reporting requirements for irregular income, I can confirm that you're absolutely on the right track by planning ahead. Just to reinforce what others have said - report it only when you actually receive the payment in 2025, categorize it as "Other Income," and keep all documentation from the game show. One additional thing to consider: since this is such a significant amount, you might want to call EDD right before you receive the check to give them a heads up about the incoming large payment. Some people have found this helps prevent their claim from being unnecessarily flagged or suspended. If you can't get through by phone (which is unfortunately common), you could also send a message through your UI Online account explaining the situation. Better to over-communicate than under-communicate with EDD! Again, congrats on the win and good luck with everything!

Wow, congratulations on the game show win - that's incredible! You've gotten some really solid advice here. I just want to add one thing that might be helpful based on my own experience with EDD's quirky system. When you do report this in 2025, make sure you have your weekly benefit amount (WBA) handy when you certify. EDD's system will automatically calculate how the $5,200 affects that specific week's benefits, but knowing your WBA beforehand helps you double-check their math and avoid any surprises. Also, since this is a one-time windfall and not ongoing income, it won't affect your overall claim balance or extend your benefit year - it just impacts that single certification period. You're being so smart to plan this out in advance instead of scrambling when the check arrives!

Hey Ella, congratulations on your game show win! That's so exciting! I'm actually going through a similar situation right now - I'm on unemployment and just found out I won a contest prize worth $3,800 that I'll receive in January. Reading through all the responses here has been incredibly helpful for my situation too! I wanted to add one small thing that might be useful - when you eventually do your certification in 2025 and report the game show winnings, take a screenshot of your completed certification form before you submit it. I learned this the hard way when EDD's system glitched on me a few months ago and I lost all record of what I had reported. Having that screenshot saved me hours of headaches when I had to explain the situation to an EDD rep later. Also, based on what everyone's saying about the manual review process for large amounts, you might want to certify earlier in your certification window rather than waiting until the last minute. That way if there are any delays or questions, you'll have more time to resolve them before the next certification period. Thanks for asking this question - it's helped me figure out my own situation! Hope everything goes smoothly for you when you get your winnings!

Hey Ella! Congrats on the amazing win! 🎉 I've been following this thread and wanted to add something that might help based on my experience with EDD's income reporting. Everyone's given you excellent advice about waiting until you actually receive the money in 2025 and reporting it as "Other Income." One thing I'd suggest is also keeping a copy of the game show episode when it airs - sounds silly, but it's additional proof of the legitimacy of your winnings if EDD ever questions the source. I had a similar situation with a radio contest win and the EDD rep actually asked me for "proof of how the income was earned" during their review process. Also, since you mentioned you've been unemployed since August, this timing actually works out well for you - by February 2025 you might be in a completely different employment situation anyway, so the one-week benefit reduction might not even matter much by then. You're being so proactive about this whole thing, which is exactly the right approach with EDD. Better to have all your ducks in a row than get caught off guard! Best of luck with everything, and enjoy that win when it comes!